This poem takes place in a sprawling public library, although it repeatedly references “librarians”, and so can apply to libraries as a collective worldwide. While there are no chronological cues to ground the setting in a specific time, much of the imagery resonates with contemporary libraries today. The library in this poem is presented as a place filled with brave, contentious ideas and unfiltered stories. In this way it acts as a metaphorical crossroads where readers’ lives and perspective are pushed in a new direction.