Life Begins at 33

For 32 years, I lived in a
library surrounded by
"God-only-loves-US" books.
Three months of camping
outside the walls of the
by-the-book bubble
opened up a whole new
chapter in my life.
Returning to the tome
tomb, I grabbed the
few vestiges of
life that survived the
incagement and
evacuated for good.

Simple Joys

After each reading session,
I close my book, and
reorient it from its
horizontal position to a
vertical stance so that I
can get a look at the top
of the bookmark and
measure my progress.
I take a moment to
feel the book in my
hands, griping it like
a prize, and give it a
quick squeeze before
sliding it back into my bag.