Notes About The Poem

This poem is about my unexpected adventure many years ago in the well-preserved library of an abandoned 19th century mansion in the western New York's countryside.


 

Antiquarian Echoes: Time-Traveling through an Old Library's Labyrinth

In dust-laden silence, past the reach of day,
The mansion's library whispered of forgotten tales,
Its heartbeat echoed in the books arrayed.

Time's soft touch graced each spine and page,
Among them, Dickens stood with solemn grace,
Austen's wit lingered, untouched by age.

Balzac's illusions, faded, not effaced,
Eliot's Floss, its flow stilled in place,
Whitman’s grass, in tranquil state embraced.

Whitaker's knowledge, a temporal space,
Housed where the light through curtain's veil,
Spoke volumes of a world so interlaced.

The round table, center of this literary grail,
Vase barren of bloom, yet filled with long-gone blooms,
Oxford's rust, a testament to detail.

The Davenport, proud despite its failing,
A chair's broken leg, strength still prevailing,
In the corner, history's desk, inviting, waiting.

The hearth, with ash of fires long quelled,
Storied reminders of warmth once felt,
Stone and log, in quiet remembrance dwelled.

Adventures found in the stillness of decay,
An exploration of souls in silent ballet,
An inexplicable reunion with an unknown yesterday.

Here, in this grand sepulcher of intellect,
A young explorer's heart would intersect
With times gone, yet alive, in dust-specked respect.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024

Poem

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Enriquez Avatar
April 15, 2024 at 4:41 AM
Dear Don: This is a lovely poem. Good write. Good read. All good. Enjoyed this browse on your page. I used to be active here at PoetrySoup, posting between 8 to 10 poems daily until I reached the 10,000 mark. Now, I come and go less frequently. I do check my page periodically. Thanks for your visit to my page. Blessings to you on your writing journey. Leon
Wolf Avatar
April 14, 2024 at 7:09 PM
As long as it's still read, by affcianodos like us, great literature will not die.
Iannone  Avatar
April 14, 2024 at 9:28 PM
Gershon, that is so true. Love the classics. Thank you. Don
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