The Race

A first poem

The Race

Is starting closer to birth..
Children running, but not to play

Kids practicing hard, to excel
But not for love of the sport
For Reality and TV
And thirty minutes of fame

Learning confidence, but too much
To become arrogant

Studying, not to learn
But to come first
Every year
On and On

To leave school and pursue higher education
But not in pursuit of knowledge
And not for a subject they love
But to excel in 0-day placements
And in the stream that pays most
           
To leave college and join
The best company - with the biggest package

And join and leave and join and leave
Gaining money, and title, and a house,
And all the worldly goods
That define success

But is this how success
Wants to be defined ?

Is this the best
that we can do ?

Aren't there better jobs
Than pushing bytes
Or providing "consultancy"
Fresh out of college ?

Is this how research is done ?
Is this how new discoveries are made ?

Is this how
We want to race ?