Thank you to Jayne King for her poem, “The invigilator”. The below poem is copyright Jayne King and may not be reproduced without the explicit written permission of Jayne King.
—
Being an invigilator,
Is there anything more boring?
Scanning the hall.
Toing and froing.
Trying to be alert,
So I can respond quickly to a raised hand.
Wishing I could sit like the others.
But instead, having to stand.
How slowly the time passes,
Seemingly standing still.
There’s movement all around me,
But somehow the time stays still.
Seconds turn to minutes,
A minute lasts an hour.
Some students offer small, tired smiles,
Others just sit and glower.
