One Direction

She clutched the book in her arms,
held it against the t-shirt emblazoned
One Direction, the boy band of the hour.
You should read this book, she told me.
It changed my life.
She is 14 and not ironic.
Enthusiasm sparks off her skin
and scents the air around her like mint after rain.
You lift your head from Important Work
to smile back at her as you take the book.
By next year, probably, One Direction
will break up and their t-shirt
end up in the Goodwill bag.
But you offer a silent wish
For one thing to never change:
that being knocked to the ground in joy
over a book will lead her forward forever
throwing off light and small green leaves
pointing her always in the direction of another book,
the next and the next, building her path as she goes.