in my desert island life

if i had to choose between taking my android

or ten of my favorite old paperbacks

i’d take my old paperbacks every time

my android doesn’t have the history i need

even though it has A I, I T and 4G speed

there is no smell, no comfort

and it won’t start a fire

the smell of old paperbacks

can take me back

to older times and older owners

to rooms they lived in before

yellowing pages and cracking covers

are pulpy and tactile

they capture smells

and i like touching paper pages

turning paper pages

burning paper pages

turning pages of a book on an android

seems void

of enjoyment for me

even though it’s a hell of a device

it just doesn’t fill my palm tree bookcase

it’s not as warm

unless you’re talking microwaves

and they run out

my android has all the apps though

even, best flashlight app!

but if i drop it, sit on it, or get it wet

i’m hooped

old paperbacks fit in my back pockets

like padding

or kindling

old paperbacks don’t run out

of power

they can burn

old paperbacks are never obsolete

and they distract me

from survival

i like their shelf life

still

escape and comfort

the smell of old paperbacks

and my desert island life