Sea of Books

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I stare at a sea of books –

Every lane and by-lane

Stacked with used books

Ah, that musty, yellow love

Strewn across for miles

Countless shrines – with wisdom shine

 

But it is not just sepia pages

It is the emotions in those books

Trapped forever -  

I lift random books

And imagine the countless tales

That live in every page

 

A scribble here, a note there

Someone understanding the cosmos

Then, a dog-ear of delay,

Did she pause to look outside the window?

Our Charulata?

What did she see that the fold remained?

 

In another book, a flattened rose –

Surely not Oshibana?

Was it then a love letter? A gift?

Forever pressed between chapters lost?

A memento of love

In a manuscript of maths

 

 

An old newspaper’s bookmark,

A hastily scribbled phone number,

A magazine cut-out of a beautiful face,

Or a doodle here, a cartoon there

A story within the story -

Every memory, an unfinished tale

 

I often wonder where are those writers

Do they even know someone far away

Sees their graffiti on a wall?

Still preserved, in a museum –

College Street, a sea of books

An ocean of memories…

 

1st April, 2026

 

College Street is one of the largest second-hand book markets in the world, lined with endless stalls selling everything from rare classics to exam guides. It is a great place to wander, browse, and bargain, even if you’re not planning to buy anything. The street has a lively, old-world charm, with students, readers, and booksellers creating a constant buzz.

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