A special place for writing was not something I ever had until recently. A cleared spot at the kitchen table, outside on a park bench, ideas jotted down on paper scraps, thoughts scribbled on the back cover of a work journal, and occasionally taking a personal day just to write wherever I could, was my normal. However, when I retired from my long career in the mental health field and moved back to the Pacific Northwest, one goal I had was to create a specific spot in the new home my husband and I built to write uninterrupted for as long as needed.
It was a challenge because we only had so much money and building costs were rising fast. With help from an architect, we carved out a space above our great room; a loft with a slanted roof and three windows overlooking the forest to let in lots of light. It turned out to be exactly what I had hoped for. Simple, clean lines with a steel railing give it a modern feel. My desk sits in the far corner with the largest of the windows to my left. I often gaze out at the tall trees and the nearby meadow hosting a wide variety of wildlife throughout the year. It’s become not only my sacred place for writing and creating stories but a refuge. Maybe, it’s because the loft is above the house’s main area or that it tends to be quiet, but it has come to be my favorite place. My home within my home. A place I find great comfort in almost every day.
The Loft
It’s a loft. The blinds are closed
to block the morning light so bright
it reflects off the computer screen
and fills the empty spaces. A loft
for writing poems, and stories about
the past, of what-ifs, worlds
without borders, a place to drink
hot tea, ponder new ideas. Quiet
often in this place. A stack of books
thesauruses, files, newspaper clippings
magazine articles, an award. A refuge
from the rain-soaked shambles
of time, the snowdrift cupboards
of fame, fortune. Capturing an old lady’s
laugh when she thinks she might
be young again and walk
in fields of silver and gold.
How did you find solace this week?
Sharon
© 2022. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved
