The second apocalyptic book is actually two books - A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein.

Whoa. As a grown up and a poet, I cannot think of a better introduction to poetry. The play with rhyme, the life lessons, the humor and the metric chutzpah all add up to a lifetime influence that I will one day thank him for, when I meet up with him at the poetry reading in latte heaven.

There are two poems that I still live by, here for your re-reading pleasure or first glimpse, depending on your own past life with Silverstein. They are both from Where the Sidewalk Ends, and I'm putting them down in the order that they are printed in the book.

MAGIC

Sandra's seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins' gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself.

ALICE

She drank from a bottle called DRINK ME
And up she grew so tall,
She ate from a plate called TASTE ME
And down she shrank so small.
And so she changed, while other folks
Never tried nothin' at all.

I bought a whole bunch of makeup today that should have cost $40 but only cost $20. So that's good, then. I'm pragmatic enough (I would say mildly-moderately, but it'a all relative) and rarely spend money on stuff like that. But I do also have a very sensitive side that lives parallel to the pragmatist, and when my feelings hurt or I feel anxious about the future, it's the only time I ever shop willingly and impulsively. I'm having serious resume doubts so I bought a whole bunch of $5 movies too, but I'll probably take those back tomorrow. Shopper's remorse. Just the movies though, not the makeup. Makeup is a necessity in its own way, I've just found ways around spending actual money on it over the years. I tend to splurge more on food.

I believe that every reader has "apocalyptic" books in their library. Meaning books that have changed their lives or reading habits in some profound way. I think there will be an apocalyptic book series on my blog for the next few weeks.

I will start chronologically. The first book is Charlotte's Web, and I believe the first time I read it I was between 6 and 7 years old. I already had a strange empathy, or compassion, for animals, and this book cemented in my mind the eternal belief that animals communicate with each other and with people. They have souls and make friends and laugh out loud. They are equally valuable as people. Even now, in films or books or poetry or stories, when an animal speaks out loud to another animal or to a person, I do not question it at all. I don't attribute it the listener's state of mind - I don't automatically assume they or crazy, or on drugs, or dreaming. I always assume that the animal just decided to talk.