The guard at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Library Building
didn’t want me sitting on the floor.
He didn’t want me plugging in my computer.
In fact, I couldn’t work on my computer
in the hallway.
I had to go upstairs to a different room
to use my computer
and not use it where I was,
though I was waiting for a meeting to start
precisely where I was.
When I asked the guard why
he was proscribing my behaviors
he didn’t seem to understand the question.

“Is there a reason,” I clarified, “Why I shouldn’t be on the floor?
Or opening a computer? Or plugging it in?”
“Because…” he said haltingly, “It just isn’t done.”
“Because you won’t let it,” I helped him. “Do you know why?”
I knew I was risking expulsion from the library,
but I somehow doubted it would come to that
– and I was right. The guard didn’t have the proactive spirit
to do anything to me.

He didn’t have any answer for my question, though, either.