Borges

If the universe does consist of adjacent rooms 

And each room contains connecting walls of books, then 

A library is best assessed by the quality of the bindings 

And a cotton man can be measured by external features.

For a brief period, Egyptian flourishes were popular

And ornamental turrets replaced octagonal chimneys. Bricks 

Became redder, more receptive to the glossy shine of rainwater.

The Oldham architect Sidney Stott, responsible for 80 designs 

In the Lancashire region, delighted in windows which admitted 

Light but afforded the workers no view. His commercial trick 

Was to demand a percentage of the profits 

Rather than a flat fee for his services. It made him a Baronet

And the High Sheriff of Gloucester. His strategies reached India, 

Pursued by librarians ever more desperate to discover his secret.

There was no secret—only books.