Books hold memories of lives lived
Cracked spines and dog-eared pages
All smelling like people's idea
Characters leaping through the page onto my lap and teaching me how to be brave,
Because courage is required in life.

I want my books to have gleaming covers
No stains, perfect pages, but life is not like that.
Life is messy and notes must be taken in the margins so you learn—
Folding down pages to remember times when characters felt real
Times not to be forgotten.

Reading is messy—coffee and tears interfere with pristine pages
Life is messy with hopes and fears
But if you erase the lines drawn across those fearful words
And let your imagination fly high
Life is a plot worth living.