Bleeding profusely
and grasping the tip of her finger,
severed by a paper cut, sustained during the cataloguing
of an obscure Victorian erotic monograph,
the Librarian runs through her domain,
past Crime,
past Thrillers,
past Self-Help,
past a dozen other shelves,
until she finally reaches the exit,
unclamps her good hand from her mouth
and screams.
Jonathan Pinnock was born in Bedfordshire, England, and despite having so far visited over forty other countries, has failed to relocate any further away than the next door county of Hertfordshire. He is married with two children and a 1961 Ami Continental jukebox. His work has won several prizes, shortlistings and longlistings, and he has been published in such diverse publications as Smokebox, Every Day Fiction, Ink, Sweat and Tears, Twisted Tongue and Necrotic Tissue. http://www.jonathanpinnock.com
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26 Responses to “PROFESSIONALISM • by Jonathan Pinnock”
Comments
« PET PONY’S DREAM • by Mariel Newley | Home | THE CLOUD OVER REALITY • by Jason J. Huber »
August 24th, 2009 at 1:04 am
[...] tribute to the bravery of librarians everywhere is now up at Every Day Poets. For those of you who are interested in this sort of thing, the inspiration was the weekly [...]
August 24th, 2009 at 3:27 am
What a great way to start the day.
The imagery is superb, the final line hilarious.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:03 am
It would seem our intrepid librarian has more than two hands: one that’s injured, one that’s grasping the tip of the severed finger, and one that’s clamping her mouth shut.
I question whether a paper cut is capable of severing any significant part of a finger. Regardless, is she grasping the stump or the severed bit? I can see arguments for calling either part the “tip.” And if the paper cut didn’t slice off part of her finger, why did you use the word “severed”?
Good flow, though, and great ending.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:11 am
BRILLIANT…! SHHHHHHHHHH!
Sorry
(Brilliant, Jon.)
August 24th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Well, I thought all women have 3 hands for multi-tasking and most librarians I’ve known had at least two heads – horror indeed
August 24th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Good poem and great ending.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:01 am
It’s proof librarians should get higher pay so they can eat more steak and develop thicker skins.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Thanks for the comments, everyone, and the detailed analysis, Pharosian
. I’m tempted to draw a diagram, but … nah. Anyway, you’d be surprised at the sharpness of the paper used in Victorian erotica, and it is just about possible for the same hand to be holding the severed tip as well as clamping the mouth shut. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Excellent!
Pharosian, it’s possible to severe a small piece of skin fron a finger. I know, because I’ve done it. It’s painful. She could easily grasp the injury with the injured hand (a bit like making a fist) and cover her mouth with the other.
This woman obviously doesn’t work in my local library, as there’s so much laughing, screaming, running and yelling in there that her cry would hardly be noticed.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Excellingly brilliant.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
HA!
Good stuff, Jonathan.
–dj
August 24th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
This is great!!
August 24th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Loved it!
August 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Yes! Nice poem. The devil’s in the deckled-edge.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Brilliant. I like the differing line lengths.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:41 am
[...] http://www.everydaypoets.com/professionalism-by-jonathan-pinnock/ [...]
August 25th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Great cadence – loved it.
Which is horror, “Exit” or “No Exit”? Should we argue or let it pass? I admire the MC for keeping the library quiet. I like my hoopla in the parlor.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Cool use of the (penultimate) blank line!
Much more subtle than the inferior
…
August 27th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Just realised I didn’t thank you all. Glad you enjoyed it
August 30th, 2009 at 7:36 am
I agree with Phil about the effectiveness of the penultimate blank line – strong cadence. I thought about it but Phil is the “said it first.” Good poem, Jonathan.
Phot: If there is so much noise in a librarian’s reading room, she could throw a book at them to get their attention since she needn’t cover her mouth.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
super story
October 1st, 2009 at 2:40 pm
[...] had an e-mail this morning from Oonagh Joslin of Every Day Poets to tell me that “Professionalism” was the most read poem there during the month of August, and would I like to be interviewed? Well, [...]
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:57 am
I’m in awe. Great poem.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Great stuff, Very funny.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:23 am
[...] We also have two great interviews this month with Polenth Blake and Jonathan Pinnock. [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
[...] in August, the very wonderful Every Day Poets published a poem of mine that – to my amazement – turned out to be their most read poem of that month. And that [...]