The book had gold-lined pages
and a patterned blue binding.
Inside, King Midas gleefully learned
about the most precious of things,
while ducklings were adopted
and fondly accepted. Illustrations
were smooth, penciled personifications
framed with yellow hem-stitches
twirling at the corners. In the night,
Hermes gifted precious metal axes
and Jack cut down access
to the Herculean heavens.
Mother wrapped us in afghans
and we agreed upon the next tale:
a tenacious red hen wishing for bread.
Soon, we forgot about the pages,
lined with fading gold,
and dreams took their place,
swirling our own fanciful illustrations
to accompany our nightly folklores.
Mother let us slumber
with that blue patterned book nearby.
And it waited for us to unfold
the fables and lessons within.