Author Archives: Docpoet

I try to read the printed word and imbibe Greater understanding to survive In a world that is changing in unpredictable ways A world headed to the future, but clinging to past ways I pour over books, lose myself for hours Books wield over me that kind of power In the author’s narrative myself IContinue reading “One story at a time..”

Whenever I speak up, into overdrive my inner voice goes Asking me to make sure I’ve not stepped on anyone’s toes To try to ascertain if I have not out of turn spoken Ensure there are no unwritten rules that I have broken My gender and immigrant status exclude me From membership of the privilegedContinue reading “Should I speak up?”

As I grow older as a practicing physician I move into the privileged position Of having had a glimpse into lives of thousands of patients Of having heard stories full of emotions intense Of having had more encounters with mortality Than I would have wished to see Of having learnt from stories, skills that areContinue reading “Listening to stories as a doctor..”

We are taught to take pride in being busy We feel validated when people see How much we work, how little we sleep Being busy allays insecurities deep.. * There is a downside to being a busy-bee Constant work is an obstacle to creativity For most people, their “Aha” moments seem To reveal themselves whenContinue reading “Daydreaming..”

I have heard travelers to my homeland say They either hated India or loved it all the way Being in India evokes strong emotions There is no middle ground, no moderation Of opinions- India saturates your senses With its juxtaposition of clashing experiences The loudness, the vibrance, the traditions-all in your face The disquieting lackContinue reading “Travelers to India..”

Life sometimes seems to drag you down in monotony All you want is a distraction, something new to help you break free From the drudgery of your life, then you serendipitously find A new idea, a new stream of thought to stimulate your mind Sometimes you get obsessed with an idea new To expand itContinue reading “Falling in love with ideas…”

I sit quietly and close my eyes to meditate Thoughts crowd my mind, my mental state Is akin to a thundering waterfall, and as I commence Deep and slow breathing, from a cascade intense My mind changes to a rushing stream, the flow Of thoughts has acquired a rhythm more slow I focus on myContinue reading “Stages of meditation”

Certain words used in a particular context Are perturbing to me and leave me vexed- One of them, increasingly popular in its use Is “canceling someone”- why would one choose A word applied to things inanimate To describe how people can eliminate Support for someone for perceived transgression And go after them with hostility andContinue reading “Cancel “cancel culture””

Delete a line, change a few words here and there The changes are subtle, it’s difficult to be aware That there has been a change in the narrative A completely different impression does this now give The first time reader would now interpret In a completely opposite manner the text Thus historical facts are alteredContinue reading “Whose history is it?”

There seem to be infinite battles to fight As most of us women try to get everything right Holding ourselves to standards immeasurably high At home and work, we strive to be perfect, to reach for the sky.. * It is an exhausting endeavor indeed As we struggle to fulfill the needs Of everyone inContinue reading “Don’t fight every battle”

Aging seemed to have a negative connotation, but then I realized That this was a misconception I had internalized I wanted to achieve much in my younger years With age I would fade into irrelevance, I feared In my twenties I was exuberant, but little did I know Into a more multilayered person I wouldContinue reading “Age into relevance”

Sometimes it is easier to pacify Yourself by repeating in your head a lie When the truth is too painful to face And you know you are stuck in a bad place Rationalizing the lie that things are good Is the only way that you know you would Be able to cope- so you tryContinue reading “Lies to self”