I open a book.

 

I am in a grand castle

Surrounded by lords and ladies, jesters and kings

I hear the rustle of my ball gown

See the glowing candelabras 

Their light shining on my skin

As I dance

With a mysterious suitor.

 

I turn the page.

I am sailing the high seas

The wind whipping my hair 

And the taste of salt on my tongue

Strange creatures swim below

Mermaids and krakens and things

That even the most experienced sailors 

Will not speak of.

 

I turn the page.

I am in a forest with trees as tall as giants

I begin to climb

Feel the rough bark beneath my hands

The branches scratching my face

Higher and higher I go 

Until I can see the earth below me 

And the heavens arching above.

 

I turn the page.

I am on a spaceship

Hurtling through the stars

I can see a new planet spread out below me

Mountains and oceans and forests

No human has ever even dreamed of

Life too

Life that only I will ever know. 

 

I close the book.

I am back in my room

The harshness of reality

Weighing on my shoulders

No forests or boats

No spaceships or castles

Life is ever so dreary

But I know how to escape.

 

I open another book.