You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!
Hotel California, The Eagles
Traveller, pilgrim beware,
many who have entered
have forever been lost,
to the taste of a tome
buried in books,
or mangled by manuscripts
many have turned into
code, scribbled
on parchment or settled
as dust on their favourite codex.
But, guest, most of all,
beware of the secretive man,
the ancient custodian,
with ink in his gaze,
be wary of him,
the aged librarian,
who may douse you
in sentences, words,
beware or you will drown
in the knowledge of all.
Today Dora hosts at dVerse with a prompt to write write a poem, for a walled entrance that addresses and welcomes visitors into a space of your choosing.
For me the choice was easy. This is another installment for the library/librarian series (but more of a warning than a welcome)
February 13, 2024
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Indeed it is a warning, dire and mysterious, yet only too easy to imagine if one has at their fingertips all the knowledge of the world, all rising from the dust of manuscripts, from the lips of “the secretive man,
the ancient custodian,
with ink in his gaze” —
This is a walled entrance to tempt the unwary and the incorrigibly curious indeed. Loved it, Björn.
Thank you… for me it had to be at the entrance to the library.
😀 Not a surprise, I think, and most appreciated.
I knew your words would be written at the entrance to a library, Björn – and what a library! – and that the aged librarian would be there! I love that pilgrims have ‘forever been lost, / to the taste of a tome / buried in books, / or mangled by manuscripts’.
Books are dangerous really.
I love the title…thought-provoking on its own and the description, “ink in his gaze”. The age librarian was definitely in his element in this piece.
Thank you… loved the thought of the place both luring and sinister… a big adventure
loved the Liberian having ink in his gaze. i would be lost forever.
Yes.. I think he only sees ink.
Beware indeed of the aged librarian. Love the mystery of being drawn to the words, codes, books & manuscripts. For some, it is their whole world.
It is, and it might be contageous
I love the mystery of the library we call the world.
beware of the secretive man,
the ancient custodian,
with ink in his gaze,
be wary of him,
the aged librarian,
Loved this stanza the aged librarian with ink in his gaze.
The library being the world is a quote from a famous short story by Borges and it begins “The universe (which others call the Library)…”
I’m eager to meet him- the old librarian who can drown me in knowledge!!!!
I think he be drowning himself.
I love what you have done with the prompt. Drowning in learning from good books is not such a bad thing!
Maybe it is one of the best ways to die…
:>)
Every image is a gem, and an illumination of all your past Librarian poems. ”mangled by manuscripts”–“doused in sentences”–who can resist a library? (K)
Indeed… maybe books are drugs (or should be)
Yes on both counts.
I never considered the aged librarian as potentially sinister…until now.
Knowledge is dangerous.
Fitting words for the Great Library.
And there I was, comfortably believing libraries were havens. I really like this Bjorn!
You can check in any time you want
but you can never leave
Oooo- I know a hotel you may like….. 😵💫😅
This is lovely, Bjorn :-
“who may douse you
in sentences, words,
beware or you will drown
in the knowledge of all.”
A place to be smothered in verse
Too much knowledge is unbearable, and yet, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Are we condemned to ignorance?
beware of the man “with ink in his gaze,” What a perfect line.
Almost calm until the tell-tale line – buried in books – mangled by manuscripts, some lurks!
To me, it sounds like a lovely place to drown.❤️
The ineffable nature of the character of place.
That’s okay. Drown me in knowledge. lmao