A Bible found

Last night while rummaging around in the loft
in amongst old paperbacks packed away and forgot,
I found this leather-bound King James
inside inscribed with my mother's name
and the numbers of every old school class,
each year's form written under the last
in a hand slowly growing in confidence
but showing no sign of reverence.

Nor were there thumbmarks on the edges of pages,
just the faint yellow glow of gold leaf faded,
and inside the sheets shone crisp and clean,
neglect having kept them pure and pristine.
And though I don't have faith, as often I've said,
I do believe no good book should go unread,
so under her name I wrote my own;
for the sins of the mother the son shall atone.