Poetry Friday: Go inside and savor

November 6th, 2009 by Janet Goodrich

My youngest has hatched a plan to buy the “red library” (one of our three local branches) for us to live in one day.

Here’s our future home:

yourhome

Since we always call it “the red library,” I don’t think she’s ever even heard its full “official” name: “Your Home Public Library.” It should provide us with spacious (if ancient) digs if the name ever proves to be prophetic!

I’m not sure what her attraction to the library includes. I know that she’s been sent into ecstasies by the thought of riding her bike in the parking lot, so it’s not ALL about the books. But surely they are a part of it — especially the feeling of extravagance that accompanies our weekly library trips. The pinched world of “choose just one” or “can we afford it?” has no relevance here. As Valerie Worth says so beautifully, libraries have a magic all their own:

library

No need even
To take out
A book: only
Go inside
And savor
The heady
Dry breath of
Ink and paper,
Or stand and
Listen to the
Silent twitter
Of a billion
Tiny busy
Black words.

From All the Small Poems and Fourteen More (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1994)

Valerie Worth is no stranger to Poetry Friday. Sylvia Vardell posted this poem a few years ago. Book Aunt recently reviewed the whole collection. You can check out the book at Amazon here.

I’m not sure where the Poetry Friday roundup is today, but I’ll provide the link when I find out. Poetry Friday is at Wild Rose Reader today!

Have a great weekend!

Lisa the Correspondent

November 6th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

What a wonderful poem and a beautiful library! When you move in, do you think you can save an extra guest room for me?

Thanks to the contagious writings of you and another blogger, I checked out five poetry books from our library this week. I’m starting with treasuries so I can find the poets who speak to me the most. So far, the ones I understand the best are Ogden Nash and Lewis Carroll, but I’m not giving up. Who’re some of your favorites?

Janet

November 6th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

Hmmm… Valerie Worth is a recent discovery, and I love her poems. Jane Kenyon. Emily Dickinson. Wendell Berry. Sonnets in general. Hymns, as long as they’re sung and not just read. My friend Ruth has posted some Auden poems I really like, but I want to get better acquainted with him. Robert Frost.

That’s what comes to mind right now. Who else?…

You’ll always be welcome should we ever inhabit the extremely large and creaky house my daughter imagines for us! Bring your entire extended family. Pack bikes.