It’s not the pages I crave
Not the numbers or authors
It's what he got and he gave
To the poverty and hardship of others

Its for the shed of a tear
For the lost joy of lovers
That we shall never come near
Outside these new or worn covers

Its for the glimmer of light
Shining through the ages
As they spot their future
Having freedom outside life's cages

Its for the maidens
Whose tears leave a glittering path
Whose cries curse the silence
Worser than a man in his wrath

Its for the child's sob
Echoing through the mother's mind
Ripping her heart out
Making her lost and blind

Its for the brave heroes
Standing in harm's way
One second they're there
Then they fade away

Its for the wrenching sadness
That breaks your heart
And makes you understand
That their love was a work of art

Its for her love filled gaze
Walking down the aisle
For the tender hug of a young child
And her toothy smile

Its for the softest of a whisper
from a fever clutched body
For the boy who died
Before he could become naughty

Its for the rage
The revenge of vengeance
That gives them a need
And sense for independence

Its for the racking cough
Shaking the once strong shoulders
For the young boy, so far from home
Fighting side by side with other soldiers

Its for the hair raising danger
The heart soaring thrill
The one that gives your
Spine a tingling chill

And for this I read
To feel and sense emotion
To have it cover me
Like the sand by the ocean

Why I always find the time
And the need
To put myself in their story
That, is why I read.