Economic Crisis

My mother said,

after India’s independence

in the 1940s, jobs appeared,

if someone passed high school,

they were invited to hold office.

Stable job, generous earning.

Three generations would eat

from that one salary.

I have seen examples.

Now?

I, a female, studied

until my mid-30s.

Difficult science topics,

even good will freak out,

with the complexities.

And what did I get?

Unemployment, underpayment.

I do side hustles

in saturated markets,

gathering cents

and dollars if lucky,

In my 40s, still no idea

where the career is going.

I sleep side-hustling

and wake up doing more.

Huge cost of living, poor earnings.

No balance.

Melancholy in the air.

It’s not just my story,

but of millions.

We are all heading

towards economic crisis,

with adaptation philosophy,

I navigate stress,

for a solution, I brace.