Desireless is a collection of poems attributed to Toffee of Septarsis.
Roots
The origins of this book date back to the third century, and Septarsis was its place of birth. One summer, a couple of poems in prose were popularised amongst the inhabitants of the septarian land. They were recited at bars, in the streets, at public venues, at homes. They were recognised as a homogenous body of art, as they were always formally introduced like this:
"And now, poems from the wandering poet!"
The inhabitants would get enthusiastic whenever someone was about to recite a poem from the "Wandering Poet". Yes, the phrase generated a misconception from which the identity of the author of these poems was born. The expression "wandering poet" referred to an anonymous character who traveled and left short poems behind, for the masses to learn and delight over. This poet traveled more than the average septarian, for sure, but the phrase was not literal, so it didn't imply that all of the poems came from the head of only one being.
It could never be proven that only one septarian was the Wandering Poet. Multiple septarians declared themselves the Wandering Poet, and as soon as they took credit for the poems - having learning them all - , in another corner of Septaris, a new "official" poem was being spread.
The reason why septarians were so fond of the work of the Wandering Poet is becaue -for centuries to come- it was the only popular example of artistic expression, their only folklore.
The poems were recited by generations of grandparents to their grandchildren, alongside the legend of the Wandering Poet.
Few drawings and written documents exist from that era that showcase historical facts, but anyway, every retelling of a past is mere speculation.
But, was it a misconception? The existence of the Wandering Poet as a singular and non-fictitious figure? This is where Toffee comes in.
Author?
The poems have a clear lyrical "Me" character that always talks about its life.
The events described in the Poet's poetry parallel perfectly Toffee's experience, according to testimonies of creatures that have dealt with him through the years.
Some have called the Poet's body of work "autobiographical".
But the question stands: what if the work is partially or entirely fictional? If Toffee really did write the book that now bears his name, is the writing confessional, or is he actually bluffing? Or is it all an act of artistic intentions?
Because the Wandering Poet is not a tangible figure, many poems were spread attributed to the name, but were cut from the book's publication for not being authentic. Evidence of a canonical author?
The Book
The book was originally published in 1932, anonymously and independently under the "Desireless" title . A second edition was issued in 1980, with 60 more poems. That was when it was first officially refferred to as The Book of Toffee by whomever published it and edited it.
Just for the allegation alone, rather than the content of the work, the book was banned in Mewni during the reign of Queen Moon Butterfly. By then, it had already been read for decades in several dimensions across the Solar System.
Toffee himself has never affirmed or denied being responsible for "Desireless", but he once adressed the book, calling it "curious".
The history of this collection of folklore ends here.
Here you have it: the infamous, and certainly singular, book of Toffee.
—Eisoptrophie Bia, historian.