I used to post this sign outside my office
And hide behind it, keen on privacy.
I put the Spanish for the night-time crew.
An eager cleaning woman, hell-bent
On emptying my trashcan,
Had once unlocked my door without a knock
And seen me half between
Removing sweaty workout clothes
And dressing for the street.
(I didn’t bare my soul to her,
But that’s all I didn’t bare.)

Yet nakedness is not my main concern.
Sometimes I think the motto for my life
Might be “Do Not Disturb.”
I dread the daily headlines,
Turn off the TV news,
And never ask about religious views.

The cost for always sailing on an even keel
Can be to only sail on dead calm seas
Beneath a windless sky.
But waveless seas and windless skies
Bring stagnant air,
And cloudless days don’t take me anywhere.