Lou’s View – May 28, 2015

The Poem of Mary Elizabeth Crocker

by Lou Bernard

A while back, I was writing an article about John Chatham, a local poet from Wayne Township, and I decided to respect his poetry talent by imitating him. I wrote the article in poetry. Not good poetry, you understand. It was pretty terrible. But I’d like to think I got points for trying.

Since then, continuously, night and day, I have been swamped with literally no requests for another poem. I applaud you all on your restraint, and I have finally decided to write about another poet … Mary Elizabeth Crocker, the third-longest head librarian at the Ross Library. Mary also wrote poetry, so to honor her, I thought I’d write one about her.
Again, I know this is a bad idea going in. But that’s never stopped me before.

The year, it was eighteen and seventy-five
When my favorite librarian first came alive.
Her parents were Crockers—Wife Ann and John,
Who already had boys that they doted upon.
In Lycoming County (The family lived there) we
Have heard was the birth of their first daughter Mary.
She went to good schools, in New York and Philly
And became a librarian—This wasn’t so silly.
She always liked words, wrote a poetry book.
It’s at the Ross Library if you want to look.
She worked for some libraries in different towns,
One up in New York, and back here, James V. Brown’s.
It was nineteen-twenty when she came to the Ross,
And they gave her a job—They made her the boss.
She became head librarian. Big enchilada.
Advantages: Many. Disadvantages: Nada.
She spent twenty-two years in this major position
Ordering books and fulfilling her mission.
Mary took third place for lasting so long.
(Second’s Diane Whitaker. First is Isabel Pons.)
She purchased the books from the mail and in stores,
Kept some in the library, sent some to both wars.
She sent books overseas for supporting the troops,
From the schools and the churches, community groups.
She sent books to the men fighting each of the wars,
As they served overseas on their various tours.
But her biggest achievement, for which she’s best known,
Is a flood that she ended up facing alone.
You see, Mary was tougher than you might expect.
In the thirty-six flood the whole city was wrecked.
But Mary saved books! You see, she knew the score:
The oncoming water would hit the first floor.
She had to save books from the oncoming flood,
The debris and the water, the mold and the mud.
One big load at a time, she grabbed books in her arm,
And ran them upstairs, away from the harm.
Put the books in the attic, up on the third floor,
And turned and ran back down the stairs for some more.
Midway through the night Mary injured a bone,
But it didn’t stop her! She saved books on her own—
Her collarbone broke, but she didn’t show it—
Not bad for a lady librarian/poet.
When they sent out a boat as the waters went down,
She was up in the attic, overlooking the town.
Mary was impressive, but one thing we know…
No one lives forever. We all have to go.
Miss Crocker passed on in the spring month of May
Nineteen forty-two. The nineteenth was the day.
She was buried in Williamsport, in Wildwood.
She’s remembered for doing a whole lot of good
In the library here at two-thirty-two Main.
There’s a room that’s named after her, I can explain.
And I wrote this poem so we don’t forget her….
But my poetry’s awful. Mary Crocker’s was better.