MIDDLE-CLASS FEARS
The rich don’t care
The poor have nothing left to bear
It’s the educated middle class
Who mostly live in dread
Not of the fear of death
Nor the fear of heights
But the fear of being shamed
For their failures or plights
They climb the ladder
Chase the prize
Yet in their hearts, a terror lies
Of being judged
Of whispers overheard
A fleeting glance
A passing word
That can drown
The joys of being
Recognized
They fear not death
But social death
Of not measuring up
To the image
They’ve created
So, they live always
In a fragile state
Unplugged, disconnected
© Snigdha Agrawal
 |
| Snigdha Agrawal |
Snigdha Agrawal (née Banerjee) holds an MBA in Marketing and has over two decades of corporate experience. She enjoys writing in all genres, including poetry, prose, short stories, and travel diaries. Educated in Loreto Institutions, run by the Irish Nuns, and brought up in a cosmopolitan environment, she has learned the best of the East and West. She is a published author of four books. Her works have appeared in several anthologies and e-journals, published in India and overseas. She has recently been nominated for the 2024 Pushcart Prize in poetry.
Profound observation. ❤️
ReplyDelete