Old Words

[tetrahedral_connection]

Like a soldier I stand at attention

in long rows with my fellows,

my leather jacket smooth with polish

and my underclothes bleached white.

 

I have the strength to weather centuries,

though my spine was cracked from the beginning.

Broken open, I am bared to all,

my secrets revealed to eager eyes.

 

I am devoured, I am absorbed,

I am nibbled as a snack before bedtime.

My body brings rich sustenance

to any with the proper appetite.

 

Held close to the heart,

I whisper of new worlds to open minds.

Huddled under a tent of blankets,

I am a guide to adventure by flashlight.

 

Ages pass, and my jacket

cracks, my skin yellows.

Yet my tale is fresh as ever,

ready to be told yet again.