weighty words

in my set-apart chair

i sit in the early morning hours
savoring first the sensory.

my body nestles into cushiony embrace

while open hands feel
the comforting weight of the book.

fingertips caress the texture

a texture that stirs my heart
with anticipation
for breaking the dark night's fast.

hugging it close

with eyes closed tight
my nose takes in its
leathery smell while
savoring this slight delay
that makes the anticipated repast
all the sweeter.

then the deliberate opening

and the soft sound
of thin pages rustling
until my eyes settle
on words for today.

my heart begins to partake

of their vitality
as i break the fast
with my Father
and i lean in close
to hear him speak his Word
to me for this day.

Your words were found, and I ate them. and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. jeremiah 15:16