By Isolde
Date: 9 June 1999

Rat Race

In old experiments
Lab rats were taught
To run through a maze
Knowing that at the end
They would get a food pellet
So at first they ran
Eagerly
Rewarded daily
Until they were conditioned
Dependant
Then the rewards were reduced
Gradually
And still they ran the maze
Each time thinking
That THIS time
They would be rewarded
And sometimes they were
Sometimes
Sometimes
Often enough to keep them coming back
Hopeful
Ever hopeful
Until eventually
They would run the maze
Even when the rewards
Were few
And far between...
I wonder if they ever
Figured it out
And stopped?
And I wonder even more
If I will