Refuge in the Library

I receive an upsetting email at work
And I cannot concentrate.
I have let someone down and the weight
Of this betrayal drags at my mind.

I seek refuge in the library,
Under the pretense of searching the archives.
I find my favorite book of juvenile fiction
And creep over to a corner to write, think, and read.

My corner is surrounded by windows which look out on a garden,
Shaded by trees which are older than I am.
Next to me, children run and shriek on a playground.
They play much harder than I will ever work at this job.

The chairs are as comfortable as I remember them
When I used to hide here during college.
The carpet is ugly as sin, but in true Brethren in Christ fashion,
Remains in better shape than the rug in most peoples’ houses.