You look down on me-those cold, calculating eyes

Just watching, waiting, prowling around my work-waiting for me for me to fail

And when I do: NO! 

That powerful word

The one word that makes us quake in our boots, shake in our heels, dig in our feet

NO!

You explain, in slow, condescending detail, why exactly I am wrong

But really the entire time I am thinking to myself

Tuning you out

Praying for that bell to ring, to give us all an escape from the slow, painful humiliation that is being showered upon me

That bell is what releases us from this metaphorical hell

But alas, it is not our destiny to hear the angelic sound just yet

No, we must continue to nod our heads, tilt them forward, pretend like we're listening

By now we're old pros, she thinks she's got us right where she wants us, but really she has no clue

We're waiting, hoping, praying for that escape

Our eyes flicker to the clock: ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two...

YES! 

The sound of freedom fills the room, and with it, we rise up!

We take a stand!

And we finally get to walk out the doorway to hell, into the paradise of the halls

Hallelujah, we're free at last.