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She wanted a little room for thinking: 

but she saw diapers steaming on the line, 
a doll slumped behind the door.

So she lugged a chair behind the garage 
to sit out the children’s naps.

Sometimes there were things to watch-
the pinched armor of a vanished cricket, 
a floating maple leaf. Other days 
she stared until she was assured 
when she closed her eyes 
she’d see only her own vivid blood.

She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared 
pouting from the top of the stairs. 
And just what was mother doing 
out back with the field mice? why,

building a palace. Later 
that night when Thomas rolled over and 
lurched into her, she would open her eyes 
and think of the place that was hers 
for an hour-where
she was nothing, 
pure nothing, in the middle of the day.

Interpretation:

In the first stanza the author is referring to a woman who desires a piece of mind or a rest from her duties. She is constantly moving and cleaning.

The second stanza gives reference to the woman as being tired it says “she lugged a chair behind the garage” this is given an impression that she has been worn out and she is trying to get some type of relief from her duties.

In the third stanza the author expresses that the woman was in need of cleaning her mind. Simply being able to watch a cricket or a floating maple leaf is a peaceful escape for her. When the author says “she’d see only her own vivid blood” they are referring to an awareness of life flowing in her veins. When to woman goes behind the garage she can still exist, but without effort or distraction in her world of nothingness.

In the fourth stanza, the woman’s hour of peace and nothingness is interrupted by her child Liza who appears on the stairs pouting and demanding to know what her mother is doing. It seems to be a ritual for Liza to wake before the other children and retrieve mom from behind the garage. Liza does not understand why her mother would prefer to be “out back with the field mice” rather than inside taking care of the house.

 In the fifth stanza, The woman responds to her child that she is “building a palace.” This phrase indicates the woman treasures her break behind the garage and this sanctuary is her “palace”.  At all other times she has to constantly work and do for her children and her husband. The use of the word “lurch” at the end of the poem describes intimacy between the woman and her husband. She does not appear to be enjoying her husband’s attention. While this woman is with her husband her mind drifts off as she begins to daydream about her hour of escape. This is an out of body experience for the woman this is the only way she can feel as though she has escaped from her busy world. hat night when Thomas rolled over and lurched into her, she would open her eyes and think of the place that was hers for an hour—whereshe was nothing, pure nothing, in the middle of the day.