Elegy to a Doorless Office

LKYP2018 via Pixabay

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house

Every creature was stirring and each had a mouse.

Not the furry kind with beady eyes and a tail, 

But the kind that clicks 'round online without fail.

There's Audible in the living room and a few rooms over

My spouse on an online shopping site does hover.

Oh wait, there's a phone call for him and I know

I'll hear every last word from the get to the go.

And I, in my office, am trying to write

A blog post or perhaps a scene with insight

When a snippet of Harry Potter wafts through the air

Replacing my thoughts, leaving memory quite bare.

Or a bit of conversation floats in like a draft,

And does battle with the dialogue I'm trying to craft.

I love my family, really I do,

But they aren't exactly the quietest crew.

And the older I get, the harder it seems

To filter out sounds seeping in through the seams.

Add to this a pandemic where we're all here quite often 

And I daresay my brain cells are starting to soften.

(Yes, I know that's a physical impossibility 

But don't we without doors on our offices get some pity?)

Perhaps I'm a workaholic and need to step away

Or wait until there's a break in the fray?

But when it comes to my writing, there's no time to wait

When I finally have weeks without Zoom on my plate.

Wait -- what was that clang? That bang? That thump? 

I close my eyes, hold my breath, and in my chair slump.

Should I go check it out? Should I wait for a yell?

Or should I just sit here and assume all is well?

The silence that follows is welcome, if brief

Bringing with it some lovely, if short-lived relief.

'Til a telemarketer in a move most ill-advised

Brings the interruption that I perhaps most despise.

My thoughts now are scattered, my motivation cracked

Yes, someone did turn the thermostat up again, in fact.

I try imagining my now-tropical office is a beach,

But since I'm gritting my teeth, that vision's quite out of reach.

It's their house, too, I remind myself again

As I take a deep breath and try to find my zen.

I take a sip of my Starbucks, a welcome surprise

Brought by my husband who early did rise

And ran several errands and took care of things

Giving me time to focus on writing that zings

(Or something that's like it -- there are no guarantees

dapple-designers via Pixabay

Some days fill with words I'm unable to seize).

And my daughter's laughter floats down from upstairs

Bringing with it a joy, that catches me unawares

Reminding me that quiet is a double-edged sword

That some days might inspire, but other days leaves me bored.

As you see, I'm conflicted because it's quiet I need

To give my swirling ideas a chance to take seed.

But here comes another noise, small but 

Distracting enough that I feel my composure is cracking.

Yes, I love my family, but this I know is the case:

What I want most for Christmas is a soundproof workspace.

lu_lettering via Pixabay