The Addict

I am the reader of any- and everything,
Handwritten, printed, or sprayed on a wall,
Wisdom of ages or meaningless nattering,
Calligraphed grace or illiterate scrawl.
    When a text is there in front of my eyes
    I simply can't stop till I've finished, no matter the size,
        Until the storm shall wake me
        Until the train shall take me
        Until my wife shall shake me and carry me home.

I had a teacher of English in high school,
The dearest of friends till the day that she died,
Who said we were both of the kind that each day
As we put on our shoes, read the label inside.
    And they're Size 11, Made in Vietnam,
    The uppers are leather, the rest manufactured by man.
        And all the labels take me,
        Like ancient fables, take me
        Until the day shall wake me and carry me home.

Breakfast's a feast for the eyes of the appetite.
Cereal boxes disclose RDA;
Kosher, Nine grain, Shake well, Product of Denmark,
Infuse for 3 min., By appointment, Earl Grey.
    But I should have skipped the ingredient list,
    It's hard on the stomach to see what I wish I had missed.
        And so the Corn Puffs slake me,
        Synthetic foodstuffs make me
        Until the day shall take me away from my home.

    Vacancy, JAMES IS A PIG, Open Late.
    Telephone, Taxi, NO PARKING, WALK, WAIT.
    Bus Stop, Exact Fare, PEZ, TUMS,  Stop Requested ... I'm late!

You get the picture; there's no need of drawing out
All of the words, minutes, hours, and days.
Everything written that sees me keeps calling out
"Read me!" in all of a myriad ways.
    It's a constant duel, as daily I find,
    Whether my will or the words are directing my mind:
        Whether the words will take me
        Whither the words will take me
        Until the day shall wake me and carry me home.