A TRIP TO THE LIBRARY 
                                     BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS             July 20, 2000

My friend doesn’t like books,
 His first name is Gary.
I once had to drag him,
Down to the local library

But once we got down there,
We were in for a big surprise.
I opened up the doors,
And couldn’t believe my eyes.

I looked around and saw,
That every shelf was bare.
Gary shrugged his shoulders,
And said he didn’t care.

I searched all around,
In every cranny and nook.
But I couldn’t even find,
One single book.

As I stood there thinking,
The doors opened wide.
And there stood the librarian,
She quickly walked inside.

I came to her and asked,
“Where did the books all go?”
She answered, “Haven’t you heard?
Don’t you even know?”

“Books are now illegal,” she said.
“It is now the rule,
That you cannot own a single book,
In a library, home, or school.”

“Now I won’t have to learn,” said Gary,
“How to write or read.
Because without any books,” said he
“There won’t be any need.”

“Be quiet, Garry,” I told him
“That isn’t very funny.
What would we do without Alice,
Or Benjamin the Bunny?

We couldn’t go to Narnia.
Or tour the Wild Wood
Or visit the Land of Oz,
Though I know we’d wish we could. 
 
We wouldn’t see Willy Wonka,
And his wonderful factory.
Or journey with Captain Nemo,
To the utter depths of the sea.

We couldn’t sail to Lilliput,
With Lemuel Gulliver.
Or go to the land of Dickens,
To see Scrooge or Oliver.

We need Robin Hood,
And also Winnie-The-Pooh.
And without Bilbo Baggins,
What would we all do?”

The librarian turned to me and said,
“You’re absolutely right!
We can’t let our books be taken,
Without at least a fight!”

The doors opened up again,
There stood Officer Brown.
“You’d better get out of here quickly,” he said.
We’re tearing this place down.”

A gleam came into his eyes as he grinned,
“These walls and shelves will fade.
But then they’ll rise back up again,
As part of a new arcade.”

“You can’t do this!” I told him.
As I went on to explain,
What I’d told the librarian,
Mentioning each character’s name.

And as I said them all to him,
They appeared before his eyes.
He ran screaming from the building,
With loud shouts and cries.

The characters then all helped us,
Get every book put back.
They had all been sitting inside,
An old, ugly shack.

The librarian was overjoyed,
So happy that she cried.
Then the characters all stood in front of their books,
And happily jumped inside.

I then looked at Gary and asked
“Well, what do you have to say?”
“I think I’ll read THE HOBBIT,” he said
I’ll begin this very day.”

What I tell you now is true.
(If you don’t believe me ask Gary.)
You never know what adventures you’ll have
Down at your local library.

© J.M.W. Productions 2000