Read to Me?

Grandpa in his easy chair
Hears all the kids around
And smiles inside at all the sounds
Of happy feet and games
Until one with bubbling laughter
Says, "Grandpa, read to me!"
Then goes to fetch her favorite book
And climbs into his lap
Joined by others
Until the chair is full
And more gather around
To hear the story told
Which excites imagination
And remembered words
From something heard so many times
It has become a part
Of memorization.

As pages turn and years go by
Those same, once small ears
Who learned to love
The written word are often found
With book in hand
Absorbing
That which other hands have written
And imagination
Grows and grows
Until one day shares
With their own children
The stories of waking years
That brought so much joy
To young hearts.

Then children grow and move away
But, joy of reading never
Leaves and often
As time allows a book is found
In hands no longer young
But, who wait for
Generations new to come
And visit and sit upon their lap
To hear the stories once again
Of favorites and new
And imaginings of others
Written there upon the pages
As they turn to reaching hands
And wiggling bodies
Enthralled.

Dimly, tired eyes
See blurs where once stood
Words upon the page
And silent tears slide
For what was lost
And memories rise
Of happy laughter
And tiny bodies squeezed
Into the chair and on the lap
Until is heard the quiet
Sound of youthful voice
Asking what is wrong
Until is heard,
"Would you read to me?"