Poem #20 for Poetry Month -- "In the Library"

[nightdog_barks]

Another one from Charles Simic, about libraries. And librarians. And ... strange and beautiful secrets. :-)



In the Library

for Octavio


There's a book called
"A Dictionary of Angels."
No one has opened it in fifty years,
I know, because when I did,
The covers creaked, the pages
Crumbled. There I discovered

The angels were once as plentiful
As species of flies.
The sky at dusk
Used to be thick with them.
You had to wave both arms
Just to keep them away.

Now the sun is shining
Through the tall windows.
The library is a quiet place.
Angels and gods huddled
In dark unopened books.
The great secret lies
On some shelf Miss Jones
Passes every day on her rounds.

She's very tall, so she keeps
Her head tipped as if listening.
The books are whispering.
I hear nothing, but she does.


~ Charles Simic
From Sixty Poems, Harcourt Trade Publishers, 2008
Online source here.

Comments

[blackmare]

Peaceful, a little funny, and ... very Nightdoggy, I think, in the way it imagines the world.

I like it a lot.

[takes_a_fairy]

When I read this I felt like I was in a library. I really like libraries a lot. Im probably going to work in one some day...that or a bookstore.
Anyway, I agree with Mare. Very nightdoggy and "like". heh

Speaking of Libraries: I went to my local branch yesterday and the lady behind the counter was so happy to see me because, she said, "The moon must be gonna come full tonight! There have been a lot of wierdos in here today! It's so good to help someone normal, finally!" She's such a cute, sweet old lady who wears a breast cancer survivor's bracelet. She made me smile for a good portion of the afternoon after hearing that. :)

[blackmare]

It's so good to help someone normal, finally!

Doesn't know you too well, does she?

[takes_a_fairy]

*mimics ur icon expression*

Heh! Not nearly as well as you do!


*needs to find an ebil icon*