Day 94 - Poetry Bookstore

Thought of the day:  I spent an afternoon in the new Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe with Jasmine.  The bookstore is located in University Hill and owned by two poets.  It's small but apparently it's only the third bookstore in the country that sells exclusively poetry books.  It has a good collection of children's poetry books and Jasmine was excited to buy one that she really liked.  We went through a whole pile of books.  One book that really stuck in my mind was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  We read the book and were both very touched.  Jasmine was particularly sad because of the sacrifices the tree made for the boy.  I was touched by the beautiful and poignant relationship between the tree and the little boy.  Is the boy selfish?  I don't think so.  At least he is not any more selfish than a normal human being with a life to live.  Is the tree too eager and forgiving?  Perhaps, but "people" like that do exist.  I personally know a few and feel blessed to be included in their lives.  These people are blessed too because they live useful and happy lives by making others - especially the ones they love - happy, just like the tree in the book.  At the end, the boy did come back to rest on the tree and both their lives were happy and complete.  The story also reminded me of the relationship between the human and the earth.  One difference is that the humans just take things from the earth without even asking.  The other big difference is that we actually live on the earth and by depriving the earth we are depriving ourselves too.  This book can definitely make you pause and think a bit.  It's amazing how much depth can be contained in so little a book.

Photo of the day:

View from the window of Innisfree Bookstore and Cafe.