Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Thinking about how we are going to cut down our Christmas tree has reminded me of this, a favorite poem (which I know I've shared on my blog before.) Lovely, lovely. Unchopping A Tree Start with the leaves, the small twigs, and the nests that have been shaken, ripped, or broken off by the fall; these must be gathered and attached once again to their respective places. It is not arduous work, unless major limbs have been smashed or mutilated. If the fall was carefully and correctly planned, the chances of anything of the kind happening will have been reduced. Again, much depends upon the size, age, shape, and species of the tree. Still, you will be lucky if you can get through this stages without having to use machinery. Even in the best of circumstances it is a labor that will make you wish often that you had won the favor of the universe of ants, the empire of mice, or at least a local tribe of squirrels, and could enlist their labors and their talents. But no, they leave you to i...

Our library has been preparing slowly preparing for renovation work for months now, though it seems that each day in preparation of renovations, we are already renovating. Deconstructing really. It remindes me of Merwin's poem, Unchopping a tree , which is a dear favorite of mine and reminds me of my wonderful friend Beth, who can actually quote long poems, a feat of which I have never mastered! So, in my ode to Merwin, my poem (though mine is in the reverse-while he is putting his tree back together, we are taking our library apart. Deconstructing a library Start with the books, heavy, dusty old collections, or new, sheltered, barely broken by service; these must be gathered into the arms of the cart bearing men, who clatter them down onto wooden semi-permanence. This does not take long, unless a spine is broken, and goes unnoticed, until the meat of the book falls onto the floor. If the move was well planned everything will come together as a well choreographed dance; each moment...