She asks me to write about work,
as if there can be any hues worth
comment in this dusty place.
The clamour and the endless cry
of tortured equipment, squealing beeps
and electronic collisions.
I parry with flutes and viola de gamba.
We are drowned together.
Through all this, I must maintain
a visage of contentment.
At the very least, my critiques are met
with disdain and laughter.
Our offices seep browns and greys,
faux wood and plastic desk sets.
Strangely, the backdrop is superb,
in comparison: vibrant reds and greens flatter
stairwells against stark walls.