Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Library


R.A.D. Stainforth reads in his library voice...


I hover among shelves,
blissfully aware
of your brave new architecture,
your circular mind.

I look past the scaffold,
the crown of thorns
thrust high and piccadilly
from your unbridled wedding cake,

taste milk and water
you have turned to wine.

Miles of subtle volumes
pressed deep and still
touchstones lodged
like pillars of salt,

more beholden in salvation,
than indulgence. 


tk/February 2013


Central Library, Manchester, U.K., photograph by Robin Gosnall 

42 comments:

  1. WOW! The words and the reading blow me away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. same here Miss Tess! brilliant words!..

    JJRod'z

    ReplyDelete
  3. ...hovering among shelves is what i often do... my friends would call me bookworm... ah, no -- i said... i'm a woodpecker....but i peck on books... anyway books are present tense of woods... 'tis nice to see R.A.D. in colored... smiles...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful reflections. Loved it.

    ReplyDelete

  5. miles of volumes...without a cold kindle in sight.

    8^)

    ReplyDelete
  6. definitely salvation.....libraries are wonders!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Circular mind? What we have here is a powerfully circular mind at work.
    Enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh thank you very much, Mr. B...I'm glad you enjoyed it...

      Delete
  8. this truly has a sense of library

    epideictic rhetoric

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your words fall so effortlessly...you do have a library in your mind!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very well written!
    McGuffy's Reader
    http://www.mcguffysreader.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. 'Piccadilly' makes a wonderful adjective.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know how I like to turn words on their ear...thanks Cro...

      Delete
  12. wonderful reading of wonderful words..

    ReplyDelete
  13. I feel a blinding passion, and blissfully effective prose.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely! "miles of subtle volumes.."

    ReplyDelete
  15. The crown of thorns, the unbridled wedding cake, pillars of salt ...
    Mr. Stainforth's library voice, this is immensely satisfying. One of my favorites.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Helen...Stainforth's library voice is perfect here...

      Delete
  16. Miles of subtle volumes
    pressed deep and still―
    touchstones lodged
    like pillars of salt

    Can't we have these old fashioned rows upon rows that Kindle can't give? Great thoughts Tess! Hopefully lots of air-con libraries modernized are made available. It's a question of costs ultimately, though!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  17. i have always loved libraries. interesting to see this one in repair. you are wonderful, writing a new poem every week. an inspiration and the wallpaper is really cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Suki...I love that red poppy wallpaper...

      Delete
  18. Absolutely loved it! esp the pillars of salt!
    ___________________________________________________
    http://ektakhetan.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  19. A sacred and secret place indeed

    ReplyDelete
  20. Try as you might, you could never write something as beautiful as that about the Amazon Book Store. But there again, Tess, knowing you, I suspect you could (now there's a challenge for you!)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Libraries do inspire some reverence. Or maybe it's the librarians, with their stern shushing...

    ReplyDelete
  22. love this Libraries are my sanctuary

    ReplyDelete
  23. hmmm lovely language - enjoyed

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Tess,

    Love all the twists and turns in this one, a bit like a tray full of puzzle pieces one wants to try to fit into a whole picture. The fun is in the attempt, the effective tease.

    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  25. You have given the library the tribute in words it deserves Tess....beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I look past the scaffold,
    the crown of thorns

    great imagery....well done, of course. Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Again excellent, seems like you have real talent.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hey! Hey! I have to say that this was read (and worded) beautifully, Tess. It'll go in my youtube faves list for sure!

    ReplyDelete

Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)