Create something beautiful

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To find some meaning in every single day

To keep the creeping blues at bay

There is something that I have found

Not a mantra earth-shattering or profound

It is to create something beautiful each day

With your hands and your mind, in your own way

We all have talents, evident, or waiting to be

Explored by ourselves, for everyone to see

So I urge you, gather your tools today

Let your imagination soar and lead the way

Let your creative spark be ignited

Let me convince you, you would be delighted

When your fruits of labor are realized

The finished product might leave you quite surprised

As you marvel at how you never thought you could

Create something so original, never  thought you would

Find joy in working with your imagination

And come up with a wonderful story/poem/artistic creation

Maybe it is the way you organized your home today

Or cooked something delicious, in a different way

We are all artists, most with untapped potential

Trapped in our busy lives, dealing with issues “essential”

But the joy of creation is a tool powerful

That makes me strive to create something beautiful

Most days, knowing this process

Helps me feel content, makes me feel blessed.

 

 

 

 

Far from the madding crowd…

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.”- Henry David ThoreauDSC_0688Most days of my life I am defined

By the roles I play, my path is aligned 

With my family, co-workers and patients

They are the ones that give me a sense

Of belonging, of merging seamlessly

Into the multi-layered structure of the society

I am woven in, I cannot extricate

Myself from the social fabric, it would complicate

Lives- my own and those of others around me

Thus, alongside others I continue my life’s journey.. 

*

There are times when I want to deviate

From this collective path, and initiate

A journey by myself, in blissful solitude

The commitments of society I want to elude

Drown myself in the seductive silence 

Of lonely places, just inhale the presence

Of nature and its gifts all around me

Reflect on my life in tranquility

Find inner peace and the precious ability

To converse with my soul, and identify

What would make me happy under the sky

*

Such moments are rare but when found

Have an impact on me profound

My frazzled soul they help calm down

Inner peace wipes out my frown

Solitude and proximity to nature

Both give my creativity a spur

Far from the madding crowd I discover

My true self, let my soul recover

Until it is time to return and be a part

Of the tapestry of life, with a rejuvenated heart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Queue

imageNothing can beat the annoyance
Of waiting in a queue with simmering impatience
Forming and waiting in an orderly line can be
A reminder of school life and its tyranny-
The tedium of enforced discipline
Where breaking rules was considered a sin
That’s where my thoughts wander to
While squirming in my place, I wait in the queue
The rational part of me reminds me again
Without a line chaos would reign
(Unfortunately I have been witness to the disorder
That ensues when people jostle with each other
To be the first to reach the counter, conditioned as they were
By scarcity, being left out is a primeval fear)
So right from childhood we do learn
To stand in a queue and await our turn
When the line moves quickly, everyone is relieved
The one ahead of you is slow, or so you perceive
When it’s your turn you are quite confident
That your transaction is going to proceed without event
In record time you would sail through
Making the wait easier for the person next in queue
To the person in front, time flies fast during business
To the ones behind, each encounter takes eternity, no less
The trouble is compounded if you are like me
Accompanied by child (ren) full of boundless energy
Keeping them entertained while waiting in queue
Can tax your patience and that of everyone else too
Sometimes having children might permit you
To skip the long line and get ahead in the queue
Usually suggested by kind souls who look at you
With empathy in their eyes, secretly glad to
Get rid of the troublesome children indeed
A small price for letting you take the lead
Enough said about the humble queue
I’ll end with this final thought for you-
That once you get to the end of the line finally
Something better awaits you usually!

Tourist destination

imageThere was a place of beauty virginal
An island unmarred by activities industrial
Inhabited by people content with being
Contained in their world and seldom seeing
The outside world, they did not care
For interaction with people beyond their sphere
The bounty bestowed by nature they respected
Quite self-sufficient, there was not much they expected
**
Then came a day when a visitor arrived
Claiming he was enchanted, with an expression contrived
As a businessman he saw the enormous potential
Of this island as an exotic destination for travel
In collusion with the government he soon began
To build hotels, grow the tourist industry on the island
The authorities saw tremendous potential
To bolster their economy by following his proposal
For the first time they invited to their island
International collaboration to build a tourist haven
**
In a few years tourism developed there
Became the industry with the largest share
Of the economy, sophisticated travelers from everywhere
Flocked to the island to sample its unique flair
Since economic growth exacts a cost always
And nothing preserved in its natural state stays
The annual tourist volume was out of proportion
To the number of inhabitants, infact ten times its population
The island rapidly commercialized and unfortunately
The pristine environment degraded considerably
The virgin beauty was now marred
By excessive construction, permanently scarred
This sparked a huge debate over preservation
Of the original land as it was, experts in conservation
Suggested measures worth a fortune extraordinary
To restore the island to its former state of glory
While further degradation could be prevented somewhat
Irreversible were the changes that had been brought
About by the droves of travelers over the years
Thus were realized the islanders’ worst fears
Of seeing their revered land thus tainted
It looked so different from the picture that was painted
Years ago, when tourism was still nascent
And the carbon footprint of tourism non-existent
**
This is the story of many stunning destinations
That are the victims of commercial exploitation
The world is a smaller place with borders that are shrinking
And travelers can spoil a place without thinking
Therefore ecotourism is now the buzzword
To preserve the natural treasures of the world
This story in a larger perspective illustrates
How human involvement can change the natural state
This is the perpetual conundrum of civilization
The ongoing struggle for environmental conservation.

