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They said loyalty pays But I've been investing time in a system that only pays attention to favourites The office clock ticks like a ticking bomb; not a heartbeat Because each beat reminds me... That I’ve been sitting on a desk that was never meant to rise with me See; I’m the guy they call when pressure breaks bones When deadlines **** dreams and the best hands are too burnt to build But they never call me when there’s applause Never cc me in the glory mails only the blame ones I’m the one who cleans the mess the favoured made But still they call me second best Like talent came with caste and titles were born; not earned I’ve written proposals that raised eyebrows in boardrooms Only to watch my ideas wear another man’s nametag I’ve brainstormed so hard my mind got soaked Yet they called it drizzle when my skies were breaking And the man who always gets the mic Well... his voice ain’t louder; just better connected I prayed; oh I prayed That the system would glitch That maybe the gold-plated prodigy would slip That for once; skill would be picked over pedigree But no He never slips; or maybe he does And the fall is framed as flight because he’s their favourite kite They blame the wind; not the wings But oga; oh... I mean boss Yesterday; another recruiter said "A talent like yours should be building empires; not watching over one" He said... “You’re not stuck you’re stitched into a system that fears your shine” And for the first time; my silence felt like a betrayal To myself So here's my resignation not just from the job; But from this theatre of pretend promotions plus plastic praises Do well to keep your blessings to yourself This flower needs sun; not a corner of the shelf No hard feelings; but I can’t water down my worth anymore Somewhere out there A room is waiting Where the seat fits the spine of my purpose And the applause won’t need subtitles See, my new oga didn’t ask for my résumé first They asked for my story Said; “What have you built in the shadows That deserves to touch morning?” And for once… I didn't shrink I spoke of nights where I typed dreams into silence Of times I offered gold; and they printed it in another's ink And instead of doubt; I saw nods Not the kind that pities But the kind that says... “We’ve been waiting for someone like you” Here the room breathes different The air doesn’t smell of fear or favourites Here progress wears no politics And the meeting table ain’t just a stage for sycophants with good suits Here when I speak; I don’t echo I resound They said... “We don’t need benchwarmers; we need playmakers We don’t clap for status; we clap for substance” And my fingers; once blistered from holding back brilliance... Now type freely No masks; no mirrors Just meaning And it’s strange how quickly I grew Like potential isn’t dead Just exiled in environments where ego reigns Now I lead projects I once cleaned scraps from Now my name is spelled right in success stories Not hidden in footnotes behind plastic smiles Sometimes; I sit at my desk and remember... That old place Where I was a ghost in glass offices And I almost cry; not from pain But from the audacity of hope that brought me here Because sometimes; favour ain't a thing you beg for It’s a room waiting on the other side of ‘enough is enough’ It’s the fruit that grows once you stop watering dead roots It’s the light that lands not because you chased it But because you finally stopped hiding your sun This one’s for the ones who stay too long Who shrink to fit desks that were never carved for their shoulders Who laugh in meetings but cry in restrooms pocketing pride like loose coins they never get to spend For those whose brilliance is buried under piles of silence and “Yes sirs” and “It’s not your turn yet” This is for you You; who were told to wait wait behind politics wait behind praise that was never yours wait behind people who knew less but knew someone You; who knew the codes... but not the code words Who did the work... but weren’t in the pictures Who trained your replacements while holding back the resignation in your bones You stayed For stability For hope For the idea that maybe... just maybe... they’d see your worth But truth is... some rooms are blind And no matter how brightly you burn they’ll never stop adjusting the curtains But hear this: Your light is not wasted it’s just misplaced You weren’t born to flicker under fluorescent ceilings You’re not a spare part in someone else's machine You are blueprint Backbone Builder And if they won't seat you at their table then build your own Even if it starts with a chair and conviction Because here’s the secret... Better doesn’t always come dressed in promises Sometimes; it comes in quiet exits In courageous leaps In nights when you whisper to yourself “I deserve more than this” And mean it So go where you're celebrated not just tolerated Where you’re not just part of the payroll... but part of the purpose Where your voice rings; not ricochets Where “thank you” isn’t currency... it’s culture And when you get there don’t just sit Shine So the next tired soul watching you from afar knows it’s possible to leave and still bloom
0
Jul 29, 2025
Jul 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM UTC
Bloom
