Intricately Carved

            Intricately carved,
            stamped onto the reader's soul,
            the story blossoms,
            
            petals unfolding
            like the turning of pages,
            an imitation
            
            So real one believes
            painted faces come to life,
            inked phrases whisper
            
            at the reader's ear,
            telling secrets, telling lies
            too true to be false,
            
            too beautifully wrought
            to ignore, too sweet and cool,
            like a mountain spring
            
            down whose ancient paths
            tales flow from another world,
            too much like our own,
            
            whose people are us,
            whose art, as much fantasy
            as reality.