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Tula ("Books Are Door-Shaped") : Margarita Engle

This poem describes how books act as portals that transport the speaker across oceans and centuries, helping them feel less alone. However, the speaker's mother believes that girls who read too much are unladylike and ugly, so the father's books are locked away. The speaker gazes at the enticing covers but is rarely allowed to touch the books. Poems, stories, and plays are all forbidden, but the speaker's eager mind imagines distant times and places to replace trapped thoughts, entering an invisible book in their mind and stepping through its magical door into a universe of heroes and villains.

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1K views2 pages

Tula ("Books Are Door-Shaped") : Margarita Engle

This poem describes how books act as portals that transport the speaker across oceans and centuries, helping them feel less alone. However, the speaker's mother believes that girls who read too much are unladylike and ugly, so the father's books are locked away. The speaker gazes at the enticing covers but is rarely allowed to touch the books. Poems, stories, and plays are all forbidden, but the speaker's eager mind imagines distant times and places to replace trapped thoughts, entering an invisible book in their mind and stepping through its magical door into a universe of heroes and villains.

Uploaded by

glee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tula [Books are door-shaped]

BY MARGAR ITA ENG LE

Books are door-shaped


portals
carrying me
across oceans
and centuries,
helping me feel
less alone.

But my mother believes


that girls who read too much
are unladylike
and ugly,
so my father's books are locked
in a clear glass cabinet. I gaze
at enticing covers
and mysterious titles,
but I am rarely permitted
to touch
the enchantment
of words.

Poems.
Stories.
Plays.
All are forbidden.
Girls are not supposed to think,
but as soon as my eager mind
begins to race, free thoughts
rush in
to replace
the trapped ones.

I imagine distant times


and faraway places.
Ghosts.
Vampires.
Ancient warriors.
Fantasy moves into
the tangled maze
of lonely confusion.

Secretly, I open
an invisible book in my mind,
and I step
through its magical door-shape
into a universe
of dangerous villains
and breathtaking heroes.

Many of the heroes are men


and boys, but some are girls
so tall
strong
and clever
that they rescue other children
from monsters.

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