My afternoon at the library

In keeping with the first mini-lesson of the summer, today I found time to write at my favorite place, the local public library.  I left ALL electronics at home, I even turned OFF my cell phone and thoroughly enjoyed one uninterrupted hour of writing and reading. Indulgent, inspiring, and I can’t wait to do it again.

One of the things I wrote was the quick write prompt from Thursday, so here it is…

I walk by the door three times before I finally go into the library. Holding my breath, I keep my head down and hope no one will notice me. This is the first time I’ve come here without my class. I’m here alone, all by myself. As I approach the shelves, I finally blow out the breath I’d been holding. Why am I so nervous? I wonder. The minutes tick and I find that soon, I am actually smiling.

Needing to escape to somewhere, I came here. Here? Hmmm, well, anywhere is better than lunch. Lunch is…lunch. Finding a place to sit, not knowing anyone, it’s too much. I can’t face it yet. Suddenly, I realize that my friends are here…on and off the shelves. For the first time I look around and see a few friendly faces. The librarian, Miss Miller, catches my eye. Unexpectedly, she smiles. It’s then I realize, I’m home.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this? Fiction is not anything that I feel comfortable writing, but I enjoyed this prompt. My piece of writing is in the voice of a sixth grader who doesn’t know anyone. I like the fact that it could be a girl or a boy. I know what I was thinking. Who did you picture? At the library, I found a picture book titled, Book, by George Ella Lyon.  It’s a beautiful poem about books and reading. There’s one stanza that spoke to me and I wanted to share it here.

A BOOK is a FARM,

its fields sown with words.

Reader, you are its weather;

your tears, your eyes shining.

The writer, working these words,

cried and laughed, too.

Now you meet

as the gate of the book

swings wide.

~George Ella Lyon