Do you remember office telephones
that rang aloud so everybody heard?
And typewriters with syncopated tones
or printers leaving carbon with each word?
Remember corporate noise? It’s with us still
but changed in character. Today the sounds
of officework are signals from a mill
electrons turn: a thousand beeps abound.

There’s always too much chatter for our peace,
promoting tension and producing stress.
Responding only speeds it to increase
and sets our nerves to shivering. I guess
I can’t repair us or engender poise.
But I can stop myself from adding noise.