LOCAL HISTORY walking to the monroe county public library the sidewalk under crabtrees still spotted with stains from last autumn's fruit one empty store three still occupied all the windows receive and then lose images of those passing by next block: 1874--colored school 1915--carnegie library (colored school gone) 1970--library moves 1980--monroe county history center and museum (swallows carnegie library) all this is documented on signs on metal poles then the plain geometry of the parking lot and at the corner overhung by kind trees the benches where the homeless guys spend part of their day not too often letting out some wounded sarcasm at one of those passing by on his way to the monroe county public library