My Best Companion Is a Book

A Poem

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

you probably could tell too well
that I love the silence of an empty room —
preferably if it has shelves for walls,
all the better to be filled
with all the pages I wish to ravish

ask me if I have a favorite —
and that would be a sin to admit,
worse maybe than picking
between a spouse and a child —
oh, the indignity of it all

but you might be able to see
from watching how I linger,
fingertips to spines — a gentle touch —
as my nose revels in that scent,
the evocative blend of ink and paper

you may think these are just fancies,
the stuff of other worlds
and the escapes they offer —
but do I fault you your wines and spirits
that steal you away to oblivion?

tell me if you would rather live
vicarious adventures in a guise,
a realm removed — safe and free —
or would you take up arms
for wars you’ll never win?