“We are sensitized by the books we read. And the more books we read, and the deeper their lessons sink into us, the more pairs of glasses we have. And those glasses enable us to see things we would have otherwise missed.”
— Alain de Botton
As a voracious reader, one day I felt uninspired
By my reading list- the writing for which taste I had acquired
Appeared too repetitive, too insipid, too familiar
I desired something different, something peculiar..
*
A quick Google search enlightened me
The way to overcome my ennui
Was to find books from all over the world
When I started doing so, a new world unfurled
Before me- without leaving my home I found
I was traveling, albeit mentally, all around
*
Through countries diverse I traveled vicariously
Back and forth in time, guided by visual imagery
From far-flung islands to countries I had seen
In colorful translations and in English pristine
I went on reading “the world”, nation by nation
With each new one grew my fascination..
*
The more diverse my repertoire of books became
The more I realized how people were the same
Throughout the world- common themes I found
Stories set in the backdrop of war abound-
Through cultural differences, local customs and such
The bonds of friendship and love remain untouched
Good writing, irrespective of where it originates
Is one that with diverse readers resonates
*
One hundred and ninety-six nations there are
I have covered fifty in books, I have to go far..
Passion...unbridled 