Born into noise, a world set on fire,
First breath stolen, dreams for hire.
From the cradle, swept into the throng,
No time to wonder where you belong.

School’s in session, aspirations sold,
Sit down, be quiet, do what you’re told.
Textbook answers, bells that scream,
Trading your wonder for the machine.

Teenage rebellion, fire in your veins,
Fighting the system, breaking the chains.
Rules and warnings, slammed doors shut,
Hope gets tangled deep in the rut.

Office lights flicker, traffic jams crawl,
Boss’s demands, you give it your all.
Weekends vanish before you blink,
Drown your dreams in one more drink.

Cubicles waiting, factory floors,
Life reduced to keeping scores.
Monday to Friday, stuck in a loop,
Swallow your fire, jump through the hoop.

Middle age creeps in, hair turning gray,
Regrets like ghosts just won’t go away.
You look in the mirror, searching for a sign—
Did you make a difference, or just toe the line?

Death comes knocking, right on time,
No more ladders left to climb.
Did you sell your soul and fall from grace?
Forever searching for your rightful place?

But maybe the meaning’s not in this rat race,
Not in the finish line we endlessly chase.
It’s in the moments you dared to feel,
The scars and laughter that made it real.