Favorite

by Cristel Hastings

An incident in Lincoln’s life?

I liked the one of steps he took—

Weary, patient, plodding steps,

for the sake of one lone books.

Lincoln knew that books could be

Ships to take him where he willed—

A fount of knowledge in his thirst

To read and learn. His young mind filled

With ambition’s eagerness,

Long he read into the night,

Slowly and laboriously,

By a fitful firelight.