This one will give you a glimpse into the world

Of yours truly, from the time she was a little girl

The passion which was at the age of five ignited

Was in the form of printed words that left her excited-

I am going to tell you how books made an entrance

At different stages of my life, became my best friends-

Starting from a cartoon strip in a news periodical

Foraying into a book that took me on a journey magical

Through the solar system and the stars, teaching me

About the universe vast; I still recall quite gleefully

The colorful illustrations and facts fascinating-

I’ ve yet to find a book that captivating…

 

As I grew older, I thrived on a diet steady

Of Secret Seven and Nancy Drew, always ready

To solve difficult mysteries, mostly imaginary

Thinking I’d acquired skills extraordinary

Interspersed were folk-tales from lands far away

Making me yearn to travel to those places some day..

Then there were books that left an impression

Indelible, like the one translated from Russian

About a young boy and his doppelganger electronic

I longed for a friend (robot) with senses supersonic…

 

How can I forget friendship that sprouted spontaneously,

Over shared love for Agatha Christie’s outstanding mysteries

Over the next three years, my friend and I scoured the library

For any evidence of Dame Christie’s prowess literary

Read and discussed every single book ever written

By her, you can see the extent to which we were smitten..

 

Through the tumultuous years of adolescence

Powerful love stories had a constant presence

In my life- thus Bronte sisters and Jane Austen

Were integral parts of my personal heaven

I read works of literature, that were for me

Finest instances of human art and ingenuity

From Hugo and Hardy to Maugham and Tolstoy

Reading classics gave me unparalleled joy

 

These days I find myself gravitating

Towards stories of immigrants; captivating

As they are, in those pages I try to find

Succour for my lonely heart and mind

Get lost in powerful stories that reflect

How I feel today, they are perfect

For lightening the burden carried by me

As an immigrant who once crossed the sea

 

Thus Jhumpa Lahiri, Khaled Hosseini are a part

Of my bookshelves, and of my heart..

 

As I go through life, the genres might shift

But reading books gives me that indescribable lift

 

That always keeps me thirsting for more 

There are always books for me to devour!

(Image source: www.notonthehighstreet.com)