On Pages

This poem was written in response to the Rattle® Poetry Ekphrastic Challenge for February 2025 and was ultimately not selected. You can find more information here.

https://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/

On Pages

Opening a book,

I open another world

Traveling to the farthest-flung places of the Earth

From the highest mountain peaks

I jump and fly

On the backs of thunderbirds

A fleet of dragons at my command

In the deepest of oceans

I swim with the kraken

In the sunken ruins of cities

Through enchanted forests

I ride on a unicorn

While fairies dance on wild flowers

Witches, wizards, and werewolves

Mind readers, shape-shifters, vampire slayers

An epic battle, good against evil

Aliens on their spaceships descend

Coming to take me

To visit the galactic space station

Ten thousand light-years away

Or in time gone by

On a voyage back to see the dinosaurs

I converse with kings and queens

Swept off my feet by gallant knights

To meet and marry a crown prince

Marching with the armies of the world of old

I walk with pharaohs as the pyramids are built

Lost in discussion with the ancient philosophers

As they unroll their scrolls, just as I did when I

In opening a book,

Opened another world

For on pages,

I live

Submitted under MRB