(just for the record)

If you were me
you would have met
these students today:

1.
four early birds
waiting at my door when I arrive
with essays hot off the press

2.
a finalist who needs to borrow books
urgently

3.
a late bird who delivers his essay
dressed in pyjamas and slippers

4.
a very tall, athletic lad with a limp,
(tendon problems, apparently)
accompanied by two very small admirers

5.
an anxious first year
who has missed the deadline
to pay for the field trip to Spain

6.
a new PhD student from Canada,
delayed by visa issues,
but here at last,
smiling

7.
an exchange student sending greetings
and a warm weather report
from the University of Arizona

8.
a student with a complicated medical problem
weeping with frustration
at the inconvenience of illness

9.
a beautiful young Belgian
collecting a red rose
delivered by an admirer*

10.
a vivacious PhD student
with long blonde hair
and fabulous black nail polish
left over from Hallowe'en

11.
my lovely South African friend
who asks about MasterM
and knows how far away he is

12.
a Masters student in Peruvian bobble hat
coming in to start work as I leave

*****

*actually, that wasn't today
but I thought that you should know about it