Invigilator Blues Poem by Stevie Taite

Invigilation. Invigilator.
I work in a school and part of the Summer
is this mind numbing task, of watching mind spill.

through the ink of a pen as
their papers fill.

I pace the floors behind 'silence please' doors,
indifferent host to their moment of truth.
They have time against them. I have just time.

Time. Time to hold vigil, the passing of time.
Quite the skill, to slip out past the tedious grind.
Just how to lead this trail of thought past empty time?

To survive, it will wander where it will.
keeping one eye on this room that they fill.
Believe me when I say, this time can be enjoyed....

I will tell you of a particular day,
in a hot room, wrestling the boredom.
How my mind fought, surrendering at last, to thoughts of you.

It took just a few of those moments to
remember how it feels when you are close.
There, it lingered a while, and breathed you in.

I held you in my mind, tight as I could.
Pulling free, fleetingly, whilst I dealt with a dropped pen.
Then my mind wrapped me up in your arms, once again…

It wandered oddly to behind my left ear,
where it was mesmerised by the gentle glide
of your fingers as they tidied a stand of hair..

It wandered to the soft skin at the very
top of my thigh, and, quite taken aback,
it thrilled at the pressure of your warm palm..

It wandered, quite leisurely underneath white cotton cloth
where you teased me cruelly
benieth the confines of my summer skirt.

It found itself exploring your mouth with my kiss,
and meandering to the nape of your neck.
It took your hand and followed your lead.

Back to a whole afternoon, dipping
in and out of daydreams of you, mmm. you.
Content with your role in the muse that I choose

a delectable shade of exam blues...


Then, a timely request for more paper,
and a fall through the quick sands of lost time...
Just 15 minutes left! ! I was a little sad.

The last paper collected, I made haste,
to be stopped in my tracks by a small request;
'Can you do the maths exam tomorrow? '


I smiled, turned around, rolled my eyes and sighed, 'Yes'