The secrets of a secret book

· by · in dVerse, the aged librarian. ·

This text was found in the aged librarian’s desk (postmortem), the handwriting was not that of the librarian but scribbled in green ink by an anonymous feminine hand.

Somewhere In the vastness of the library
(or any library)
it has been said
there is a book that in itself
contains every book not written yet.
It’s spine is uninspiring, its covers
dun and gently bland. It hides between
heavy leather-bound volumes or in the secret
most forbidden section of pornography.
It has never been in any index
no maps will lead you to the place it sits and it’s said
that its title changes with the year
and time of day.

This book can not be found
by anyone who desperately tries
to find or read it.
No scientist or priest has ever gazed upon a
single page of this deceitful book,
no judge or scholar will ever lay a hand
upon the pages of this deceptive
book of lore. No — the only one
who ever will find this work, is either way too young
to understand, or very close to dying.

I saw it once hiding next to Markis de Sade when I
was very young and copied down the text
above, and which you just
have read (which maybe proves my point).

Lectern with books
by Albrecht Durer

A somewhat strange poem for dVerse OLN.
—
October 22, 2019

24 responses to “The secrets of a secret book”

  1. Oh my gosh, this is absolutely intriguing!! I love to imagine such a book, and such a premise for a truly fantastical, magical story. You’ve got the seeds of an amazing story here, Björn!

  4. Bjorn it sounds like one of those ancient riddles. It evokes questions I’d like to know the answers to, such as who considers it to be a negative things and guess it is those professions you named, as they depend on the human-created stories for their dominion of other humans. It sounds like a book you’d never seek out and would be very disappointed to have found… which I’m only guessing the aged librarian did. Excellent weaving of anxiety-producing mystique.

  5. I wonder if the Love’s Labor Won, the lost works of Pythagoras, the hitory of the Incans…the maps to the location of Shambahla are to be found. It seems the aged librarian has quite a few secrets at.his fingertips.

  7. As always, the old librarian draws us in. This is a bit magical, mystical, and mysterious. I loved it.

  9. The aged librarian should have stayed with her. Her ability to stay fastened to a time appears less than tenacious at best, which may be why she was able to record this, gazing back along those trendulous pathways opening the gates of loving cruelty, she saw, what she read, and attending him again, gave us this glimpse. I think I saw this book flitting on the seat of a racing carriage next to me once, close to death, I felt the scribbled voices call me as the rock face approached, Unlike the librarian’s attendant, I had no time to record it, pulling my dashing purpose to a halt, perhaps little purpose to have stayed my hand, than to have read your wanderings in this land. Thank you Friend.

  11. Your librarian poems always give me joy…I’m sure I have missed some. This makes me want to go to the library, the really old one downtown, and browse. There’s just something about libraries…

  17. What a magical read. Old libraries are one of my favorite hiding places. No one ever thinks to look for you there.

    I hesitate to leave this link because I am new here and we have never met. But since I know no other poets but the few I’ve met here, I’ll leave it anyway.
    This is the link to the website but when it opens its the first one there. “Who Pays a Poet”

  19. I found this to be captivating. I wanted to know the book, but then again, I didn’t. Love the mystery and suspense that builds in each line.

  20. Excellent use of mystery and intrigue here… I want to read that book almost as much as I don’t.

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