the office building

This week I'm an office building under renovation.
Walls torn down to show the pink lining,
asbestos carted out in pads, wrapped up
and safely disposed of.
This week I'm empty but for heavy boots
tramping through my hallways--
empty boots. My halls are always empty.
I have a sign out front, "Help Wanted,"
but this week I'm not hiring anyone.
***
This week I'm an office building under construction.
Walls broken down and built up again,
just a few feet from where they began.
All my wires are cut. No lights. No phone.
This week my windows are broken,
and it's raining, and I'm wet.
There's graffiti on me,
and I can't read what it says,
just that someone's left a mark here.
***
This week I'm an office building newly occupied.
All my rooms are filled with cubicles and desks,
and they've put up inspirational posters on my walls.
My chairs have wheels and my computers are new.
This week they're going to move in,
and there will be life in me again,
and workers will gossip and flirt and fight in my hallways,
and I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.
This week I'm ready to be important again.