Aging Into Expectations

So I turned 21 And I couldn’t help but feel That the dreams I once had Began to slowly seal That every birthday after this I sink further into the mundane And the painful truths that await But hey… “no pain, no gain” Even good ol’ Christmas time All the love and holiday cheer Floats away for every candle that’s blown As the magic becomes less clear We’re all expected to hustle All through the day and all the night Pushing the “non-stop” agenda That’s dimming our light They say college is the peak As if there’s nothing but dread ahead An endless loop of bills and stress That doesn’t cease until your dead Who saw this Earth, The grass, the sun, the sky And decided that the hustle was more important Who came up with this lie? 8 hours of sleep, 10,000 steps a day 2 liters of water; oh and did you pray? Meal prep, invest, and keep your house clean Stay on track, follow your routine “Attend an Ivy League School” “Do well on the SAT” “Have it all figured out” “Channel that constant productivity” And for what? To be in debt, to sacrifice your health, to be belittled by your boss? When did prioritizing me and my dreams Become an instant loss? When did exhaustion become the norm? How are we meant to persevere? If there’s no rainbow after the storm Day after day, year after year So what is the goal here? If not to live free And not bound to the shackles of expectations Except those created by me But I’ll choose to keep faith That this life is more than they say I’ll keep my head high And do life my own way