The new apprentice —
zephyr-torn with tresses tied
and apple-cheeks to mask
her scowl —
tall she strode in polished
patent-leather brogues
seeking for the syllables
to steal and stitch to sentiments
of sinful sense.
She entered
through the ante-room
slack-legged self-aware,
Plato hidden in her knapsack
and Marx in hand
she requested stern-faced
from the aged librarian,
the wisdom from the
scripted scrolls she
knew he kept below.
He asked her soft-voiced
to sit down
and brought her tea,
laced with patience meant
to melt her scowl,
and as the day turned into night
the new apprentice stayed to let
her hair hang loose,
and walked the halls,
to learn how closely moonlit shadows
measure space and time.
Woman with a Book by Fernand Leger
For Grace hosting OLN at dVerse.
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Sounds more like she wants to be leader and not the apprentice. Maybe she needs to sit still and learn.
I love how you described the new apprentice Bjorn specially:
seeking for the syllables
to steal and stitch to sentiments
of sinful sense.
And her transformation in the end is superb. Patience won!
Many of our youth are impatient and easily bored. It’s refreshing to think the old librarian had the patience to penetrate her techno-arrogance.
Agreed, about the patience and apparent conversion.
That’s a surprise, Björn! I thought the poor librarian was doomed to suffocate in dust and loneliness, and now he has an apprentice! I’m intrigued as to how this will turn out. She seemed more of an antagonist than a help-mate, with her polished patent-leather brogues,
‘seeking for the syllables
to steal and stitch to sentiments
of sinful sense’.
I love that:
‘He asked her soft-voiced
to sit down
and brought her tea,
laced with patience meant
to melt her scowl’
and she finally let her hair down!
That last stanza…that knocks me out!
Ooooh….you have some great lines here, Björn- best of all are these:
seeking for the syllables to steal and stitch to sentiments of sinful sense.
Your choice of words are perfectly painted
and the visuals are immersive. 🙂 Love it. 🙂
This is magical and wonderful Björn. Loved the te laced with patience — I could certainly use that at times. 🙂
Your new apprentice is too easily cajoled.
A match made in heaven: he wants to teach and she wants to learn. I very much enjoy this introduction of the librarian’s apprentice. I hope this is the first of many chapters.
I love all of this but those last two lines gripped my heart.
Oh that is just lovely.
This is incredibly riveting, Bjorn! ❤️ At long last the librarian has an apprentice .. who seems strong headed with her; “polished patent-leather brogues seeking for the syllables to steal and stitch to sentiments of sinful sense.” I am excited to read what happens next in the series 🙂
Live this! She didn’t know what she didn’t know but was eager to learn.
In the end patience won. Lovely!
I’m really intrigued by “patent-leather brogues seeking for the syllables.” I felt the need to be quiet as I read.
Tea and sympathy, a formidable combination. (K)
Lovely…
Oh, how lovely – a new character! And how even more lovely that she so soon begins to soften and let herself experience the magical library instead of hanging on to rigid preconceptions.
Perfect descriptions! My best bit : “….to learn how closely moonlit shadows
measure space and time.”
masterful, Bjorn…a lot of music in this, I love that recurring ‘s’ running through the poem and the details that bring the character to life.
..”Plato hidden in her knapsack
and Marx in hand”.
tea, laced with patience meant
to melt her scowl,
I love that! An apprentice like that must be softened.
and walked the halls,
to learn how closely moonlit shadows
measure space and time.
One often is not really aware that there are people dedicated enough to work late nights and remained unsung!
Hank