Exploring My Bookshelves: This One Brings Back Memories

Exploring My Bookshelves is a weekly meme created by Victoria at Addlepates and Book Nerds. Since Victoria was on summer vacation, Shannon at For the Love of Words created her own topics, which I followed along with. Now they will both host the meme in alternating months. Visit either blog for the list of topics.

This week’s topic:

A book you keep for the memories

I’ve had this stained, tattered old book of poems for years. It belonged to my mother and I took it when she moved to the U.S. In the Caribbean, sometimes parents would move to the U.S. or England to work to provide for their families in their home countries. Usually their children are unable to accompany them to the new country so the children would remain home with family members. I grew up with my family in Jamaica while my parents were in the states and I guess I held onto this book to hold onto my mother.

I believe it’s the only book of hers that I’ve kept for so long. She once had many books from her days as a teacher in Jamaica, but all of them have since disappeared except this little book of poems that’s falling apart. It has no cover and no binding and she doesn’t remember where she got it from or why she had it. I read all the poems in it when I was little and even now I would sometimes flip through its pages to reread my favorite, “A Dis A Crisis” by Beverly Lewis. It’s one of a few poems in the book that’s in the Jamaican patois and I love it for that.

I’ll continue to carry this book with me where ever I go. I’ll hold onto it until its pages begin to crumble in my hands because now it not only connects me to my mother, but is a token of my childhood as well.

How this meme works:

1. Take a “shelfie” (a picture of your bookshelf). Preferably literal, but e-shelves work too.
2. Write something on the day’s prompt.
3. Give the blurb and the cover of the book (and what you thought of it if you’ve read it).
4. Link back to Victoria’s post.

My bookshelf:

my bookcase

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