Thursday, August 30, 2018

Poetry Friday -- Don't Go Into the Library

Yippee! It's our Friday poetry celebration.

This has been a full and busy week back to school for my three high-schoolers, my school librarian self, my college junior and my graduate student husband. We are all about learning in this family!

My middle school library has a new theme, PLANET LIBRARY, which comes from student created graphic novel art. It's all kinds of fun comparing our library to outer space. I love it!

By Joshua and Damian

I don't have a perfect PLANET LIBRARY poem.....YET. I may have to write one. If I do, I will use Don't Go Into the Library as my mentor text. Isn't it wonderful?



Hop on over to brilliant and creative Robin Hood Black for Poetry Friday goodness. She's hosting our round-up this week at Life on the Deckle Edge.

Don’t Go Into the Library


The library is dangerous—
Don’t go in. If you do
 
You know what will happen.
It’s like a pet store or a bakery—
 
Every single time you’ll come out of there
Holding something in your arms.
 
Those novels with their big eyes.
And those no-nonsense, all muscle
 
Greyhounds and Dobermans,
All non-fiction and business,
 
Cuddly when they’re young,
But then the first page is turned.
 
The doughnut scent of it all, knowledge,
The aroma of coffee being made
 
In all those books, something for everyone,
The deli offerings of civilization itself.
 
The library is the book of books,
Its concrete and wood and glass covers
 
Keeping within them the very big,
Very long story of everything.
 
The library is dangerous, full
Of answers. If you go inside,
 
You may not come out
The same person who went in.
Copyright © 2017 by Alberto Ríos







13 comments:

  1. What a perfectly wonderful PLANET you all have created, Linda! The poem is great, but my favorite thing in your post is the sentence in the caption of the drawing... "We all lived unboredly ever after." Amen!

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  2. A perfect poem for a perfect planet :) Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hurrah! What an awesome beginning for you! The poem is wonderful, a real celebration of all that libraries are. I love "The library is dangerous, full/Of answers." Best wishes, Linda!

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  4. Thanks for sharing that poem. I feel that way every time I go into the library - so much to check out and learn!

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  5. I love Planet Library! I love even more that it was inspired by student writing and art. I had not read this poem, but I love it. I'm adding it to my list to memorize. I want to remember lines like "the deli of civilization itself." Have you read THE BADASS LIBRARIANS OF TIMBUKTU by Josh Hammer? It would fit right in with this poem and your theme, even if it is nonfiction for adults.

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  6. "Every single time you’ll come out of there
    Holding something in your arms." <3
    Great post, Linda. I like, "We are all about learning in this family!" Hope you have a terrific year!

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  7. Love this new-to-me poem. I agree, it's impossible to go in without coming out holding somethings in your arms. Love your Planet Library theme and the bulletin board!

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  8. "Planet Library" sounds like you struck gold with this idea–the students seem as if they are off and running with the idea–have fun with it! Great poem too, this is the best part
    "Of answers. If you go inside,

    You may not come out
    The same person who went in."

    I love libraries-thanks Linda!

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  9. Wow, so true - you'll come out someone different from the way you went in! One day this week we had a teachers' meeting in my classroom after school, and someone announced that my room smelled like doughnuts. Maybe it was knowledge he was smelling!

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  10. Unboredly ever after is a marvelous way to live, arms full of books, nose sniffing the donut and coffee scent of possibility.

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  11. Oh yes, you MUST write a planet library poem based on Rios's poem, Linda! May we all be so lucky to live unboredly ever after. (I bet we would if we had your library to hang out in!)

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  12. That poem you shared is great but now I will wait eagerly for your poem. Have fun at Planet Library, Linda.

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Friendly, positive comments and feedback are always welcome here. Please let me know I'm not just whistling in the dark!