bare next week

Monday, 11th of November 2019

It is late today, on the way to work. More

traffic, sudden blockages

. Realise that the car in the left lane up ahead is just standing

there no lights

on.

Swerve.

Avoid.

And, drive on carefully.

The small black car is not fast, but even

impacts at low speeds are sore.

Move on through the traffic, shunt on through

past the traffic lights. And-at last the tree

on the pebble parking place, the short walk

between the buildings, the clock-in clock

and the stair around the round stairwell

with the swaying pendulum in the centre.

It is cold in the office, the heating was down

over the weekend.

The computer, switched off

and inanimate. Turn the knobs, press the

button, a gonging sound, and the machine

works again.

See the news, see all the

old pictures on the screen.

later on, as the cleaning man arrives,

leave. Ask the man to lock the door when he

is finished, it is eleven in the morning,

most of Fridays pictures have been

processed, it is time for a break.

The cleaning man was the first person

with whom a word was spoken today.

The man in the cafe at the Institute for

advanced studies is just opening his shop,

his machine is barely warm. He has a

habit of letting his

voice glide off into a

falsetto, high pitched, slightly grating.

But he makes good coffee, and his panini

are great.

The Trees on the one side are bare

today, and along the avenue past the

Department of Engineering the poplars

took like yellow flames along the side of

the footpath.

They will all be bare of leaves next week

!