“He went to sea in a thimble of poetry.”- Poet Warning, Jim Harrison
The library is vast, it is wild,
an ocean uncharted
veiling the vileness
of sea-beasts
conspiracy, conflicts
collusion and vice
and if you
(despite my warnings) insist
on leaving the
dryness of fiction you
may find that even in
the shallow of essays
a treacherous outcrop
with ravenous riptides
is waiting to choke you
with murderous words.
But if you go to
the front-desk, stay silent
letting the librarian finish
his verses, he might throw
you a quote, a thimble
of poems, hand you a way
to set sail, crossing
the depths of deceits
and lackluster lies
reaching at last
the philosophy island,
where at last you safely
may swim
buoyant in balance of wisdom.
And later, when you are
back at the front desk
the librarian won’t ask you
or tell you his secrets,
just knowingly smile
as you hand back the thimble
that has grown to a ship.
Odilon Redon
Today Linda is hosting dVerse with a prompt to use the words of poet Jim Harrison. My choice is also the quote, which made me think of my library and librarian.
January 25, 2022
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Why is this making my cry? I love libraries and librarians. Your words and choices and the way you shape phrases has me all in a tangle. Thank you. This is fabulous. Oh – the thimble one brings back as a ship. I swear, I’m typing through tears.
My librarian poems are a whole series…
I’ll search for them!
Shipshape poem here matey.
The librarian would be proud.
This is gorgeously worded, Bjorn! I especially love; “he might throw
you a quote, a thimble of poems, hand you a way to set sail, crossing
the depths of deceits and lackluster lies reaching at last the philosophy island.” 💝💝
I think the Librarian makes the perfect subject for this line. I love the ending, with the thimble grown into a ship through the gift of knowledge!
How imaginative this series is turning out to be Bjorn. Love how you make the library so contrary of what our image of a library is – wild, an ocean uncharted, into setting to sail to philosophy island.
And I love that the thimble has grown into a ship!
yes adventures to be had from every page and word, your Librarian always touches our hearts
what a leap of imagination you made here – a library with a sea of books and some fine lines
“crossing
the depths of deceits
and lackluster lies”
I see the librarian as a quixotic figure, depending on how he’s approached
A perfect addition to the tales of the Librarian. Love it!
I like that image of a sea of books heaving in an uncharted darkness. Waiting for the light of poetry.
Incredibly well-woven, the first few lines stunning, the library as that vast sea, but the way you brought the first stanza to a close was just masterful. A poem like this is more than a poem, and we are there, smiling at the antics of the librarian, trrying to see, or know what is in his mind…really, such poetry gives me a lot..
Beautiful…I like how you mention moving from reading essays and moving toward poetry, an uneasy charter for many people.
Aw. That Librarian is a great old man of the sea. I want to sail in search of books in that library.
The first thing I noticed after reading your wonderful poem is that we both chose the same artist to share. What are the odds? If I had the Aged Librarian at my library, I’d probably never leave it. I love the knowing look the two exchange at the end.
I’m glad to see that you brought the librarian into this. And very creatively. Well done.
Your librarian is revealed as the hero I always thought he might be!
Beautiful. I especially loved the ending!
Truly one of the most brilliant endings I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, Sir.
❤
David
Oh my word,this poem was downright awesome. I love the way you’ve compared a library to an ocean,yes,the librarian is the one person who would guide us through those treacherous waters full of words. Superb! 🙂
This is spectacular Bjorn. I love “buoyant in balance of wisdom” and the last two lines are just perfect. Fantastic, just fantastic.
Some very beautiful lines, a thimble growing into a ship and that knowing smile of the librarian…sigh! What’s not to love here, Björn!
I love my library but to find such a librarian as this? One has to be a poet.
reaching at last the philosophy island,
where at last you safely may swim
buoyant in balance of wisdom.
Love the anticipation of success at the end of the day from the benefits of the librarian’s knowledge.
Hank
Brilliant! How you used the venerable librarian, all about the poetry, a stunning write, Bjorn. One of your very best.
So brilliantly done Björn. Love the metaphor of the thimble becoming a ship. Your librarian is such a fabulous character.