Your name was called and
you stood up immediately
The past seven years of course
allowed you to master the drill
Out of excitement or maybe anxiety
You brought nothing with you
The boss said maybe it's a good thing
So you wont get to calculate anything
With a slight smirk you shake your head
You tell him, I can do it mentally instead
He recites the standard speech
That he memorized this morning
The only thing that sticks with you
Is that the numbers are final
And before you know it, the numbers were out
Initially it sounded good, you let a sigh of relief
He then went to the next step
Which left you confused at first
Did I hear the numbers right
This must be some kind of mistake
He went through it again for your sake
There was no denying it
Your mind's calculation was correct
Single-digit rate, far lower than expected
You had to ask yourself
Why am I still here again?
But then again, it wasn't like you weren't warned
The past seven years of course
Allowed you to master the drill
You just need to look at it as a whole
The numbers are final after all
It didn't sink in until you were back at your desk
All of a sudden, tears were rolling down your cheeks
Did you expect too much, aren't you being ungrateful?
Why does it even matter, you probably received more than most people
Young and underpaid,
Haven't you accepted that long ago?
It has always been a fact
But it never stopped you from working hard
So why let it bother you now?
You look around you and
you see the smile on the faces of your team,
These are people that you hired,
These are people you've trained since day one
You look at them working collectively
in awe of how each of one them has grown
You then realize that those numbers
Interesting and tangible as they may be
Will never tell you the whole story
Cliche as it may sound, your fulfillment comes
From things other than those figures
Haven't you learned anything
In the past seven years?
You've always known about greener pastures
But you'll always choose the side
Where happiness is effortless
So let today be a reminder
Of why it was worth it to stay
After all this time, and why it still is
