Need curtains to be about right (6)
I believe the answer is:
dearth
'need' is the definition.
(I know that dearth is a type of absence)
'curtains to be about right' is the wordplay.
'curtains' becomes 'death' (I've seen this before).
'to be about' indicates putting letters inside.
'right' becomes 'r' (abbreviation).
'death' going around 'r' is 'DEARTH'.
(Other definitions for dearth that I've seen before include "Scarcity, paucity" , "Acute shortage" , "Hatred (anag) -- shortage" , "Scarceness or lack" , "poverty" .)