Inquisitive

imageQuestions from my child never seem to cease
His curiosity is as vast as the seas
Sometimes appropriate, at times awkward
Often asking me to explain difficult words
He bombards me with questions invariably
When I am preoccupied, and irritably
I try to brush him off by saying I don’t know
He does not get the hint, and continues to throw
More questions at me beginning with why
Until I am forced to ask him to quiet down
Quite reluctantly, my brow furrowed in a frown
I do not want to crush his inquisitive spirit
But there are times I want to just quietly sit..
I long for the day when he learns to find
Answers for himself, satisfy the curiosity of his mind.
**
This is not how I want to bring up my son
I want to answer all his queries, teach him the reason
Behind things being the way they are
Arm him with knowledge so he will go far
But a five year old’s seemingly endless curiosity
Exceeds, for patience, my limited capacity
Then I remind myself that he will older grow
There will be one day when he will know
Much more than me; these questions will end
Making me long for the days when he was my friend
With his next question I remind myself of this
And give the best answer I can to this question of his
I try to enjoy this time when I still am
An encyclopedia for my little man!

To be a story-teller

imageAs long as I can remember
A secret wish have I harbored
To be a story-teller in some way
Reach out to people every day
Tell tales built on pure imagination
Or recount true stories of different nations
Somewhere in my heart I want a vocation
Which would let me indulge in this passion
A tour guide in a city full of historic architecture
A history teacher infusing life into her lecture
Or being the smooth and witty narrator
Keeping the audience spellbound in the theater..
**
In all these roles I would tell stories collected
From external sources, though they would be injected
With my unique perception, my own flavor-
They would still not represent fruits of my labor
This I realized one day, in a moment of epiphany
I needed my own voice, not voices of many
To reach out to the world, thus a story I did need
Deeply personal, straight from the heart indeed
**
I have not found, my search is ongoing
Anecdotes and experiences I accrue, not knowing
When the pieces will come together and coalesce
Into a coherent story- this hope I must confess
I harbor within me- someday I will write
A story that reflects me in my true light
A fictional saga that would still be an extension
Of me, and my (very) skewed perception
In finding my story I hope to discover
More of myself, my true destiny uncover.

Ikigai (reason for being)

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For centuries has mankind
Tried its best to find
A life prolonging elixir
Human beings have lived in fear
Of death, disability, growing old
A long life is more valuable than gold
While modern medicine has allowed
People to live longer without a doubt
There might be something much simpler
That adds years to life as one grows older..
**
For centuries have men and women
In Okinawa ascended to heaven
Later than their counterparts elsewhere
They have a secret that needs to be shared
They all have a purpose in life, an ikigai
That they wake up to, each day under the sky
With a goal in life to strive towards throughout
They have no time to waste, no time to doubt
Their reason for living, that angst existential
Does not plague them as much as the rest of the world
Maybe this is a rule we need to apply
To all our lives, we all need to try
To find that one thing we wake up to
That gives us happiness and fulfillment too.
**
The concept was foreign to me I must say
Until recently, when I stumbled upon it one day
Trying to find ways to live a life of contentment
I found, much to my amazement
That having a purpose in life every day
Could increase your life expectancy unexpectedly
Not being an Okinawa, I am still trying to find
The ikigai that fuels my heart and mind
Maybe it is raising my son to be
As good a human being as he can be
Maybe it is in my role as a healer and physician
Maybe writing something beautiful is my reason
Whatever it is, to find it I shall try
To live a blessed life and prolong my days under the sky!

Rumor

News

It started as a statement quite innocuous
A bored mind with nothing worthwhile to discuss
Concocted a story loosely based on
A conversation that had been eavesdropped upon
Assumptions were many, because what was heard
Was not a full conversation, just a smattering of words
Strung together with an imagination fertile
Those words formed a story that brought a smile
To the face of the next person to whom the beans were spilled
It was amusing, and in the listener it instilled
The desire to share this interesting anecdote
So to a close friend, in a text this person wrote
The details got blurry, and the story changed flavor
Still juicy enough for this recipient to savor
You get my drift- this almost became a chain reaction
The original story had been sacrificed on the altar of oblivion
Pretty soon a new story was in circulation
Believed by many to be authentic in this situation
**
And what happened to the people who had been
Subjects of the original conversation, they were last seen
Hiding their faces, unable to comprehend
How they had been misrepresented, how they were condemned
To bear the brunt of a lie that they could not trace
The origin of, but that now occupied all their space..
**
This is the life cycle of a rumor
Embedded in these words is dark humor
A rumor is like a cannon set loose
It does much more than just amuse..