They said loyalty pays But I've been investing time in a system that only pays attention to favourites The office clock ticks like a ticking bomb; not a heartbeat Because each beat reminds me... That I’ve been sitting on a desk that was never meant to rise with me See; I’m the guy they call when pressure breaks bones When deadlines **** dreams and the best hands are too burnt to build But they never call me when there’s applause Never cc me in the glory mails only the blame ones I’m the one who cleans the mess the favoured made But still they call me second best Like talent came with caste and titles were born; not earned I’ve written proposals that raised eyebrows in boardrooms Only to watch my ideas wear another man’s nametag I’ve brainstormed so hard my mind got soaked Yet they called it drizzle when my skies were breaking And the man who always gets the mic Well... his voice ain’t louder; just better connected I prayed; oh I prayed That the system would glitch That maybe the gold-plated prodigy would slip That for once; skill would be picked over pedigree But no He never slips; or maybe he does And the fall is framed as flight because he’s their favourite kite They blame the wind; not the wings But oga; oh... I mean boss Yesterday; another recruiter said "A talent like yours should be building empires; not watching over one" He said... “You’re not stuck you’re stitched into a system that fears your shine” And for the first time; my silence felt like a betrayal To myself So here's my resignation not just from the job; But from this theatre of pretend promotions plus plastic praises Do well to keep your blessings to yourself This flower needs sun; not a corner of the shelf No hard feelings; but I can’t water down my worth anymore Somewhere out there A room is waiting Where the seat fits the spine of my purpose And the applause won’t need subtitles See, my new oga didn’t ask for my résumé first They asked for my story Said; “What have you built in the shadows That deserves to touch morning?” And for once… I didn't shrink I spoke of nights where I typed dreams into silence Of times I offered gold; and they printed it in another's ink And instead of doubt; I saw nods Not the kind that pities But the kind that says... “We’ve been waiting for someone like you” Here the room breathes different The air doesn’t smell of fear or favourites Here progress wears no politics And the meeting table ain’t just a stage for sycophants with good suits Here when I speak; I don’t echo I resound They said... “We don’t need benchwarmers; we need playmakers We don’t clap for status; we clap for substance” And my fingers; once blistered from holding back brilliance... Now type freely No masks; no mirrors Just meaning And it’s strange how quickly I grew Like potential isn’t dead Just exiled in environments where ego reigns Now I lead projects I once cleaned scraps from Now my name is spelled right in success stories Not hidden in footnotes behind plastic smiles Sometimes; I sit at my desk and remember... That old place Where I was a ghost in glass offices And I almost cry; not from pain But from the audacity of hope that brought me here Because sometimes; favour ain't a thing you beg for It’s a room waiting on the other side of ‘enough is enough’ It’s the fruit that grows once you stop watering dead roots It’s the light that lands not because you chased it But because you finally stopped hiding your sun This one’s for the ones who stay too long Who shrink to fit desks that were never carved for their shoulders Who laugh in meetings but cry in restrooms pocketing pride like loose coins they never get to spend For those whose brilliance is buried under piles of silence and “Yes sirs” and “It’s not your turn yet” This is for you You; who were told to wait wait behind politics wait behind praise that was never yours wait behind people who knew less but knew someone You; who knew the codes... but not the code words Who did the work... but weren’t in the pictures Who trained your replacements while holding back the resignation in your bones You stayed For stability For hope For the idea that maybe... just maybe... they’d see your worth But truth is... some rooms are blind And no matter how brightly you burn they’ll never stop adjusting the curtains But hear this: Your light is not wasted it’s just misplaced You weren’t born to flicker under fluorescent ceilings You’re not a spare part in someone else's machine You are blueprint Backbone Builder And if they won't seat you at their table then build your own Even if it starts with a chair and conviction Because here’s the secret... Better doesn’t always come dressed in promises Sometimes; it comes in quiet exits In courageous leaps In nights when you whisper to yourself “I deserve more than this” And mean it So go where you're celebrated not just tolerated Where you’re not just part of the payroll... but part of the purpose Where your voice rings; not ricochets Where “thank you” isn’t currency... it’s culture And when you get there don’t just sit Shine So the next tired soul watching you from afar knows it’s possible to leave and still bloom
Wordsmith
Written by
31/M/Ogbomoso, Oyo, Nigeria
Jul 29, 2025
Jul 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM UTC
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