A magic carpet ride

 

“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a book.”

~J.K. Rowling 

Oh, the historical, solid, cover-bound book!
Given a comfortable chair and good lighting,
Given few distractions,
Given books set beyond our own homes:
reading books can transport us into their stories.
A book in the hand is the main meal,
though we can learn to read and listen remotely.
For me, fiction and poetry are the magic carpets,
constructed to draw me in and keep me there.
Engaged by them for hours,
I skip meals, bedtime, and chores.
 
But O! modern applications for remote reading,
Kindle, Audible, and Libby—live on mobile cell phones—
a convenient home and a major distraction.
Almost anything that can be done on a computer
now travels in the palm of one hand.
Here distractions to reading are many
both in lively environments like buses and waiting rooms,
and on the device in email, texts, streaming, and calls.
This tiny device returns us to the present over and over,
as often as we allow it.  How hard to resist incoming alerts!
Demands of the present prevent the magic carpet ride. 

For Sumana's prompt on books, reading, and magic.

My blog poems are rough drafts.

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© 2026 Susan L. Chast