Grey Bear Culture Magazine

It was during invigilating
an exam
that it happened.
Time seemed to stop—
the second hand
on the clock
was stuck.
Unable to summon the energy
to move round,
held by gravity,
twitching
at six
or just past six, to be precise.
The sky was a clear blue,
not a single cloud.
Traffic slowed on the bend
into town,
or maybe the hospital.
Two cleaners were packing up a car,
finishing their chores
for the day,
loading sprays, liquids, cloths.
A Deliveroo man
was dropping off his meals
several Big Macs
at student housing.
Our students were lost
in their exam papers,
or in thought,
or simply lost,
staring, forgetting.
I picked up my book by Karl Ove—
I hadn’t touched it in a while.

I’d used a birthday card
as a bookmark.
It read:
‘You are the love of my life’

By Tim Boardman

– Tim Boardman, a poet and artist from Otley, West Yorkshire, crafts lyrical, intimate pieces that illuminate ordinary life, blending reflection, memory, and gentle storytelling into moments of subtle emotional resonance. A devoted family man, Tim balances his life between his roles as husband, father, teacher, and poet. His work celebrates those intersections — where care meets creativity, and where everyday life becomes poetry.