On Borrowing a Book on Hand Lettering at my Neighborhood Library

The purpose of libraries

besides the borrowing of books 

Free

and thus the spreading of knowledge

is to define identity

Who you are

Who I am

I wander

through the stacks

with no agenda

no author or subject in mind

nothing specific to find

I look

I read spines

Hearing titles

Listening

for a book to call to me

Several do.

Grant-writing

Working your way around the world

How to train your brain

And then

The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering

I reach,

I touch,

I pull it off the shelf,

I am mesmerized.

I sit with it

awhile

on the floor

and then put it back

but then it calls again

it tells me

I know you may not have time to read me

or do the projects entailed in here

But you can take me home

to take up  a small bit of space 

in your life

I will inspire you

even if you never open me up again

you will know that

I am a part of you

because you heard me,

You listened to me,

You chose me.