I
The endless pursuit of a number,
The seemingly unimportant
Words forcefully absorbed into one's Cranium. 

II
Always striving to improve
The number, stressing
About fractional fluctuations.

III
But college is the ticket
To freedom.
Freedom the ticket
To work. And work the ticket
To money, which will purchase a golden
Ticket to bondage. 

IV
One cannot succeed
Without the Number,
The number that seems to determine
A person's value, for all it's worth.

V
Without the steady push on the conscience 
From the Number,
Perhaps we will fall back into
The old ways.
Barbarian society.
So, the Number protects our society
From itself.

VI
"Do you want to be flipping
Burgers your entire life?"
Perhaps. 
No. It cannot be.
The society needs elite, not
Burger-flippers.

VII
The elite can only be chosen
With the Number. So.
Maybe not.
Perhaps it is a way of educating
The public. Stress is the best medicine
After all. Or.
We don't need stupid people.
Stupid people clog the streets and
Ruin society.

VIII
What about the jobs?
Who can do surgery without
The Number? 
What about pilots, engineers, musicians?
Where is the world without
Educated humans?
Why haven't we thought of this?

IX
Everyone can't be a burger-flipper!
The Number has a purpose!
Why, there's more too!
The people need leaders!
A master for all the burger-flippers
Out there.

X
And so, the stress continues.
But isn't it there already?
Hard work is a matter of life, and
Stress is hard work's
Third cousin. 

XI
So we persist.
Work equals a higher number,
So we work.