Books

Books were my childhood

 In the scratchy sofa next to my fireplace, I would read

 Within those pages 

I found my heart

 When I left

 all I could hear was the last couple sentences I'd read

 Bouncing around in my head 

were all the stories

 I could never live

 I cared for those fictional characters 

much more than I cared for the realistic ones 

within my life

 I chose those characters 

over the real ones I knew

 every time

 I grew up learning from their mistakes

 I learned honesty and integrity 

through the triumphs of these people

 I'll never get to meet

These authors taught me what true love should be like 

long before I'd discovered it on my own

They taught me courage and sacrifice

 so I could apply it in my own life

 The smell of the pages brought me home

so of course libraries were my favorite place to be

 I'll never understand these people who choose the parties

 over a good book on a Saturday night

 I'll never figure out

 what people find inside of the world of science

 This world is so beautiful 

when you look at it for what it is 

and try to describe it

 within the shackles your own vocabulary  

And when it's not beautiful anymore

 you can make up your own world

 and let a little girl choose it

 instead of her own. 

Reviews

[Saddam]

So nicely write it.
I never sleep without having books under my pillow.
I love books and that's way your writing too. They are unaware with the world of good books.

I'll never understand these people who choose the parties
over a good book on a Saturday night

[Ekai Stone]

Thank you for this! Great testament to our love for books?

[SmittyJas]

Nice I'm living that dream today by reading so much poetry and dreams of so many people like minded who like to read and write poetry I struggled my first four years in grade school reading books didn't come easy I need tutors and extra help in that department But by smart computers and spell check I have overcome my fears and become a writer of poetry So come and check me out I going to finish your bunch of poems and continue along my path. Hope you enjoy my reviews.

[Misery]

Your inspiration is a cherished delight, dear poet.
My own childhood was littered with lovely books that took me to far away worlds.

[The Twin Arenas]

Always nice to read about books; living time machines.

whenever I hear about the Dalai Lama's faves, I always think that someone like him shouldn't be allowed to read books. Either you're living a life of quiet solitude and spiritual reflection, or you're off in some intense read. Literature hardly a passive thing. A very passionate thing. If I knew him, I'd always bug him about it.

Anyway, nice poem.