She had thought the studio would keep itself;
no dust upon the furniture of love.
Half heresy, to wish the taps less vocal,
the panes relieved of grime. A plate of pears,
a piano with a Persian shawl, a cat
stalking the picturesque amusing mouse
Though taps is primarily used here as a reference to faucets, it’s also a term for  a song played on a drum or bugle, used to signal lights-out at dusk . It’s also sometimes played at funerals. This gloomy and somewhat mournful connotation adds to the overall idea that this romance is not living up to her expectations.
Living in Sin