Ravens in the Library by S. J. Tucker
One flies in to case the joint,
boldly struts around.
Two fly in to make it three,
laugh a while and knock each other down.
Four flies in with a frowning walk
gains a laugh from out a squawk
but it's five who owns the place
and proves it with a look, stopping
six and seven in their tracks from
smuggling a book.
Words within our grasp--do we let go?
Do we fly heavily with the weight of what we know?
My friend bids me come and see
the ravens in the library
setting quiet pages free.
One for fiction, two for truth,
three for bikes and bathing suits
four for scifi/fantasy
five loves art and ancient skulls
six eats periodicals
seven lives in poetry
(One for sorrow, two for joy,
three for girls and four for boys,
five for silver, six for gold,
seven for a secret never told!)
One hangs out on the drama shelves
but keeps the monologues to herself
two and three are studying jewels
Four reads all about the Huns
five won't share the shiny ones
six and seven label molecules
(One crow sorrow, two crows mirth
three a wedding, four a birth
five crows silver, six crows gold,
seven ravens, curious and bold!)
Words within our grasp--do we let go?
Do we fly heavily with the weight of what we know?
hours of study flying by
words soaked up by beady eyes
long debates into the night
pages flying everywhere
seek the language word by word
like the black and clever bird
never let it bring you down
all the things we haven't figured out
My friend bids me come and see
the ravens in the library
setting quiet pages free
(knitting up the 'raveled sleeve of care
pages flying everywhere)
Seven reads about the gods,
chuckles to herself;
to the rest, she never lets on.
Try to catch a glimpse of them
bickering like mortal men-
feathers on the sidewalk.
If you heard a raven say such horrible words
as the ones you may have heard in your day to day,
would it make you choose your own more carefully
around the ones you love?
my friend bids me come and see
the ravens in the library
setting quiet pages free.
(Knitting up the sleeve of care
pages flying everywhere.)
