Special surprise today from Jen! Here’s my favorite so far, seems applicable to librarians, no? The StraightenerEven as a boy I was a straightener.On a long table near my windowI kept a lantern, a spyglass, and my tomahawk.Never tomahawk, lantern, and spyglass.Always lantern, spyglass, tomahawk.You could never tell when you would need them,but that was the order you would need them in.On my desk: pencils at attention in a cup,foreign coins stacked by size,a photograph of my parents,and under the heavy green blotter,a note from a girl I was fond of.These days I like to stack in pyramidsthe cans of soup in the pantryand I keep the white candles in rows like logs of wax.And if I can avoid doing my taxesor phoning my talkative aunton her eighty-something birthday,I will use a ruler to measure the spacebetween the comb and brush on the dresser,the distance between shakers of salt and pepper.Today, for example, I will devote my timeto lining up my shoes in the closet,pair by pair in chronological orderand lining up my shirts on the rack by colorto put off having to tell you, dear,what I really think and what I now am bound to do.
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Special surprise today from Jen! Here’s my favorite so far, seems applicable to librarians, no?

The Straightener

Even as a boy I was a straightener.

On a long table near my window

I kept a lantern, a spyglass, and my tomahawk.

Never tomahawk, lantern, and spyglass.

Always lantern, spyglass, tomahawk.

You could never tell when you would need them,

but that was the order you would need them in.

On my desk: pencils at attention in a cup,

foreign coins stacked by size,

a photograph of my parents,

and under the heavy green blotter,

a note from a girl I was fond of.

These days I like to stack in pyramids

the cans of soup in the pantry

and I keep the white candles in rows like logs of wax.

And if I can avoid doing my taxes

or phoning my talkative aunt

on her eighty-something birthday,

I will use a ruler to measure the space

between the comb and brush on the dresser,

the distance between shakers of salt and pepper.

Today, for example, I will devote my time

to lining up my shoes in the closet,

pair by pair in chronological order

and lining up my shirts on the rack by color

to put off having to tell you, dear,

what I really think and what I now am bound to do.

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