前一阵，有一天我去新图二层还书，那个大叔（我除了还书借书从来没和他多说过一句话）看了我一眼忽然问道：“你怎么还没毕业啊？我好像已经看到你很多年了。”我只好说：“是很多年了，不过也不是留级啊。”掐指一算，果然是本人进出北外图书馆的第六个年头，来来去去的居然连图书馆的大叔都认得我的老脸（一般女孩子换身衣裳不熟识的人马上就会不认得）开始嫌我阴魂不散似的，真是又好笑又耿耿于怀，做诗一首以为纪念： 

An Encounter in the Library 

I was but a rambler in the library

In free mornings and idle afternoons,

To shake hands with flying dust

Dancing in the columns of sunshine,

And to befriend the book-worms

Eating more papers than I.

Many times, like a thief

Sneaking in the labyrinth of shelves,

I passed the statue of a librarian unnoticed,

With books read, unread and half skimmed through.

Never a little chat we had

To break the silence of the room.

Until today, when I returned books again,

He raised his head, looking at me

As an old acquaintance, and asked

With a note of amusement in his voice,

“Why, haven’t you graduated yet?

I think I’ve been seeing you for many years.”

I laughed to conceal my blush,

For cheating his labor as a library wanderer,

And felt many and many a year

Is flowing through my fingers,

As if I’ve already been old,

But none the wiser.

 2008.10.21