Privilege of Life

A poem by Achuthan Panikath

Mon Jul 13 2026

You're here now, you're safe now.

We understand the randomness that brought you here.
Your parents can choose not to care.
We respect your helplessness.
So, from today, we shall honor you:
to see your audacious dreams
and hear each of your wondrous needs.

What happens to the lazy lioness or the stupid fox?
To the child who sees sound, or the grandpa who hacks apps? To the stimulated who wants it all, or the curious yet to feel?
You can all come together now
and, to our music, dance
as you see fit, when you see fit.
Stop to recharge, perhaps.
Pivot and make a melody unheard if nothing feels right.
You are no longer chained to the happenstance of privilege.
Your privilege is that you exist, and that is enough.

So, go be;
all that you dare,
all that you didn't once fear.
We are here, with all the books you need,
a 3D printer, courses, and a thousand expert voices
to guide you as you make beautiful mistakes,
over and over, through dignified conviction, until you are as right as you once dared to be.