It doesn’t matter if smiles or tears paint your face
So long as the numbers say what They want them to say
The transcript, the scores, the resume
Only numbers can tell what a person is worth
Only numbers can tell what a person has paid
A document will never list the price of pain
Will never notice when time has taken its toll
Will never notice the humanity of feeling
The humanity of breaking down
The humanity of mistakes
Repeated mistakes
Repeated excuses
Repeated words
All meaningless
Until you are crushed
With the weight
Of Their heavy stares
Disapproving
Disappointed
In the meaninglessness
In the worthlessness
Of that numberlessness.