The Gathering In...

The carts rolled out of the warehouses

And trawled each single street,

Each drawn by a giant Clydesdale with

Those massive hooves and feet,

They creaked along, and they struck a gong

That excited furtive looks,

While the men that day, who rode the dray

Called out, ‘Bring out your books.’

 

They watched the shimmer of curtains as

The people peeked outside,

For many were loth to show themselves,

All they had left was pride,

The law brought in by the looney left

Trapped all but the pastrycooks,

For they could retain their recipes

At the cry, ‘Bring out your books.’

 

They said they were saving forests from

The pulp mill on the bay,

There wouldn’t need to be paper with

The pads we have today,

And too many things were incorrect

Had been printed on a tree,

Were sitting on people’s shelves, defunct

In ideology.

 

The people set up resistance, they

Had loved their tattered tomes,

And many a shelf was burdened in

The meanest of their homes,

‘The government’s trying to dumb us down,’

Was the universal cry,

‘Go out and save the forests, but

If they’re already printed, why?’

 

The spread of ideas is dangerous

They could rot you to the core,

And too many things on liberty

Have been printed, long before,

Perhaps it would have been better if

The people couldn’t read,

Taking away the books at last

Might take away the need.

 

The drays that rumbled along each street

They had stacked the books up high,

But there was the odd revisionist

Who complained, and grumbled, ‘Why?’

A squad broke into each suspect house

Where the owner locked the door,

And tore the books from his fevered grasp

While screaming, ‘It’s the law!’

 

But mine, I hid in the garden shed

And buried the others deep,

They wouldn’t be getting their hands on them

The ones that I wished to keep,

There’s so many fake and useless things

That they’re legislating for,

But to take our books and our liberty

Would be like declaring war.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Workvio]

This poem you have penned is not only a glimpse into places and times in the past, but represents a prophetic and alarming future for all mankind if we continue allowing ourselves to programmed into a state of moronic un-intelligence by the video and media age of DIS-information ... A splendidly informative write, written marvelously by you as always ...

[Jennie Baron]

It's all great, but my favorite stanza is the last with that note of defiance and resistance. Bravo!

[Marie]

Sounds like Ray Bradbury's book, Farenheit 11. It sort of goes with what's happening here, with liberals suddenly trying to ban all things Confederate, including the movie classic "Gone With the Wind."

[Barbz]

Love your Country, but never trust its government. Imagine the harrowing experience of having the forces that be, take away that which was already written! To take from one which they hold dear. With force, reduces to us into an UNculture of lawlessness......And so I am in accord with your final words " but to take our books and our Liberty would be like declaring War......and to strip some of us of our best friends.....Might I add.....So It is Written.....Thank You, DLP, for the wisdom in your words....Barbz

[Roxie M]

Okay, I like this very much, but you lack a certain rail to you words...why so nice? Liberty is dead when they come for your books! Spot on in rhyme and meter.
I enjoyed this.