Bibliobella's "Amore Mio"

When Bibliobella turned 29
the villagers whispered Old Maid behind
her back, too cowardly to look into
her eyes and say it to her face. But, she
knew the secrets of the seasons. She knew
what herbs to use during childbirth. They've seen
her look at the moon like an accomplice.
They feared, yet were grateful for her whispers.
She lived resigned to knowledge and wisdom.

Paolo tended monastery grounds
pruning each tree as if it was a gift
wrapped in ribbons of sunlight. Bella first
saw him touching the leaves of a basil
plant reverently. He smelled hazelnuts
she hid in her pockets before he saw
her shadow, which moved when he noticed
a couple squirrels run past him. When they stood
separated by a row of basil
Bella saw eyes incomparably dark.
He placed a leaf in each palm. He cupped his
hands as if to hold a bowl. She bent her
head slowly and entered his pool of scent.
She murmured his name in three syllables.

They shared the arts of colors and stillness.
They shared their prayers, their herbs, and their essence.

When the Inquisition burned Bella's books
and forbade the villagers to ask her
for assistance, Bella ran to a row
of rocks. She started to recite a poem
three times in three different languages.
If she had finished her heart would have turned
over to pure revenge. Paolo sensed
this doom and drew birds flying in circles
to distract her. Embarrassed, sad, she ran
destined to live each moment as her last.

Bibliobella the Air Harmonica-ist

If Bibliobella hunches over
the stove while cooking pasta, Wonderpup
Rick knows instinctually what cures her.
He drops his red rubber ball, and brings her
an old invisible harmonica.

Bella unsleeves Rosalita vinyl.
When the needle touches the grooves she hears,
BRUUUUUUCE loud and long before her niece appears.

Sophia Superniece freezes into
John Travolta Saturday Night Fever
stance. Once the song starts she moonwalks. Aunt-B
blows the song as if born on E Street.
She holds her niece under her arms and swings
Sophia off the floor until she curls
into a ball on an air trampoline.
They turn tight sommersaults off the ceiling.

Ricky Wonderpup of the golden heart
basks in the sun on the front lawn. His ears
flap to the music as evidenced by
two grass patches, two feet apart, bouncing.

Bibliobella Before the Beginning

Bibliobella waited at the stake.
Her hands tied behind her back. Her head shaved.
Smoke rose from under her feet. A young girl
cried. Bibliobella heard a dog roar.

She met her fate screaming at an evil man
promoting the virtues of stupidity
to win an inquisitive position
about 500 or so years ago.

Before the smoke choked her she mouthed a poem
three times in three different languages.
A poem about herbs, knowledge, and magic.
When she stopped her eyes darkened as pure night.

In an alley drawing furiously
crouched a man with vestments of the clergy.
First, he outlined a painting. Then he drew
Bibliobella with bread in her hair.
Then he drew a symbol for great fire.
Next he drew a symbol for carved wood.

The crowd stirred as flames curved towards the clouds.
The crowd howled as blood-red sparks flew in waves.

Behind the chaos Bibliobella
melted from the stake hidden safely in
a drawing rolled into a tube and kissed twice.
Within the chaos the man threw the tube
next to the wooden effigy which smelled
of basil. He walked towards their village.

Bibliobella's Wonderpup

When Bibliobella dropped from canvas
nerves raw as if just birthed, a red rubber
ball trotted over to her. It wiggled
in mid-air as if attached to 20
pounds of happy wagging tail. Confused by
Ricky the Wonderpup's ghost appearance
she asked the taxi driver for answers.

He met his fate chasing the long black car
of an evil man promoting virtues
of stupidity to win elections.
Bella stared as she threw the ball again.

Buy, Ricky Wonderpup distracted her
from anger. Ricky Wonderpup grabbed her
attention at work. When she searched for hours
on the web for the key to happiness
she stoped to chase a ball through the book stacks.

Library patrons may feel a wagging
tail against their calves, but they won't mention it.

Sometimes when apathy tries to crowd her
she sits on her bedroom floor with her back
against bedposts and starts to throw the ball
against the wall. Emboldened by her sighs
Ricky Wonderpup rummages inside
the pantry for cookie sheets he brings her.

Bibliobella's Superniece

When Bibliobella reshelves books she
hears the, Bend it Like Beckham soundtrack
as a soccer ball covered in stickers
barrels past her head and lands in children's
fiction. Between the L's and M's out hops
Sophia Superniece covered in mud
with dark brown eyes like a forest morning.

Bibliobella reads an instruction
manual for soccer as Sophia
practices hip-hop moves she learned at school.
Sophia is able to hop through books
because Aunt Bella informed the taxi
driver of family obligations.
With goal posts up they both run towards the ball.

Bibliobella the Comic Strip

Hanging inside Macrina Bakery
is a painting of a woman with bread
in her hair. She wears large gold earrings.
Her dark eyes are full of direct answers
and a new day's hot strike on the ocean.
Her first look is always out the window.

Late one night, when bread sponges rise, along
flies a worried woman behind the winged
wheel of a petite taxi cab. She's one
part Emily Dickinson one part
Tinkerbell. The Macrina painting winks,
shocks. The driver concludes her frantic search.

Imagine Mary Poppins in her cape.
Imagine Sophia Loren staring.
Imagine a mix of these two then welcome
Bibliobella, the SUPERHERO
LIBRARIAN. Freed from the dry confines
of canvas she scooters on a vespa
offering helpful hints about the card
catalog and best internet searches.

When alone she may remember basil.
When alone she wonders if first row seats
to Yankees games might be the better plan,
but what superhero doesn't daydream?
Her quest to save the world from apathy -
be Library of Congress champion.

#10

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