Old tales

The rustic designs on the cover,
Welcome me into a world of tales;
Tales of mermaids, ugly ducklings and a snow queen.
How I wish to escape to these worlds,
To hide in them forever, but I can't,
I can only read them for as long as time will allow.
Fading and fraying are things I can't stop on my beloved book.
Water stains and delicate spines, as delicate as a freshly bloomed flower,
Are just a few of the damages done.
Vibrant pictures of past princes and queens fill the pages,
Pencil marks of numbers and names,
Line the delicate cover.
No matter how old and tethered it may be,
It is beautiful in the way that only books are.
The book has many old tales,
Tales about red shoes and wild swans,
Now I know how they all end.