amidst the more than a million people without power days
our local library
has been opening at 6am
and closing late
acting without anyone asking
as an ad hoc community center
in order to offer
a safe and welcoming haven to all
full of
electricity and books and computers and games and story times
a friend to all ages
stay as long as you like
take as much as you need
on a morning visit
during my current nomadic existence
i sat with 2 high schoolers
an old couple
college roommates
a gaggle of 3 year olds
and a family
all here for the same reasons
a bit of respite
a cup of coffee
a bite to eat
a wealth of good company
a comfortable chair
and
an awful lot of warmth.
—–
“a library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.
it is a never failing spring in the desert.”
― andrew carnegie
