The sterile white sheets up to my waist,
Clutching my Madeline.
I continuously found an escape
in the bright pages of her life,
and adventures.
She was my friend,
Prancing with me
through the streets of France.
The twinkling lights, the smells of bread and cheese.
The crisp air on our faces, ready to face anything.

Flipping through quickly,
Or slowly,
The stories were different
Each time someone read.
Mommy read, her fingers following the text
Line after line
To keep me occupied.
Daddy read, with a passion
That I no longer contained.
Grandpap read,
Loud as a train and bellowed each word
While grandma held me on her lap.

Now I’ve grown up.
Mommy and Daddy aren’t together anymore,
Grandma is gone,
And Grandpap moved away.
But I still count on
Madeline
To pull me away
From the disappointments and setbacks
of my life today.