The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite, perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries. Jorge Lous Borges, The Library of Babel.
Which came first, the library
or the librarians?
Were the first explorers
racing blindly through the corridors
through rooms
merely conquerors of books,
or priests
fumbling blindly through the maze
to silence heresy of words
or were they just librarians,
writing catalogs in braille?
Who made the first entry
in our infinite catalog?
Who burned the first book?
For warmth or just in fear?
At first, the rooms (corridor-connected),
must have been dim
shadows making letters grey
and I imagine how the first librarian
must have used his fingers
tracing words from rows of letters
putting sense in syllables
and sentence to enlightenment.
Today we know the answers,
born from books
but have ceased
to ask the questions connecting
life to words.
Today Laura hosts Poetics at dVerse on the topic of rooms. I went back into the library today
May 26, 2020
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I’m so happy to be back in the library with you, Björn, I’ve missed the aged librarian and rooms filled with words. I love the opening question and the image of ‘conquerors of books, / or priests / fumbling blindly through the maze’. I also love the lines:
‘…I imagine how the first librarian
must have used his fingers
tracing words from rows of letters
putting sense in syllables
and sentence to enlightenment.’
of course no better place for the aged librarian – a reading room full of marvellous questions and the memo at the end reminding us
“to ask the questions connecting
life to words.”
Nice lines: “putting sense in syllables
and sentence to enlightenment.”
Good to hear from the librarian again. That last stanza is philosophically profound!
Which came first? Stories. I like how you made the librarians blind. Anyone who loves to read knows the stories are between the lines… Excellent poem, Bjorn.
I like this very much! You ask fascinating questions.
How can one not love a library?
Your photo reminds me of the great Library in Alexandria, supposedly housing all the world’s knowledge, lost when it burned to the ground; but somehow through oral history and rogue copies, libraries made a comeback.
Nice history. The last lines point out those nasty partial truths that complicate things
Great ending, Bjorn…
I like how the maze-like enclosure of the library opens out into the world at the end of your poem. (K)
I agree. Even near-darkness cannot keep libraries from being windows on the world.
I love your response to the prompt. Of course, libraries–rooms without ending. I liked all the questioning, and I can image the ancient librarian posing them to a disciple
Love where you went with this, the interior life of literacy and librarians. Killer final stanza.
What a profound ending here Bjorn.
Back at the library, yay! I love these lines:
““putting sense in syllables
and sentence to enlightenment.”
I can’t wait for our libraries to open up again.
‘Rooms filled with words’. What a wonderful description of libraries. It will be so good when they open up again.
The last verse of your poem is powerful. That is indeed the question we need to be asking ourselves at this time.
The most important question of all ; Connecting life to words. Love it!
I ALWAYS love your libray/librarian posts, Bjorn! And this one….that age-old question “which came first the chicken or the egg” inverted/transformed into which came first, the library or the librarian? Just a fabulous take on the prompt!
lovely journey thru life and then the last stanza hits!