Behold the public library

a refuge for those retired from ordinary labors

and other life-callings.

A place of quiet solitude and peaceful whisperings,

until the Children's Hour fills with story-tellings.

A clean, well-lighted space

for school children swarming after school

tweeting and twittering with friends nearby.

An escape from weariness and ennui

for music lovers, voracious readers,

philosophers, philanthropists, fiction and fantasy.

A gathering place for vicarious and actual bliss,

temporary forgetfulness from the cares of daily life.

Ah, the public library

safe harbor for lost souls, the broken hearted,

distressed spirits longing for friendship and connection.

Welcoming Buddhist sand paintings,

exotic fish idling away each day,

lectures, recitals, weddings, memorials, concerts and documentaries.

Behold the public library,

a place for all reasons and all seasons.

Sandy Conlon

Steamboat Springs