Libraries. Either your love them or you hate them; it's nearly impossible to be passive about the place.
Can you imagine all the stories waiting years to tell their tale? Do they come out at night and talk to each other? At dusk, when the sun's rays carry the dirt and hard work of the day, can you hear whispers from the books on the shelf bursting to tell their story? At night the stacks are alive with characters. The shelves no longer house books and paper pages. No. They play host to the young Hamlet who sits in a corner with Sigmund Freud. A pained look settles upon the young man's face as the psychiatrist nods, pensievely stroking the hair on his own chin. In the U.S. history section, near two discarded books with matter-of-fact covers, a Puritan woman shakes her head vigorously with a woman's rights activists. The Puritan can barely make eye contact as her aggressively white starched bonnet hides the chagrin in the woman's cheeks. A loud clash and burly yells echo from shelves that transition from Classic Literature to European History. The brave Odysseus, in his sandaled feet and tattered toga, still emulates bravery as he fights off the brawny, able-bodied vikings. The alluring Penelope looks on, gripping a burial shroud which is not yet completely weaved. When one reaches the lobby, between the wings dedicated to the audiovisual and children's literature, many colorful characters pop off the pages to tell their tale. The young and effervescent Peter Pan flies above the shelves with his stout sword, constantly attacking the Pirates of Penzance and they sing and dance about the annoyance. Talking dogs, witches brewing cauldrons, cats knitting mittens, and skinny characters with funny hats gather around Harry Potter as he searches for something, gripping an old locket around his neck with one hand and a wand in the other. Just on the other side of the check out desk, where the thick leather bound reference books are held, a variety of animals lurk, some draping themselves over the stacks while some hide in the shadows, with only their glowing eyes giving any sense that they're there. An aged man wearing red suspenders, a polka dot bow tie, and pocket protector, with a protruding belly, walks around the library, speaking in numerous large words and grasping a heavy dictionary in his hand. His thick black glasses sometimes slide down his nose, but it doesn't stop him from providing a variety of synonyms to other characters in the library Everyone wants their story heard.
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January 2022
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