Writers' Group

The Library Ghost

There’s a ghost in the library.
I hear it sometimes.
It sounds as if books are being shuffled around
Right there on the shelves.
There’s no one there and nothing to see,
Only that sound --
As if someone were sliding books out
And shoving them back in.
But who could it be?
Some long-dead librarian unable to rest
Until every shelf is in perfect order?
Or perhaps a disgruntled library patron,
Who after death is still trying to prove that an overdue book
Really has been returned and truly is back on the shelves,
Not hidden under a sofa cushion or
Gathering dust under a bed somewhere.
I don’t really know, but I will tell you this:
There is a ghost in the library.

--Kay Carlsen