Marc-ing

I'm remembering Marc in this moment;
more precisely, I'm Marc-ing this moment,
sitting in the public library in Albany
(having been excommunicated from dept. existence
in a manner Marc would have laughed over I think,
I don't go to the Davis library much),
I'm reading the space instead of the books—
the toothless pastels, the carpet like a field (ha)
of frozen television static, punctuated
by old people slumped into books or newspapers.
What are the assumptions here? What
is the shape of the public, who patrols
its frontiers? At this table there are
signs: Reserved for quiet study.
No tutoring or groups. Thank you for your cooperation.
So, the public [from Latin publicus, blend of poplicus of the people
(from populus people ) and pubes adult.]
is not people but persons, adult persons, old persons
in this case, unaccustomed to noise or
groups, studious persons, learned persons
who cooperate [from ecclesiastical Latin cooperat- worked together, from the verb cooperari, from co- together + operari to work]
by not working together. So the calming tones, the grays
to say—not action but contemplation here. Yet even study has its passions,
[study—shortening of Old French estudie (noun), estudier (verb), both based on Latin studium zeal, painstaking application.]
as Marc would know.

Probably though he'd just say: quit avoiding your dissertation.