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Working in the Public Library

Sitting in the library, surrounded
by books on every wall;
while rubber soles give painful birth
to squeaks from the floor

Thumbing through the pages,
stifling a yawn
while yet outside, the golden sun
swims across the lawn

A queue awaits the librarian
but shes on the telephone;
her words disturb my reading
as I learn what must be known.

Then for ten minutes, silence,
and concentration freezes from
Back to intellectual burdens
and once more try to learn

But with uninteresting topics
the mind wanders far,
and ends thinking of friend Leo
and how he joined "Scar".

Then all associations join their hands
and lead me a merry dance.
But conscience still holds the rein
and stops our joyful prance.

He tightens fingers on the pencil,
he steadies my eye,
he scowls at all carefree thoughts
and they in terror fly.

Again I'm in the library
with books open at my desk,
for only hard work can remove
this burden from my chest.