Creamy smoothness under your fingers

Curled up; cat-like

Minutes ticking by

the world surrounding you has vanished

It's only you; eyes devouring

piece by delicious piece

word by beautiful word

page by wonderous page

of this lovely book

A laugh escapes as you read on.

Later, a droplet of water falls,

The creamy smoothness darkening as 

another splashes; hands hastily wiping

trying to rub away the blur in your eyes.

Enveloped in the story

your emotions at the author's mercy

page after page-never stopping.

the ending is approaching,

turning a page has never seemed so important

the last few words are absorbed, slowly, with a smile

Its over. The tears have dried.

you shut the book slowly, gently.

Cradling it to your chest for a moment, before studying the cover

Craving the knowledge 

Who has the ability to create something as beautiful as this?

Eyes squinting with concentration,

trying to puzzle it out

You open the front cover, searching for a clue

The name sits, clunky and strange -foreign on your tongue

Once again, you see it- the clunky name

but right there, underneath, is one more line.

"Translation by Alexis Lucas" Realization hits.

Your hands clench, fingers curling tightly around the edges.

Like it might disappear.

Because you shouldn't even have been able to read it

but you could

You are so relieved that you could

And that's because this woman,

this "Alexis Lucas"

Took everything

Word by beautiful word

page by wonderous page

from something you had no ability to comprehend

and transformed it into something else

Something that not only made you laugh,

but something that made you cry.