"What I'm Reading Now"

When I was a kid, my parents took me to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. There was an attraction there called Herman’s Heaven, the highlight of which was a darkened room of mirrors and strings of lights that gave the impression of infinity. I’ve been intrigued by that layered effect ever since. Like the book cover of a man holding the book cover of a man…you get the idea.

I’ve been reading Nick Hornby’s Ten Years in the Tub, which is a book about books. One of the books he writes about is Gabriel Zaid’s So Many Books, which is another book about books. I wanted to mention that just so that I could add one more layer: I’m telling about a book telling about a book telling about books.

What I'm Reading Now

© 1992 Brian Hutzell

They accused me of not knowing what's going on

Told me I had no clue

Said I was hiding in a shell

Wrapped up in a silk cocoon

What they didn't know: the part about you

What they didn't see: the part about me

And the fact that now I'm free

If they could see what I'm reading now

What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now

We broke up, and I have lots of free time

Unless I constantly read, I can't control my mind

And it turns to you

And I freak out

Gotta forget about you

Get a new life now

And new books to read in new languages

Pages of stuff I'll absorb like an undiscriminating sponge

Only to forget it a week after I'm done

It appears I'm crawling in a hole

But that's only part of the story

There is a reason for what I do

And my library likes it too

What they didn't know: the part about you

What they didn't see: the part about me

And the fact that now I'm free

If they could see what I'm reading now

What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now

If they could see what I'm reading now

What has happened to allow me to read what I'm reading now