In Death's Library

There are only children's books.
And not the depressing ones where the mother dies,
or the pet dies,
or the grass dies.
The children's books that involve birthdays mostly and
sometimes Halloween but only if nobody gets scared and everybody wears a
hilarious costume.

Death's librarian chooses carefully.
If she missteps, Death may not go out to work
Death may stay in bed
(it has happened before)
and let the detrivores crawl to his door waving
their cockroach arms for mercy, for
Death to stop crying and start working
so they can feed their families.

In Death's library, eating is allowed
and running and shouting too because
if you need to, you need to.
Death's world is quiet enough without having
an entire room for silence.