Back to Issue 4

spoken pages by William McManus

Bath me in words to wonder
So that I may suckle with the mind
Upon their hidden meaning
Pages turn aflutter in motion
Journey to an ancient time.

Quench this lust to understand
That which escapes a feverish mind
Lost to the intrepid whirl

Of  the written tales of endless time.
Pages lift and awaken
Once the crisp cover opens
And a familiar scent captures the air.
When queried by desires livid and sanguine
The true essence of an idea
Cries aloud from within.

Even when the shelf has been a resting place
For much to long awhile
Coddled into a dust ridden sleep
Alone and beguiled.
Still they dream of ancient folklore
Of  histories and philosophies
Records of facts and mysterious tales
Civilizations that succeed
Only to eventually fail.

The words and truisms are forever within
Waiting for one lonely seeker
To begin once again.