I have been standing at attention
for so long that it hurts
It hurts so much that I can't feel nothing
My mother said to me that the key to stand longer
was to make it numb
Once numb you can't feel a thing

My mother has been standing for 23 years
so why can't I?
I'm trying to break a record
A record that breaks me
tears me to my flesh and bones

My sister stood at attention for 8 years
...then she broke
Broke faster than glass to the floor
Broke so fast that no one saw it coming
She stood at ease
Opening the gate and letting the flood out
She was as powerful as the mighty flood
that sweeps across the earth's surface
They couldn't hold her down no longer
Till date, she never stood at attention again

Yet here I am
with all my weight placed on the ***** of my feet
Blisters eating at the corners of my life
My heart know no peace
for I am at alert at all times
I have stood so long
that the pests now feed on me
A willing feast

One day, maybe just one day
I'll stand at ease
The lion will awaken
but for now, the numbness is my best companion
The harshness of the society, my commander
So here's a record for you
I have stood at attention for 16 years.