A piece of paper

That's all it is

So much pomp and circumstance 

preparation & pride 

for a flimsy declaration 

that can be burned, and earned

by the bottom of the barrel

 

Why is an expectation celebrated so?

for some it is a triumph 

over the odds and other obligations

but for most it is a lesson in how to plagiarize

and even in a Catholic school

the only deity

is the almighty Google

 

In the hypothetical

success is possible in its absence

but as a utopian barter economy 

can't be sustained,

society cannot profit without this paper,

there's simply not enough

demeaning jobs

 

And yet there's too much pressure

to slave another 4 years, for another paper

to slave for life, for more paper

to lure a mate, procreate

& try not to mess up offspring too much

so they can make it to the stage

and get a piece of paper 

that's not just a piece of paper

but a life sentence