To enter fully into another’s words
is to leave your own fixed residence,
part coffin, part cocoon.
The walls fall away.
Letters the color of night
swell with sirens & the call
of the whip-poor-will.
Out in the open book,
anything can happen except sleep.
Dreams may be redeemed
for a small deposit.
This is why, in the public library,
everyone is homeless.
OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
- Poem for Display in a City Bus
- Poem for Display in a Subway Car
- Poem for Display at a City Reservoir
- Poem for Display in a Veterans’ Memorial Park
- Poem for Display in a Public Library
- Poem for Display in a Hospital Waiting Room
- Poem for Display in a Municipal Building
- Poem for Display in an Abandoned Factory
- Poem for Display in an Inaccessible Location
- Poem for Display at a Police Checkpoint
- Poem for Display Above the Urinals in a Men’s Restroom
- Poem for Display in a Vacant Lot
- Poem for Display in a Shopping Mall Food Court
- Poem for Display in a Housing Project
I’ve got to take this in to the office :->
what a clever poem. i really like the feel of this — the type of poem i would revisit often.
Terrific series, Dave. I hope you’ll print them out on small piece of paper and put them up anonymously, your next visit to a public place…or encourage us to do it.
dale – Be my guest!
lissa – Thanks… and thanks for visiting. I enjoyed checking out your blog just now.
beth – For me, it’s enough just to have thought about it, but if someone wants to try and actually sneak these into public places, I’d be honored. (Take pictures!)
Love this. thank you.
Thanks for reading.
I especially like the fanciful nature of this. How appropriate for a library of paper dreams, windows and doors!
How did I miss this wonderful poem when it was posted?
I hope you will do a book of poems about books, reading, and libraries of course….
Looking forward to getting my copy of Odes To Tools….
Thank you for all you do!
A whole cycle about books, reading and libraries? I don’t know. Interesting suggestion.