A Book And Its Cover - A Judgement

Will I remain forever unread
like a tired novel, forever trapped,
caught in a remainder store rut
never to be snuggled up with in bed?

the cover staid, dull and uninviting,
keeping potential purchasers at bay,
their attention caught by brighter prospects
whose blurbs sound much more exciting

A quick ,cursory flick through the pages
reveals a shifting, uncertain artless polemic,
its dull prose prohibiting passion
Too many tired characters, trapped in cages
of self-doubt, lacking a real sense of self
to make their own

Yet most won't ever get this far, as the
gaudy paperback is lucky to get off the shelf
its young pages already torn without a touch
being bestowed upon their rough surface,
while the cover remains neat, prim and proper

the recommended price of nothing is too high
to tempt anyone's interest, an impossible task
any marketing consultant would refuse