in the library

wordsmithwannabe

Surrounded by spineless entities
and thunderous volumes
without any visible appendices,
I cringe

at the sound of lacquered nails
stabbing at technology,
at the sight of grown men
launching birds with their phones.

Wikipedia has replaced the old Britannica.
Kindle no longer means to start a fire.
Sadly I realize that in a library full of neglected splendor
I am the only one holding a book.

electrictiger

at the sight of grown men
launching birds with their phones.

Angry Birds indeed...remind me not to be sipping at tea while reading in the future to prevent death by laughterchoking. The poem itself makes me sad with recognition.

wordsmithwannabe

hence the reason why i sip vodka. the burning sensation is much more pleasant.

fogglethorpe

Chris..wonderful use of language, esp. in S2. And this is a great topic. I love the feel and smell of a book in my hands, and the idea of lingering over it. I guess that makes us old school..?

lukaki26

Love it! The second stanza is exceptionally good, love the use of language.

wordsmithwannabe

fogglethorpe wrote:

Chris..wonderful use of language, esp. in S2. And this is a great topic. I love the feel and smell of a book in my hands, and the idea of lingering over it. I guess that makes us old school..?

agreed. i love old books that have seen some use; i spend hours rummaging through the used book section at Powell's in Portland (google it when you get a chance, if you're not already familiar...the building takes up an entire city block right in the heart of the city and it's amazing)

don't get me wrong, i'm all for technology when applied appropriately (i own a laptop and an iphone and use them frequently), but there's just something about a book with real pages that is so much more satisfying. i think it's going to hurt the newer generations to not have that connection.

wordsmithwannabe

lukaki26 wrote:

Love it! The second stanza is exceptionally good, love the use of language.

thank you ever so much! that means a lot to me. it irks me that our libraries are turning into computer labs and wifi depots for people who have no actual interest in reading a book. yes, there are many who still use the library for that purpose, but more and more i see it becoming less a fountain of knowledge than a place to let the kids play video games. sad.