Becoming
by Odin Roark

How many become the words they read,
the chapter and verse of another’s perception,
the plot and characters forged from another’s experience?

How clever,
this trickery we play with our brains,
this escape we readily subscribe to,
this acquired destiny of a story,
but not our own.

Yet…

For many,
the world of books
becomes their primary resource for understanding,
be it one’s own entrapment in fantasy,
or one’s gleaning an epiphany about their personal being.
Such is revealing time spent.

But…

What a travesty we feel
when witnessing the often butchered facsimile of a cherished book,
falling into the abyss of profiteering fostered by cinema and television.

For readers,
the closing of our eyes,
the spreading of our arms,
courageously walking the plank of daring discovery,
provides a special contentment with ourselves,
with knowing a truth,
the book’s integrity,
the reader’s empowerment,
the power of imagination revealing itself as a gift.

For the fortunate who find reading a privilege…

Such renders realize multiple choices:
Are we becoming who we are,
who we choose not to be,
or who we thoughtfully aspire to echo to others?