The hallway outside was empty

The air, so tranquil

Friday morning, the first one in, I was thankful

I didn’t even bother to turn on the light

With the blinds open on a spring morning it was already so bright

Newcomers and some old timers say the carpet’s dull

The desktop is dusty

The paint on the walls is scuffed

But over the past five years I’ve learned to adjust

Two large windows flank my desk

One in front, one on the side

So many have come and gone

But here I abide

My chair’s not fancy – no lumbar support or wheels

No fancy swivel

Just a hard back with two arms

But I like how it feels

Some still say I’m too little

Despite all the ruggedness, there is some charm

When I first came here I had no idea what I was doing

Even now I find myself awing and ooing

The large bookshelf to my left is a little bare

It holds a few outdated books once owned by my predecessors who are no longer there

A shred bin under my desk takes discarded medical forms

My adjustable standing desk helps me weather some storms

The computer screen is across from my eyes

It connects with my brain and the world

The world just beyond the window I look out

From this office I have no doubt

I’ve helped a few

Even more than that I hope

I come in and out of here each day, eight hours habitually

Like an anchor tied to a rope

Reading, clicking, in and out to see patients – to hear them, to touch them, to know them

Among all the blood, the pills, the heartache, the phlegm

I almost quit a few times but I keep coming back

Back to this office

It welcomes me

Time has lapsed

I’m no longer a novice

I’ve gleaned a lot from the people I’ve served

For the first time today I had a chance to see

My old karate instructor used to say that when you get good, the fight slows down

I had a minute today

I breathed

I took a rag and dusted off the shelves, the desk, the windowpane

No longer feeling drained

Cradled by the four walls

Not enemies at all

One day I’ll be like those books on the shelf – outdated too

But I’ll look back and remember

I did the very best I could do

Humbled, privileged, I know

I took a moment to thank God

While within the walls, behind the screen, sitting in between the windows

For my job