the book

you slow down
near the end
of a good book
not wanting to finish.
you've fallen
in love
with the heroine,
the way she has
risen to the top,
the way she
conquers her fears
and delivers
her love to you.
you embrace
the unraveling
of her mystery,
savor the beauty
of the plot. you ration
off a page a day,
one at night, before
you go to sleep,
holding the book
sideways before
you put it down,
measuring what's
left, another kiss,
another kiss,
not wanting it
to end, not just
yet.