Author Archives: Docpoet

I received an e-mail from a teacher for my high schooler today And apart from whatever else she had to say About expectations from this particular class, which is to be conducted online The part that most interesting I did find Was how she had laid down (reasonable) expectations For students to use in theirContinue reading “E-mail Etiquette”

Dear son, I regret not having inculcated in you The love for reading that has carried me through Many storms in life over the years I have not given you a valuable tool, I fear To cope with life’s many tribulations When life seemed unbearable my inclination Has been to pick up a book andContinue reading “I did not raise a reader”

Memes are everywhere on the internet But the meaning of the original word “meme” was one I did not expect The smallest unit of culture it is supposed to be Passed on through imitation or mimicry * These days the cultural zeitgeist is represented by whatever is trending On the internet, like the “memes” thatContinue reading “Learning about “memes””

There was a time when you took pictures with care You had a reel or two earmarked for a vacation, with none to spare You rationed the number of pictures you took There was no way for you to look At the photographs right after they had been clicked It was not like you couldContinue reading “A Thousand Pictures..”

The words that describes what I face with increasing frequency Is “lethologica”, it feels like a gut punch, a sharp reminder of my declining memory When I need to describe something, and cannot find The right word, it has completely slipped my mind Sometimes I forgive myself because I commonly use My second language, butContinue reading “Lethologica”

I pick up the humble graphite pencil to draw The outline of my artwork, so that I can erase the flaws In my drawing- here I must confess that I have been uncharacteristically bold To draw directly with indelible pens, truth be told That audacious experiment I now consider failed That kind of cliff inContinue reading “To use a Pencil”

If you start writing regularly you create A net to catch passing thoughts that would otherwise dissipate * Thoughts and ideas floated in and out of my mind constantly Their relevance to my life I could not always see Sometimes I would want to capture a thought to come back to it later But itContinue reading “Caught a Thought..”

My eyelids droop with the weight of impending sleep I fight back vehemently, this is the magical hour I want to keep For myself, because this is the only time in the day When I am not answerable to anyone else in any way To indulge in my guilty pleasures I am inclined I watchContinue reading ““Me Time””

I read a provocative article on how therapists are increasingly recommending Estrangement from parents, effectively ending Almost all communication as a means of prioritizing self-care After decades of advising people to focus on repair Of relationships gone sour, now the focus has changed Any suggestion of trauma is considered a good reason to get estrangedContinue reading “Cut off ties?”

I had to write a letter of recommendation yesterday And since requests for those do not often come my way I thought it would not hurt to take a little assistance From the ubiquitous tool of artificial intelligence I wanted to ensure that the beginning and conclusion sounded right But the AI tool was designedContinue reading “Asking AI for help..”

Though I love being outdoors, I dread Mosquitoes that invariably seem to head In my direction, that never fail to bite Me in every available spot, despite The generous (though reluctant) use of bug spray That does nothing for me, mosquitoes still come my way * Of course, the blood group preferred by these insectsContinue reading “Mosquitoes and Me”

Sell yourself, market yourself well Is what our children we tell From the time they are young, for college applications Their achievements are embellished, given significant inflation The volunteer hours or internships spent making coffee Are repackaged to portray teamwork exemplary Each project they participate in is projected to be Groundbreaking, or with impact extraordinaryContinue reading “To sell yourself well”