< The Epistles of Stanhope St. >

[brynmawr1]

a warehouse in Brooklyn     not sure if there was a typo here
a crowded dirty place
                                 
a catacomb

of unkempt jewels
and riches for a dollar
                                 
be careful
                                 
it's so easy to get out of hand
                                 
and on the second floor
the shelves loom over me
a rat    rat needs some modifier, I think.  Took me awhile to realize 'rat' referred to the narrator.
seeking comfort of their narrow aisles 
                                 
the books of dead parents    among? to blend the stanzas and narrative, or other choice.
thrown into boxes
by sons and daughters
old lives that wouldn't fit   didn't?
                                 
old lives are welcome here  not sure about this one line.  I would consider cutting and seeing how you can blend it into the next stanza
                                 
the quiet of the vault
the smell of the books
yearning to be opened don't like these last two lines. What about touching the spines, etc?
yearning to reveal themselves
                                 
my prizes are the notes
scribbled in their margins  tightened up this stanza
                                 
letters from the past
addressed to me 
                                 
their titles?
how little this matters  I like the ending but think there could be more punch.  Trying to think of it almost like a haiku.

Hey Ray,
Great poem.  Glad you pulled it out.  Made some suggestions.  Hope you find them helpful.
bryn

PS your formatting sucks!