Never judge a book by its cover

Left on the Shelf

He went into the bookshop
He had just one thing on his mind
Just a very slim new volume
He knew it was just his kind
He flicked through the fine pages
Devoured each little word
But nothing really grabbed him
He thought it quite absurd

Perhaps something a bit more rounded
And covered with pretty flowers
He could gaze at every morning
And wile away the hours
He looked at several copies
But found them much the same
Perhaps an illustrated version
Wasn’t really why he came

And then as he was leaving
He spied behind the door
A shelf of second hand reading
He’d never seen before
So as the day was rainy
He didn’t walk straight by
But took his time to linger
Well it was really worth a try

He found a chunky volume
Beneath a layer of dust
And gently brushed the cobwebs
He felt as though he must
He turned the fragile pages
That had seen some better days
And very soon he realised
The error of his ways

He was delighted with the contents
Thought they were so divine
He’d found himself a treasure
And said “this one is mine”
The moral’s very simple
When you’re searching for a lover
Just like looking for a good book
Never judge one by its cover

©Marian Barker