The Unseen Ladder

I climbed the steps of knowledge high,  
With books and dreams held close and tight,  
I forged my path through endless nights,  
Each dawn a promise, each step a fight.

But in the shadows, others rose,  
On unseen ladders built from gold,  
Their hands were clean, no toil, no scars,  
Their futures bright, their stories sold.

I knocked on doors with trembling hands,  
My voice a whisper, drowned by greed,  
For every "no," my spirit cracked,  
A fragile hope, a silent need.

They sit in chairs they did not earn,  
With names they bought and ties they wore,  
While I, who bled for every word,  
Am left outside, an open door.

Is it worth the sweat, the tears, the pain,  
When all that matters is who you know?  
Do skills and passion weigh so light,  
When money speaks and connections grow?