My Library, a poem by Bruce Levine at Spillwords.com

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My Library

Bruce Levine·June 26, 2026

English Poetry

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My Library

written by: Bruce Levine

Sometimes I just enjoy being surrounded by books
I sit in my library and look around
There’s no purpose to the looking
Other than the pleasure the looking brings by itself
Shelves filled with books
Objet d’art perched on the edge of some shelves
In front of the books
Not too many to look cluttered
Or distract from the essence of or feel of the library
There’s comfort in being surrounded by books
A library is a room for retreat
A safe haven and a place for reflection
A place where ideas can flow without instigation
Almost as if those ideas float in the air
To be plucked by an awaiting receptacle
My library is a room to share time
To talk in a room that says
You’re safe here
Safe to feel the warmth created by
Being surrounded by books
To feel the serenity of a peaceful space
A comfortable room to be together
To share a moment in time
A welcoming place just to be

About
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Bruce Levine

Bruce Levine is a Pushcart Prize poetry nominee, a Spillwords Press Awards winner, and a WestWard Quarterly featured writer. Over three hundred of his works are published on over twenty-five on-line journals including Literary Yard, 5-7-5 Haiku Journal and Spillwords: over seventy print anthologies including Tipton Poetry Journal, Poets’ Espresso Review, Creations Magazine and WestWard Quarterly. He’s the author of the chapbook Sweet Dreams and is also a classical composer. A native Manhattanite, he now lives in Dover, New Hampshire where he maintains an active theatre, music and academic schedule.

Olga Cunha

Olga Cunha is a Russian writer and poet based in Portugal. Having walked through her own darkness, she knows that even there, light can be found — and made to shine brighter. This belief lies at the heart of her novels, short stories, and poetry. She writes about people who face depression, fear, loss, loneliness, and difficult choices, yet keep searching for meaning, freedom, and hope. Her books The Architect and Good Offer: What the Hell have been published in Russian and English and are available on Amazon. The Architect, a magical realism novel, won the LitRes New Horizons 2024 competition. Olga also writes and performs her poetry in both languages. You can find her poetry readings on Instagram at @writer_olgacunha.

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