The Passion of Youth

It was a class
Of 24 students
Ostensibly there
To learn English,
But I was there
To talk about life.
There was a mix
Of high school
Age students,
About half of the class
Were University students
Or had just graduated,
And the rest were
Adults of various ages.
What I was looking for
Were the passions
That motivated them in their lives,
The things they were
Enthusiastic about.
What truly amazed me
Was that each high school student
Had a very clear picture
Of what they wanted to do
With their lives.
One young girl wanted to be
A doctor,
And another boy was planning
To be a geneticist.
Even a fool could see
The power of their passion,
For their faces lit up
When they spoke of
The careers they intended to pursue.
I have no doubt
That each of those young students
Will eventually become
Leaders in their field,
But when I talked to the older ones,
Most were unemployed
And worrying about the future.
It seemed like all the passion
Of their youth
Had evaporated, and I wondered
Where it went.