Unveiling the Hidden Strength: Sravani Singampalli’s Poem “Steady” Challenges How We See Resilience
Isn’t it funny how a childhood fable sticks with us, only to swirl around our heads years later with fresh questions? I mean, we all heard it—“slow and steady wins the race”—and dutifully played the tortoise, thinking speed was the enemy. But then, bam! You learn the cheetah is *the* fastest animal on Earth, effortlessly winning every sprint, and you start wondering: is speed really the villain here? Or is the real magic trick hiding in that overlooked word—*steady*? This isn’t just about who runs faster or slower; it’s about that elusive consistency that keeps the race moving when the initial burst of speed fades. It hit me like a poetic revelation—maybe we’ve all been chasing the wrong lesson, tangled up in fast and slow instead of how steadfastly we pursue our goals. Curious? You might just rethink the whole race.
When I was in third grade
I heard the story
Of ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’.
I learnt the moral
That slow and steady wins the race.
I behaved like a tortoise
Until I came across the fact
That cheetah is the fastest
Creature on earth.
A cheetah isn’t slow
But can win a race easily!
Then what is this story
Of fast and slow?
It is not about these two words
Not about running
Not about walking like a tortoise
But more to do
With one’s consistency.
Now I know that
Steady was the word
I was ignoring
All those days!
