His folly are is his hidden carnal books,
with sentences of craving thirst,
of flesh and skin
of napes and necks
of night and silk,
of everything
that makes him man
not librarian.
These words of vile he hides
behind a thin veneer of decency
of manilla covers
in the nooks of two-o-one
his treasure, his erotica
remains a virgin still —
untouched
unread.
Today Lisa hosts dVerse and asks us to write a poem using the word folly, and this made me think about the aged librarian again,
Also I want to remind you that on Thursday we will have a new Open Link Live event. If you want to read your own poem or listen to a few other poet reading theirs just join us.
October 27, 2020
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Very beautiful and sensual.
Intriguing, I didn’t know much about Dewey, or the system. ‘These words of vile he hides
behind a thin veneer of decency’
Reminds me of many a rogue, or monster, who hides behind a facade of ‘philanthropy’.
Great stuff.
This is incredibly arresting, Bjorn! I love this approach, this shade of the aged librarian and his character. Especially love; “of napes and necks of night and silk, of everything that makes him man not librarian.” 😀
Woohoo! The aged librarian is back! I knew there had to be another side to him and am not surprised to see that his folly is ‘hidden carnal books’, Björn. I love the list of ‘everything / that makes him man / not librarian’. I also love the reference to the Dewey Decimal System ‘in the nooks of two-o-one’, and that ‘his erotica remains a virgin’.
Delicious and resoundingly revealing. I looked 201 up and see it says:
“Religious mythology, general classes of religion, interreligious relations and attitudes, social theology.” This is the mystery! Add that the collection is still a virgin makes it an enigma wrapped in a mystery. We can never accuse the aged librarian of being simple, can we. I love your offering, Bjorn.
I haven’t been around long enough to know that there’s an Aged Librarian Series, but if this work is a reliable sample, I’ll be looking forward, eagerly, to more. More, please. BR
Love me some aged librarian tales and antics. He is a very complex character. It’s one thing to compile carnal imagery and literature, but then to never use it is not the Norm.
Folly indeed in his pursuit of the carnal between the covers of a book.
Oh, you just ripped off the plain brown book cover of the librarian, exposing his folly! Sigh, he is just a man, isn’t he?
He’s real flesh and blood, not just a closed book…yet lives lonely.
kaykuala
These words of vile he hides
behind a thin veneer of decency
The mystery behind the decision to hide it but thinly obvious. A clever way of doing it! Makes it all the more interesting. Love it Bjorn!
Hank
well his secret is revealed at last … what keeps him so content in those walls of books! Very skilful implied lust, just nicely rendered ‘decent’ for the elderly librarian …
I am intrigued by your Aged Librarian series now and will have to look back through the archive. I thoroughly enjoyed this portrait of a dirty old man hiding his sins within the shelves!
Seedy is the word that springs to mind. I always thought there was something slightly unsavoury about this solitary old man.
Btw it should be ‘His folly is his…books’ not are. The part of the verb agrees with the subject. I remember you asked that we point out mistakes in English or I wouldn’t have been so presumptuous 🙂
Hidden desires take on their own life. (K)
OK, now that mad me skin crawl, and for some reason, it was the ‘of napes and necks’ that hit the hardest. You are a wicked word weaver, Björn!
This was good but felt a little dirty reading it, Idk, maybe this librarian and me should have some coffee sometime, haha!
I have written quite a few poems of the librarian and wanted to make him a bit more human….
Sounds like he has many sides, will have to check them out!
Hi Bjorn, I find your aged librarian work fascinating. I for one do not find erotica to be a folly. Certainly not if it’s well done. I think keeping the passion and fire stoked it’s very important in the life, but then what do I know, I’m just a poet. 🙂
Translucent fingers glide along the shelf
on which lay the virgin tomes.
With siren voices the gilded pages
call to him throughout the darkness of the night.