Passion…unbridled

The sum total of many parts is your identity

Your upbringing, your culture, your values- each entity

Contributes towards making you the person you become

The process is bound to be influenced some

By the path of living followed by your parents

Therefore when parenting its challenges presents

As an imperfect human being I try to discern

The most important lessons I would like you, my child, to learn

The unique lesson from our culture that I want to impart

Comes from the scripture, it is close to my heart..

*

I want you to learn the lesson Krishna gave

On the battlefield, to Arjun, the warrior brave

That you should perform your work without anticipation

Of any reward, think of the journey, not the destination

To put your best foot forward, to fulfill your destiny

Separate desire from action, not have expectation any

Of a reward, applause, encouragement when your work you do

The best results are obtained thus, I’ve found it to be true…

*

You may not read The Gita, but this you should imbibe

This singular lesson would prevent disappointment, let you thrive

NaBloPoMo 2021. Do Good Kid

Being exposed to all the ills in this world

It’s just too easy to become cynical

To look at everything through a pragmatic lens

To never allow yourself to experience

Wonder, amazement, to feel awestruck

To never attribute anything to sheer luck..

While being pragmatic has its merits, no doubt

Too much emphasis on practicality you could do without

Once in a while allow yourself to

Immerse your soul in the beauty of life too..

**

Chase shooting stars, rainbows, auroras galore

Bathe your senses in moonlight like never before

Look at the clouds on a mountain floating away

Wax poetic on seeing the fiery sunset today..

When (rarely) the world seems to conspire

To make things go right, fulfill your desires

Just celebrate it as a magical event

Not rationalize how and why it happened

When miracles seem to fix broken situations

Think of them as such, not look for logical explanations

**

The universe is vast beyond our imagination collective

To live with a sense of wonder is the most fulfilling way to live

Sometimes we need to believe in fairy tales

To make sense of the senseless suffering that prevails..

NaBloPoMo 2021 Do Good, Kid!

Sooner or later you’ll have to face

What you fear the most, your comfortable place

You will be forced to leave and take a leap

Into the scary unknown that steals your sleep

If you think you can live life in your comfort zone throughout

You are wrong, circumstances will force you out

It will happen when you least expect, let me tell you

You will have no choice at that moment except to

Face the situation that was your worst nightmare

And face you will, if about your life you care…

**

You will come out on the other side

Stronger, with more confidence inside

Each time you conquer a primeval fear

You see a growth spurt as a person, my dear

If you live in fear, you are not fully living

What you can offer to the world, you’re not giving

**

Let me then gently suggest to you

Each day, you should try to do

One thing that scares you, a small step is enough

So that facing your fear in a situation tough

Is not a concept completely alien to your mind

This way a path towards progress you shall find

What limits us most from moving forward, I think

Is fear, that brings us to the brink

Of the next step in success and leaves us there

To face our demons, and then prepare

For fight or flight, the former is what you should do

Where life awaits at the end of the comfort zone for you..

NaBloPoMo 2021 Do Good, Kid

Truth is no longer “absolute”

What you perceive as truth I can refute

With an equally compelling set of arguments

Two different versions of truth we can present

If you try to search for the truth online

You are unlikely to find it because by design

“Facts” aligned with your beliefs you see

As a result of algorithmic wizardry

Performed by technology stalwarts few

What you want is what is shown to you..

**

There are people on the opposite end from you

Who have a diametrically opposite view

They see a different truth when they look online

At work is a complex Machiavellian design

You exist in one bubble, in another they reside

The twain do not meet, thus your beliefs stay safe inside

**

So how do you find out the actual truth, you may ask

This is definitely not an easy task

But at least be aware that your version of reality

Is unlikely to be accurate in its totality

Stay away from extremes because the truth usually lies

Somewhere between opposite points of view, it would be wise

To look for the most “moderate” version of an issue

That is the one most likely to be true..

**

Take everything with a grain of healthy skepticism, I say

As you hear various versions of “reality” every day.

NaBloPoMo 2021 Do Good, Kid!

These days when people talk to each other

To be paying only partial attention they appear

Most of us have our eyes glued to screens

Distracted we are, more than we’ve ever been

Most of us are guilty of this, yet most of us crave

To be heard-wish undivided attention our listeners would save

When we have something we want to share

That one should listened to, seems fair

**

In a world where many talk and few really listen

Be the one who truly listens to fellow men

When someone tells you something, if you can look them in the eye

Suppress the urge to interrupt, if you can at least try

To not check your phone or look elsewhere

You may find that you actually care

About what the person before you is saying

You may understand them if attention you are paying

By really listening to people, empathy you may gain

Reduce misunderstandings, feel others’ pain

**

In a world full of myriad voices, full of cacophony

Have your unique voice, but also listen intently…

NaBloPoMo 2021: Do Good Kid!

I’d like you to remember that no matter what you do

There will be voices of dissent, criticizing you

If you do things differently, peer pressure you will face

If you do nothing to stand out, you might not find a place

In a top-notch college, or in a career of your choice

Whether you sing with the choir or have a unique voice

Someone, somewhere will find something to criticize

And this could affect you more than you realize

Unless…you are prepared to take criticism in your stride

Focus on what feels right to you inside

You will have to learn how to take

Constructive criticism positively, and changes make

To your behavior and actions without letting it affect

Your morale, your self-confidence, your zest

For life and learning, no one can take that from you

Unless you give them the power to shatter you…

*

When criticism appears overwhelming to you

When you feel like nothing right you can do

Take a deep breath and reach out to me

As your mother, your well of encouragement I shall be

NaBloPoMo 2021 #4

This year as Diwali we celebrate

As the Gods and Goddesses we venerate

As we applaud the storied victory

Of good over evil, let the allegory

Of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance

Take center-stage, achieve prominence

From dark times we emerge in to light

Propelled by science, we are winning the fight

Let us light lamps to celebrate the future bright

Let us light lamps in memory of those who lost the fight

Let light dispel the darkness of fear profound

Let there be the brightness of hope around..

