Next in Line
Next in Line
There are always piles of laundry
waiting to be washed,
but eventually it gets done,
and we start all over again.
But there's one pile
that never dwindles down to nothing—
the TBR pile.
If you're a reader you know.
For the rest of you, that's
the To Be Read pile.
Trust me when I tell you
this is a pile that never dwindles;
it only gets bigger.
It gets rearranged,
things get bumped to the top
or slowly settle to the bottom,
falling into the “one day I'll get to it” category.
There are just too many good books
calling out to be read,
and these days so many are a series,
which means you have to read all of them—
And let's not get started on favorite books
that require multiple readings.
If you know, you know.
There are only so many hours in a day,
and sadly too many of them are filled
with things we must do
that are far less enjoyable
than reading a good book.
But we readers know
the TBR pile may fluctuate,
but it never goes away.
It's a steady companion in our life,
and one of our most difficult decisions
is choosing which book will be
next in line.
~Elise Skidmore ©2025
True. So many books so little time. Well done and congrats on successfully completing the November PAD challenge.
Thanks, Alan! It always feels good to finish, especially with the November PAD because of the holidays getting started at the same time. I really appreciate you stopping by to read and comment.
No kidding! So many books, so little time. And congrats on completing the PAD challenge!
Thanks, Linda! At first when the “next” prompt came up, I wasn’t sure what would come of it, but once the notion of the TBR pile popped into my head, it came together pretty quickly. As all readers know, that’s one pile that never diminishes. LOL. It’s strange that since I’ve retired I’ve actually gotten less reading done than when I was working, but the one positive about my job was that I was able to listen to audiobooks while I worked, so 30-40 hours a week was accompanied by reading.
Absolutely love Elise’s poetry .
She grabs you right from the first word.
Thanks so much, Anita! I’m so happy to hear your praise!