Leaving the Library

Inside the library,
readers are turning leaves,
devouring stories
and stuffing words up sleeves
to ponder at their leisure,
while some are just hiding
from the autumn weather.

Outside the library
and just inside the door,
brittle leaves skitter
in huffs of dust across the floor,
cart-wheeling freely,
while some are just hiding
from the autumn weather.

Books tucked under arm,
I scuffle through dead leaves,
hand in my jacket
where I fumble to retrieve
my car keys
which are hiding
in the bottom of my pocket.

Back inside the house,
I breathe in silence with relief,
remove jacket and boots,
in which I find a stray leaf,
tucked into the leather,
mottled brown and rusty red,
hiding from the autumn weather.

Kim M. Russell, 2017

Leaving the Library

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: The Smell of Chrysanthemums

I’m hosting this Tuesday’s Poetics and have been thinking about autumn: the clocks will soon be going forward in some countries across the world and the nights will be drawing in earlier. I’ve also been thinking about things we associate with this time of year and asked poets to choose one autumnal item, take a closer look at it in all its glory under a poetic microscope and write a poem about it.

44 thoughts on “Leaving the Library”

  5. Beautiful and meditative Kim, I love the opening lines ‘Inside the library,readers are turning leaves’ and how the leaves continue to turn and appear in your poem right until the end. This is one of my favourite times for reading in front of the fire :o) xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Oh, lovely poem, Kim. The atmosphere translates beautifully, though we have no changed, brittle leaves yet, and just this week did it seem to be fall. I love autumn and you allowed me to enjoy it through your poem. The line: and stuffing words up sleeves….. is wonderful!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. In the week it’s mostly the elderly and unemployed (and, of course, my babies, toddlers and their parents and carers for Bounce and Rhyme). Everyone is so friendly and it’s great to see people choosing books and reading.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.