8. Office Hours

(verse 1) Your office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:a.m. to 12: p.m. Your office is in the humanities building Fourth floor Room four-hundred and twelve (pre–chorus) The door is always slightly open The door is never fully open The door is never fully closed The door is a metaphor for your attention (chorus) office hours i have been waiting in the hall for twenty minutes office hours i can hear you talking to someone else office hours i can hear laughter office hours i am not laughing i am waiting i am always waiting (verse 2) I prepared for this I prepared questions I prepared arguments I prepared citations I prepared vulnerability I prepared the version of myself that is worthy of your time I prepared the version of myself that does not cry in front of authority figures (pre-chorus) I am currently that version I am currently not crying I am currently holding my prepared questions in my prepared hands (chorus) office hours your door opens your door opens and the other student exits the other student is smiling the other student is smiling and i hate them the other student is smiling and i hate myself for hating them the other student is smiling and i hate myself for not being them the other student is smiling and i hate myself office hours this is what office hours are for (verse 3) You say come in You say have a seat You say how can I help you You say the words that thousands of students have heard You say the words that I will remember for the rest of my life (pre-chorus / breakdown) You say them like you are ordering coffee You say them like you are reading a menu You say them like you are not holding my grade in your throat (chorus) office hours i am sitting in the chair the chair is lower than your chair the chair was designed this way the chair was designed to remind me that you are above me the chair was designed to remind me that this is not a conversation between equals the chair was designed i am sitting in design (verse 4) I explain my thesis I explain my argument I explain my evidence I explain my conclusion I explain the grade I received I explain that I do not understand the grade I received I explain that I worked on this paper for three weeks I explain that I worked on this paper for three weeks of finite existence I explain that three weeks is 504 hours I explain that 504 hours produced a C-minus I explain that a C-minus is 1.7 grade points I explain that 1.7 grade points is not enough to keep my scholarship I explain that my scholarship is my tuition I explain that my tuition is my attendance (pre-chorus) I explain that my attendance is my future I explain that my future is in this room I explain that my future is in your throat (final chorus) office hours you adjust your glasses office hours you say you understand my frustration office hours you say the grade stands office hours you say have you considered the writing center office hours (bridge) the writing center is in the basement the writing center is room zero-one-seven the writing center is room sub-seventeen the writing center is where students go when they cannot afford to disagree the writing center is where I will go tomorrow the writing center is where I will learn to write like you the writing center is where I will learn to speak like you the writing center is where I will learn to adjust my glasses like you the writing center is where I will learn to say the grade stands the writing center is where I will learn to become you (Final Verse) Your office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays Ten A.M. to Twelve P.M. Your office is in the humanities building Fourth floor Room 412 The door is always slightly open (outro) *"I am in the hall. I, am—always in the hall... I am... waiting—I. am, ...always waiting..."*