(just for the record)

It is the last day
before the Department closes for Easter.

1.
The Head of Department laughs
as he finds me photographing my azalea.
The sunshine had made the flowers glisten
and I find it impossible to resist the temptation.

2.
The Lady who cleans my office
tells me that her daughters gave her a mug
with a photo of themselves when they were babies.
One of those daughters is now her supervisor.

3.
The Postdoc has made a huge chocolate cake
and we sit around at coffee time
eating the biggest slice that we can manage.

4.
The Student collects her assessed essay.
She says that she feels sick with anxiety
because it was such a difficult title.
When she leaves she is smiling.

5.
The Lab Assistant has brought her tiny daughter
into the Department to meet her friends.
She is wearing hot pink heart-shaped sunglasses.

6.
The Finalist stands at the door to my office
and describes her recent major operation.
I give her strict instructions to be careful.

7.
The Cartographer is trying to find
a use for llamafont.
A map of Peru, perhaps?

8.
The Professor emails to say
that he is on the way to Switzerland...
“Back on Thursday with sacks of gold.”

9.
The new Spanish Research Assistant
is loving the sunshine...
I tell her to enjoy it while it lasts.

10.
The Masters student submits his work,
a study of the Palestinian head scarf,
illustrated by stunning photography.

11.
The Operations Manager tells me
that she will be scouring the salvage yards
to find replacement floorboards.
It sounds like a hard working holiday to me.

12.
I lift the azalea off the windowsill
and take it home to enjoy over Easter.
And then I leave the Department.