We read to fulfill a deep, hidden need,
A hunger for gratifying stories that feed.
At one time, it was pleasure, the joy of the page,
But movies and screens have stolen that stage.
Now I can watch on a phone in my hand,
A movie, a sitcom, a show on demand.
The book once stood proudly, the king of delight,
But screens now flicker brightly throughout the night.
And knowledge? Why keep it all tucked in my head?
“There’s no need,” they say. “I’ll just ask Siri instead.”
With facts everywhere, there’s no studying through.
With a click and a swipe, we know what is true.
But still there are tales that no screen can outshine,
When written with heart and with voice that is fine.
A master can craft from a deep point of view,
A story that grips you and sticks much like glue.
For reading means more than a pastime or game.
It’s walking with God in pursuit of his name.
If pleasure alone is the prize people seek,
They’ll forget the book for that means is too weak.
But reading to learn and to grow and to share,
To help someone else and to show that we care—
That’s when the need finds its greatest part,
Where God writes his story and plants it in hearts.
