Today, I am challenged to write a poem which is inspired by a reference book of some kind. My first thoughts took me back to this collection set I possessed when I was younger.
Abo to Zul
As a gift, you were the heaviest one I opened,
My curiosity, unbound.
With a regal blue donning your cover,
You were the first ever nine-book set I owned,
Covering Aborigines to Zulus.
I remember thinking aloud,
How does 26 divide by 9?
Every answer drew up a remainder,
Yet you covered every letter of the alphabet,
Without any left-over.
In every project, you were my guide,
To my mind, you were one of a kind,
With knowledge abundant,
And cross-referencing present,
I learnt so much in no time.
Aborigines to Candles,
Cannibalism to Egypt,
Egyptians to Gymnastics,
Gypsies to Medicine,
Medeival Times to Pop & Rock,
Popes to Stars,
Stars to Zulus,
A Bibliography and Index too,
You are the reason the word
“Oxford” is etched in my memory,
And I can carry conversation on
Any topic today.
Tejas Rao 