Where does the ladder end?

By Devanshi Tyagi

BA (Honours) Sociology

Design: Ayushi Rani

I am lost in the rhythm of the climb,

where every step forward feels like a step behind.

The ladder stretches out before me,

a never-ending path of promise and disappointment.

I'm chasing the high of reaching the top, but the closer I get to it,

the more I realise that what seemed too big now seems too small.

The things that once drove me now feel insignificant,

yet I'm left wondering if they ever matter at all.

But still, I climb.

I'm driven by a hunger to find meaning, to prove to myself that

I'm more than just a moment that lingers by, and

so, I go on, only to realise that the ladder ends where I want it to because

'Enough' is a line I draw for myself, a standard that I dictate.

I'm trapped in this cycle of striving, never quite reaching.

But in the climb, I find a strange sort of freedom.

I have the freedom to explore, to discover, to create my own meaning, and

as I climb, the world around me fades away.

The only thing that matters is the next rung, the next step I take.

I'm consumed by the journey, lost in the rhythm of my own heartbeat.

And yet, in this singular focus, I find a sense of peace.

So, I climb, even though the ladder seems endless,

For in the rhythm of the climb, I'm alive.