Reading ready
A man is reading
a novel to himself
out loud
in the library :
he seems totally
engrossed
in the story
and oblivious
to everything
around him
He’s about
forty-five years old
casually dressed
wearing
trainers and
a light jacket
He reads slowly
but without
stumbling
over words
I remember the transition
to silent reading
when I was at school
a minor milestone
to be sure
but I have to admire
this character sitting
in Holborn public library
on a cold December afternoon
comfortably
immersed in the joy
of his fictional world
John Lyons