Poetry Friday - Library livin'

I've been listening to NPR's Story Corps podcast lately. The episodes are quite short so it's easy to get through a few of them. You can learn a lot from listening to simple stories of the lives of others. Of course everyone has a story, but how often are we open to asking about them? Last week I came across a story of an older gentleman who spent some of his childhood inside of a library when his father was a custodian at the New York City Library in the 50's, and later on raised his daughter there until she was 5. You can read/hear more about it here.

And that, my friends, was my inspiration for this week's Poetry Friday.

Library Livin'

From the street

you never know

the secret life I live

behind these doors.

Shovelling coal

to keep things warm,

dusting shelves

till they shine gold. 

But sometimes when my friends come by,

I bury my face and try to hide.

And even though at first it seems

that shame adorns these books and things,

I think upon my privilege

cause words provide the knowledge

that no money can buy. 

So come on by

the library!

It is my home

and no matter what,
my home it will always be.

(c) e. mauger

This week's Poetry Friday host will be over at Sloth Reads. Go on and see what else is happening!