Riches come to the rich
Poverty to the indigent
Knowledge to the educated
Ignorance to the ignorant

A vicious cycle
Where imaginary barriers exist
To deny any real mobility
To the status quo which persists

Even the fortunate few
Who have escaped the trap
And dared to break the barrier
With a feather in their cap

Even they tend to harbour
The very same prejudices
And from a rung above
Curse the dirty ditches

Is the concept of social hierarchy
Embedded in the human genome
For us to derive a sense of comfort
And treat as a natural phenomenon

Do we need rigid stratification
In order to make the next leap
Or is it just a matter of convenience
For those at the top of the heap

Even if all else dissolves one day
The hierarchy of gender may remain
The final curse written on stone
The barrier yet to be broken

Subir Chakraborty / 28th Nov 2018