The Gestetner has been dreading tonight,
it is his first year, after the previous one was broken.
Nigel says it wasn’t him, but we know it was.
Only he would photocopy his posterior for posterity.
The atmosphere between Janet and Lisa has been decidedly frosty,
since the incident with the dishwasher, and Janet’s favourite red mug.
Sarah has bought in the mistletoe, and is wearing her favourite dress,
whilst John from Accounts is clearing his throat
and trying to make polite conversation with Lee from logistics.
They have nothing in common.
We would try and rescue at least one of them,
but then we would be stuck with either an accountant
or someone who just knows about Football.
Maybe they will find some common ground.
Mr Smith from health and safety is rubbing his hands in fear.
He knows he did the paperwork but party poppers, candles and cheap tinsel
always make him nervous, but so does Mrs Smith.
The boss comes in, gives the same speech as last year,
get’s everyone’s name wrong, and leaves early.
We drink the alcohol, because it is free.
We laugh at the year just gone, and think about the things we have done.
We wonder how many of us will be at the next year’s party.
Miriam says she will be leaving, but she says it every year.
This year though she says it with more definition.
We all remember early September,
and how the world has been a little off kilter since then.
The following day Sarah spends time in the personnel department,
and the Gestetner repair man is in.
We are familiar with each other’s work.
He looks at me and says that he has never seen a photocopier broken in this way.
Once would be unlucky, he says, but twice is just unnatural.
Nigel will say it wasn’t him.
Ben Macnair is an award-winning poet and playwright from Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter @ benmacnair
Academy of the Heart And Mind 