Yellowed pages

Faded ink

Coffee stains left behind, by another story traveler

The old man with a corduroy jacket

Patches on the sleeves, and not just the elbows

Books perch on the shelves

Like watchful guardians

They flow onto the floor

Where they architect staircases

Or Antique furniture

Upon the worn wood floor

Some have been through such trials

Their spines have been broken

Yet they still yearn to share their souls with adventure seekers

Narrative figments leave behind inked footprints on our hearts