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