Friday, June 27, 2008

Poetry Friday: Patron Handbooks

Grace

Grace given on any point

at any time

does not imply

that it is a change of policy

or that grace will

necessarily be extended

another time.


General Behavior

Behavior

should be such as is common

to other libraries.


Security

In the event of a fire
on the lower levels,
exiting
by one of the side exits
is probably best,

as the possibility of fire
shooting up the open central stairwell
could be a risk.

(However, behavior should be such
as is common to other libraries.)

(Grace will NOT necessarily be extended another time.)

---From the WCIU Library Patron Handbook, manipulated and arranged by me.

Found poetry feels slightly lazy, and yet it's perfect summer play for my brain. Plus, I think all the revision I've been doing has made me want to rearrange words wherever I see them!

Poetry Friday is hosted by Jennie, at BiblioFile

12 comments:

  1. I hear ya on the revising. Hang in there!

    ...you have to hang in there, because grace will not necessarily be extended another time...

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  2. I've caught the lazy bug too :). More fun rearranging words than furniture.

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  3. I love found poetry and rearranging, too.

    I'm revising a lot these days, too, and my brain is fried. Found poetry and smiling are good for me today.

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  4. It's easy to extend grace to your word rearrangements. Good luck with the revising... hard to do in a big chunk, I'm sure.

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  5. I love the GRACE rearrangement. It's perfect :)

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  6. Wishing some grace for you.

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  7. I love this! Does it really say that about Grace? How wonderful a handbook. You have a tender ear and a light touch my friend.

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  8. Cloudscome, it does say that, verbatim.

    The library is part of a university that I've never heard of, but that has an interesting mission statement:

    "William Carey International University specializes in an integrated approach to development issues. Created to serve voluntary organizations involved in holistic development, many of which are religious in nature, WCIU emphasizes excellence in academic studies from a global perspective."

    I could definitely sense a certain cadence to the Patron Handbook. It was as if the writer were trying to lay out the rules, but not step on too many toes. It just charmed me.

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  9. We've been going through this year-long process of revising all our policies. I think I'm going to suggest we right the next one in verse.

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  10. No, no, WRITE, not RIGHT. I need more caffeine.

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  11. So... if I yell at my kids in verse, maybe they'll actually listen? It's been a week of "walking please!" and kids then running right by me, as if I never said anything at all...

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  12. I'm reading this after reading Jama's, and---though I hardly think yours is "lazy"---I think they're a great match.

    Jules, 7-Imp

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