I dreamed a dream in time gone by,
Before my life had gone to pieces.
I dreamed I'd leave before I died,
I dreamed one day I'd write a thesis.
 
Then I was young, and unprepared,
I looked ahead with eyes myopic.
I thought that someone somewhere cared
That I had done my second topic.
 
Problems come and problems go,
I ignore them, none the wiser.
What I'll study I don't know.
I'll be jobless all the same.
 
We met at tea one day, by chance.
He said that he'd be my advisor.
He took a fellowship in France,
And he was gone when autumn came.
 
And still I dream he'll come back here,
And we will win a Fields together.
I could have finished up last year,
Instead I languish here forever.
 
I dreamed a dream that math would be
So different from this hell I'm living.
So different now from what it seemed.
At least I'm on the softball team.