As I mentioned last year during National Library Week, most poems about libraries are sticky with cotton candy rhymes and syrupy sentimental nostalgia for days that never were—I’m paraphrasing—but I managed at the time to find a few that weren’t written with children in mind (check ’em out, pun intended).
I didn’t think I’d be that lucky this year and had planned to do another poetry contest in which I would bribe you with an Amazing Prize in exchange for writing an original poem about how libraries are sacred trusts worthy of all tax levies and librarians the most wondrous creatures ever to interpret the vagaries of the cataloging systems on your behalf and admonish you in dulcet tones to turn off your cell phone, please, and the young ladies on that screen had better be wearing clothes, mister—and the goat, too.
But then I found this, by Laura Brown Lavoie:
And remembered this one, by Taylor Mali, on the importance of academic libraries:*
Note the distinct lack of rhyme and the surplus of awesome.
We clearly need more of these library (and librarian) affirmations in poetry form . . .
So I guess I’m throwing a bribefest contest after all!
Your challenge: Write a poem about libraries and/or librarians and share it in the comments of this post (or e-mail it to me). If you do, your name will be entered into the Hat of Win for an Amazing Prize.**
Any type of poem, any (or no) rhyme scheme, four line minimum. Anyone who sends me a video of their original slam poem automatically gets a Special Prize, because whoa.
The usual rules apply:
1. If you write a poem with phrases that rhyme with Nantucket or otherwise use innuendo that goes beyond what my kids are savvy enough to detect, e-mail it to me. If you don’t know the difference (Kev), e-mail me just to be sure.
2.If you don’t want to share your poem with the general public, e-mail it to me and remind me not to post it—I retain the right to argue (liligrif) but I’ll respect your wishes. If you win and prefer I don’t know your mailing address, we’ll work something out.
3. If you’re related to me by known biology or marriage, you’re welcome to write a poem, but you can’t win. Sorry.
4. National Library Week ends April 20th, and so does this contest, at Midnight CST (that’s Chicago time).
If you have any questions, let me know.
And if you can’t bring yourself to write a poem, go tell your local library staff how much you appreciate them.*** If you get a photo of it and send it to me, I’ll toss your name in the Hat.
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* I know I’ve shared it before, but that was for a Random Thursday last August, so I can totally use it again. Taylor Mali bears repeating as often as possible, anyway. And it’s my blog.
** “She calls that a prize? Amazing . . . ”
***If you don’t appreciate them, then . . . I got nothin’.
Earful of Cider 