“books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,

flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

-plato

—

i stopped over to surprise

little grandie b

on her birthday

brought my gift

gave her a flower

shared a hug

then

she asked

if she could read to me

i had ‘read’ with her

just months before

when she pretended to read

a chapter book

imitating readers

she had seen and heard

excited to be like one of them

but today

she opened a book

read me every word

her little brother

said

“i don’t know how it happened.

but she can just read now.”

i told him

” it is magic.”

i was in awe of her

and

this surprise gift of magic

that she gave to me on her sixth birthday.

—

“once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

– frederick douglass