The Temple Of Learning Poem by Doug Lane

I used to shop there
all the time
and it was always crowded

around Xmas.
But this year
only the books

and clerks
and I
were there.

The new books
eager to be read
hungry to be read

dying to be read,
sitting there unread, unopened,
on the full shelves.

"Was it something we said? "
they asked.
"Tell us what it was

and we'll apologize
and take it back."
"It's not you, " I said.

"It's us.
You're as wonderful
as ever.

But we've changed.
We're diseased.
We're plunging

into an abyss
of self inflicted
isolation and ignorance.

Many of us
will never open
a book again.

Or read one.
Or give one
at Christmas

or any other time.
We're wallowing
in our own juices,

no longer
curious about
the world.

We take pride
in the ignorance
of our leader,

who never
reads books
and paid someone else

to do his schoolwork."
"If you ignore us, "
said the books,

if you don't browse us
and buy us
and take us home

and love us,
we won't be here
next year."

"That's fine, " I said.
"We're tumbling into
a new Dark Age,

ruled by tyrants,
liars, and idiots.
We won't be needing

or reading
books.
Not where

we're going."