In a very lonely childhood time

My sole companions were the books

They kept me totally entertained

I was lost to a world hidden in a nook

This friendship was to last forever

The books had never forsaken me

Whenever I was down the dump

Under their wings, they’ve taken me

I was mocked for being a bibliophile

And good for nothing otherwise

I was simply mortified as

I was not at all worldly-wise

I’d sit down on the solitary bench

A rare sanctuary under the trees

With a book in hand, I was oblivious

To the world, feeling the fragrant breeze

Only nature, now, remembers me

As a lonely soul holding a book

No one  can find a physical body,

Just an invisible shadow if they look

Yes  I  am  gone  away,  away  from  the  universe

But my thirsty soul   still lingers around

Where it got solace and peace, far from

The crowd, holding a book without sound

~Sudha Dixit

Bangalore, India