I have a beautiful book-house

With walls made of heavy tomes,

A door of hard cover journal, and

Paperbacks made its roof as domes.

It has certain fun – chambers,

Spiritual and religious room,

Also, ancient literature nook,

With its olden, musty perfume.

There is riveting fiction section,

A poignant poetry segment,

I was free to choose any subject,

For learning or entertainment.

In the fairy-tale division, I

Became a curious little child,

Roamed in the Eden garden or

I capered in the virgin wild.

A teenage girl in love, while

Reading book of romance,

Be it a prince or a pauper,

With anyone I could dance.

In the province of philosophy,

With Plato, Kant or Socrates,

I would get some enlightenment,

Feel peaceful and so at ease.

Back in time with history, to

Battle fields and war-heroes,

Some survived, some martyred,

Fighting with their fierce foes.

From planet earth to Milky Way,

Geography made me a tourist,

Being a keen, voracious reader

All categories were on my list.

Some books educate and guide me,

Some give sermon, some chide me,

Having finished, came out of the book,

But the book remained inside me.

                                                                            ~ Sudha Dixit

                                                                                   Bangalore, India