The Librarian

THE LIBRARIAN

I place a call upstairs
To the library and archives
Where the old retainer’s stationed
Twenty-four seven (long hours, I admit
But they’re pretty simple tasks)

I’d like to access some word
Some book, some film, some name
Some person’s face or history
“Please,” I say, ever so politely
I always say “Please”

And “Thank you very much” as well
Hoping of course (as the brightest
Among you will have guessed)
That this carrot approach will
In time improve his performance

The stick approach is
In my humble opinion
Morally repugnant
(And in practice
Counterproductive anyway)

The doddering voice
Remains silent
While in the silence
In the distance
I can discern

Those doddery footsteps
Receding among the stacks
Will he return, I wonder
Sometimes he’s gone for hours
For days even

Perhaps it’s time for superannuation
But he was always so loyal
And reliable in a crisis
Besides if I were to retire him
I’d get to wondering who’d be next