between the introduction and the epilogue
there’s a story that catches me up in its grasp
taken in by the cleverly crafted characters
the twisting plot and subplots
i am transported into the scenes
i shudder, shiver, and scream in my head as if i were in a theater
i can pause the action by placing a book mark between the pages
most often i read well into the beginning hour if the next, eager to reach the climax
finished, i give the tome a fond pat, place it in the empty slot on the shelf
we will meet again, old friend