Open that book
bend back the cover
and loosen the tight binding

Take off the flimsy cover of
silly art.
It’s supposed to represent the story,
but it doesn’t do the words justice.
Don’t judge the book
by its cover,
you are better than that.
Toss the glossed over paper aside;
it will only distract your grip
while lying in bed
holding it
upright.

Settle in,
this is going to be
a good one.
Wrap your legs in a warm blanket
and mentally prepare for
the whirlwind of emotions
you are about to experience.

Get ready.


Get set;




go!

Turn past that cover page;
don’t look at the authors name,
will their existence
influence
what’s to come?
No!

Flip past three wasted pages;
one has a few lines of
dedication,
the second is
blank,
and the third is simply
author’s notes.
Unimportant.

Then, stare at the simplicity
of that first page,
whether it is page 1 of 60
or 1 of 478.
Look at how clean it is.
Your mind is clear from the thoughts
the next many pages will infect.
So take a moment
to appreciate your life before
this masterpiece.

Read the “Chapter 1” at
the tippy top of the page
and after cracking the tense binding
just one last time,



Read the first word






Read the first sentence









Read the first paragraph.

Become consumed
in the lives of other people.
Become sympathetic for the twists of their
tragic and perfect lives.
Let their story wash over you
and enjoy the pure excitement
of reading
a good
book.