The hotel's empty now and all the scholars <br />hailing, talking, arguing and drinking wine, <br />have gone home laden with new books but dollars <br />missing from their pockets, while alone online <br />I try to recreate the clamor, bustle: <br />far off colleagues meeting after many years, <br />papers read, then sorted with the rustle <br />that's meant to ward off questions flung like sharpened spears <br />and still outside the doors the scholars slap <br />eachother's backs and probe with glee the damnest queries <br />about their publishers and then they wrap <br />up all their thoughts by smirking when they quote the theories <br />of their rivals, though when quoting theirs <br />they wait for praise - that's why a scholar shares! <br /> <br /> <br />(After the SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) conference - Boston)<br /><br />Linda Hepner<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/after-the-boston-conference/