NaBloPoMo 2021 Do Good, Kid

Do you know it is very easy to

Get away by doing as little as you can do

You would probably be fine by doing the minimum required

Your life would be smooth even if you never aspired

To go the extra mile, a little extra effort make..

On the other hand, if you decided to, just for your own sake

Give it a little more, go beyond expectation

In every task you are required to do, in every situation

An improvement in your life you might find

A little extra happiness, relief for your mind

If you make it a habit, I say this with audacity

Successful beyond your imagination you could be..

**

Supreme effort gets rewarded, gets applauded, it’s true

But your karma is a sum of the million things you do

Your efforts to make the world a better place do not need

To be on a large scale, your tiny efforts indeed

Can add up every day, if you make it a habit

To give a little more, not expecting anything out of it..

This is for my child and others like him, whose parents are frontline workers dealing with the stress of the pandemic every day…we have brought anxiety home through these trying times.

(NaBloPoMo 2021- Do Good Child)

I know the pandemic has been harsh on you

Caused upheaval in your life, it’s true

Besides homeschooling and loneliness

You’ve had to witness your parents’ distress

The grown-ups’ anxiety has rubbed off on you

You have witnessed their frustration, their anger too

You’ve seen them work long hours, staying late

You’ve missed their reassuring hugs, when they’ve had to isolate

By now their emotions you can recognize

You know their triggers, you’ve become wise

They whisper around you, but you know instinctively

Whether they have witnessed another tragedy…

A lot of devastation your young eyes have seen

You’ve been exposed to things you should not have been

**

I hope fervently these memories shall fade

You would remember all the good memories you made

With your parents at home and outdoors

You would forget the anguish, and remember more

The enthusiasm of your parents as they shared stories

Of their patients improving, their small victories

Their relief at testing negative and ending isolation

Their fierce embraces, those fleeting moments of elation

The hope that they exuded when the vaccine was released

Their relaxed smiles when cases went down, restrictions were eased

I hope you shall remember the wonderful experience

Of being hugged by grandparents after a long absence

I hope you remember how good it felt to play

With your friends after time spent away

I hope you remember stories of how people helped each other

Get through the pandemic, how this storm they weathered..

**

No matter how we see it, these two years

Shall be, forever, in your memory seared

I hope you shall remember with gratitude

The pandemic years, and your attitude

Shall be shaped by the best parts

Of life through this time, I wish with all my heart

(NaBloPoMo 2021- Do Good, Kid)

I am your mother and like it or not

From me you shall imbibe a lot

While my core values I would like to impart

There is something that with all my heart

I hope does not percolate to you

I am imperfect, have flawed perceptions too

My biases and preconceived notions interfere

In my interactions with the world, my dear

When I recognize them, I try to overcome

My biases, but at times inadvertently I succumb

To the diktats of my biases deep-seated

And my efforts at being inclusive are defeated

I hope my biased views do not osmose

Into your thought process, do not predispose

You to limit your engagement with the world around you

(Of course you might develop your own biases too)

I grew up in another era, another continent

My conditioning is different, just like my accent

Having moved far from home, I can now see

How biased notions had been passed down to me

I don’t want to let the same happen to you

I want you to have of the world an unbiased view..

Too many complicated problems in front of me

Too many variables for me to evaluate objectively

The best possible decision I want to make

I try to include everything that’s at stake

So that with regret I would not look back

Knowing I did my best, I did not slack

**

A peculiar conundrum I often face

Both reason and intuition jostle for space

Within the framework of my decision-making process

Who do I listen to, for maximum success?

**

Then my inner voice speaks up, reminding me

Is success actually necessary?

What about a solution that does not

Guarantee success but gives more thought

To the greater good, whose human quotient

Is much higher, when such a solution your intuition presents

Shouldn’t it be the better choice?

So I sometimes listen to my inner voice

And select the solution that does not instantly

Reward me with results, quick satisfaction does not give me..

**

Sometimes my head decides, sometimes my heart prevails

When I listen to my heart, it never fails

To make me feel more at peace, more centered

I know that my inner voice has made itself heard..

I shake off the remark, the subtle insinuation

The display of feigned solidarity for my situation

I shrug off the insult cleverly disguised

Reinforce my thicker skin, as advised

By well-wishers, mentors, managers, administrators

To keep my sanity in a world that caters

To the ego of men in power everywhere

I cannot complain about treatment unfair

I am sensitive to constructive criticism

I have to blur my lens of feminism

This is what they tell me- it’s all in my head

I should focus on being more pleasant instead

I should not voice what I think I need

I should feel fortunate to be in my shoes indeed

**

I am jaded listening to this constant refrain

I have learnt to ignore that nagging pain

I allow some tears in my office behind a closed door

Quickly regain composure, though wounded to the core

I can do this, strength within myself I shall find

I tell myself, as I channel my focused mind

Into producing high quality work yet again

This is how my heart and mind I train

The only tool I have is my fortitude

That will determine my altitude..