Outside the library,the return box.One bookis still slanting,only its spinefacing outward.
The person at receptionholds a pencil.A short soundstrikes the desk.The smell of rainreaches the door.
A small girlholds books in her arms.Twice her fingerfollows the shelf numbers.She sets her toesbefore the line.
Still seated,the person at receptionreaches out only with a hand,takes the slanting book,and places it softlyon a lower shelf.
The girl standsbefore that shelf,her finger on a book corner.Pencil shavings lieon white paper.
Outside, the rainhas grown a little quieter.Deep in the return boxthere is another book.The person at receptionholds an eraser.