Sonnet of the Book Thieves —

‘The KCDC tried to slip this one through on the quiet
Telling the Friends of the Libraries, with a certain mirth
The belief that books in the digital age are of little worth
In such a convincing manner that they would buy it
They’d ‘forgotten’ to check the Waikanae Library properly
Because of toxic policies towards printed written matter
A large number of books lay mouldy and in tatters
The result is that they have had to abandon the Library
A recent film remembers well those who destroy books
When a young woman rescued books from a Nazi bonfire
A civilization depends on its attitude to the written word
Thus, beware of thieving, conniving, bureaucratic crooks
Who leave the wealth of knowledge and wisdom in their mire
Of ignorance and greed, which is both withered and absurd

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