Books
Books are both pleasing companions and valuable teachers. Hardcovers and paperbacks; both render equal capacity to ignite the most dormant of human emotions.
Through a book, one can set sail upon the highest of seas and climb the steepest of mountains; one can visit the grandest of castles, and weep beneath golden arches of foreign cathedrals.
Through the pages of a book, one can be taken to the deepest caverns of the poetic mind, to the farthest outreaches of untouchable space, and to the empty arms of an imagined lover.
One can meet scholars, prophets and sages in a book, and one can travel to the most exotic of places: to thundering waterfalls, to sacred lands, to vast depths of jungles and caves and to ancient cities.
The stories of ground-breaking creators line the shelves of many a well-stocked library; Thomas Kinkade, Alexander Fleming, Frank Lloyd Wright, Dr. Joseph E. Murray and Richard Trevithick.
One can tumble into the mystery of other dimensions, where time unravels, and realities converge. Reading transcends the limitations of space and time, a seemingly subtle vortex that engulfs the most inquisitive mind.
Unquestionably, books arouse all senses of human perception. The sound of a turning page, the linear fashion in which letters and words are placed upon each page, the whispered voices that speak from between the covers, the distinct scent of time-saturated pages, and the variant textures of paper all satisfy sensory desire. The sense of intuition guides the reader to that which feeds the soul.
Authors and storytellers have by far the loudest of voices, the grandest of stages, the broadest of audiences. Their power lies in the ability to sweep readers from one place to another, to entice the reader through a progression of animations and rituals, and to extract every possible sentiment of human conditioning. The power of the written word can trigger memories lost in the vault of time, stimulate a restless imagination, fuel empowerment, inspire creativity, instruct the novice, and expand an eager mind.
Angela McMullen is a freelance writer who lives and writes in maritime Nova Scotia, where she is inspired by the rhythm of the Bay of Fundy tides, the pulse of long-standing forests, the expansive fields of the Annapolis Valley, the backdrop of North and South mountain ranges, and the distinction of the four seasons. www.forestwriting.com
Angela's most recent work is a slim book of poetry that captures the pure essence of nature and her unwavering resilience. Infused with undertones of Italian influence, this collection of poetry speaks for itself.