The time has come when I have to choose my stream
They tell me there is no dilemma
Everyone knows science is supreme
They tell me humanities is for those who fail
And people always choose science wholesale
Earlier I listened to your advice
That’s how I got the dark half-moons under my eyes
You told me my value was measured by my marks
But I don’t think this is how it works
Perhaps you did not weigh the stress
And the fact that someone’s youth was suppressed
So now I will follow my heart
Because everything has its own value
And more often than not,
That value cannot be measured by marks.
Maliha Iqbal is a student and writer based in Aligarh, India. Many of her short stories, write-ups, letters and poems have been published on platforms like Creativity Webzine, Countercurrents, Café Dissensus, Cerebration and Borderless Journal. She can be reached at malihaiqbal327@gmail.com.
Featured image: Debby Hudson / Unsplash