Different challenges people for themselves set
Announcing them somewhere on the internet
To gain publicity, or for accountability
It is trendy to challenge our abilities..
So I gave myself a challenge, announcing on “Goodreads”
That every single day for a month, a book I would read
Now forty-five days later, forty-five books I have read
On a variegated literary diet I stand well-fed
What did I achieve? That is something I cannot explain
I was already an avid reader, I did not need to “train”
To read a book fast enough to complete it in a day
You might ask if this obsession got in the way
Of my work, of other tasks to be completed
Surprisingly, reading a book a day never depleted
My time significantly, what it did actually
Was that each book became my best ally
For the day- enticing me away from TV and shopping online
As books worked their magic, I had less time to whine
Different worlds I experienced with each book read
Some barely touched me, with others tears were shed
From stories set centuries ago to politics contemporary
My selection of books was fairly arbitrary
Browsing through collections at my local library each weekend
Became a ritual of sorts, a gainful way to spend
My time- checking out as many books as I could
Selecting books on varied topics such that I would
Be forced to move out of my comfort zone
My reading choices expanded, I never felt alone
As books became my companions constant
I felt happy that my time was well spent
This was a challenge, which has reached completion
Now I shall withdraw from my self-imposed competition
Still continue to read daily, though not a book every day
I have waxed poetic about it enough, that’s all I had to say!