Fernweh (wanderlust)

worls mapI remember quite fondly

My first lesson in geography

When to a map I was introduced

A fierce curiosity it had induced

Within me to identify places new

I wanted to explore those places too

 

Seven continents and oceans five

On the map my dreams came alive

Places with names unpronounceable

I took them all in, glued to my table

Exotic and mysterious they appeared

I might never go there- was what I feared

Unable to realize my dreams of distant travel

Maps of all kinds I continued to unravel

I built my stories around them, as if I had seen

The places to which only my imagination had been..

The greater the obscurity of the place, I must say

The more I dreamt about traveling to it one day.

**

But wishes are wishes, rarely fulfilled

I travel but that yearning has never been filled

To travel to exotic places, as remote as can be

I still study maps, quite longingly

The desire to be footloose is strangely appealing

From time to time I get that restless feeling

Then I study a map and start planning ahead

A vacation, though the concept often stays in my head

Who knows, maybe the next time my post here

Is from the Easter Islands, trembling before the Moai in fear..

Until then I study maps with my five year old

And watch his infectious enthusiasm unfold..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation planning

“God grant me a vacation to make bearable what I cannot change.” (sourced from pinterest)

Exhausted, worn-out in the oppressive heat

I long to leave my workplace and retreat

To some new place, perhaps by the sea

Or in the midst of mountainous scenery

In the lap of nature, away from the crowd

Replacing sirens with seagulls crying loud

I dream of digging my toes in the sand

Or hiking the peaks of a rugged land

I close my eyes and give myself permission

To dream about an idyllic destination..

**

So it is time to plan a vacation

I brace myself for some altercation

Within my family, for easy it is not

To be in agreement over a vacation spot

After an emotionally charged discussion

And some tears, we arrive at a decision

Regarding the destination, next to appear

Are travel arrangements, and  I fear

The prices of flights and accommodation

Upwardly mobile-forever exceeding my estimation

Choices are few- either we can relax the budget

Or choose the cheapest option, and forgo comfort

Depending on our moods that day, we might decide

Either way, and later regret the miserable plane ride

Now comes the part where opinions vary

The most between us, our interests contrary

To each other, so finding common ground

To plan an itinerary takes patience profound

Sightseeing is expensive but how can I miss

 

Touring the exact spot where in perfect bliss

Ms. (co-worker) appeared in her facebook profile

I want a selfie there with a dreamy smile..

Of course such desires I do not share

With my husband, trying to convince him I care

About the significance of the place, therefore

We should spend time and money to explore

This place, but he has ideas of his own to include

Finally after days, and multiple swings of mood

The itinerary is complete, as time draws near

It is the daunting task of packing I fear

This is my job alone, one I cannot avoid

Of leaving things essential I am always paranoid

Somehow everything is completed, vacation commences

I am so exhausted I fear I might lose my senses

 

Gradually the world of work recedes from view

And I finally start recharging my batteries too!

 

 

 

How she gained freedom

“If society fits you comfortably enough, you call it freedom.”- Robert Frost

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On the occasion of Indian Independence Day (August 15th), here is a version of freedom for a typical Indian woman.

In a staunchly patriarchal society

Her actions were always governed by propriety

She had freedom to choose- or so she was explained

As long as it within narrow confines remained-

Yes she could play-but the games had to be

Appropriate for a girl, not for mixed company

She could choose her outfits, but they had to be

In color and form, conforming to standards of modesty

Yes she was educated, yet was expected to state 

Her opinions rarely, never indulge in a debate

With elders and men of all ages, for a girl was meant

To be seen, not heard, in the background blend

Yes she could choose her life partner, but he had to be

From a certain kind of family, from the same community

The irony of this situation would be apparent when I say

She was envied by her friends for her freedom, by the way…

**

She also from a very young age learnt

To respect these boundaries, never to be burnt

For life was easier when the rules she obeyed

If there was a charade, along she played

This came very handy as a daughter-in-law

Where they could not find a major flaw..

**

She lived her life in a manner monotonous

Comfortable, well-adjusted, her life free of fuss

But it was lackluster, and she did crave

For some excitement- she longed to be brave

And do something different, break the norm

When she did dare, she felt her image transform

From a woman perceived as subservient

To someone with a mind of her own, self-sufficient

She faced some criticism, but to her surprise

She saw new respect in her family and friends’ eyes

She galvanized the other women around her

To break free from their molds, venture further

They realized that the arbitrary rules they had perceived

As dogmatic were archaic, and change was received

With far less resistance than they had feared

Freedom could be expanded, it so appeared

**

At the end of the day, here’s what I would say-

You just have to live life your own way

Waiting for others’ approval is futile

It is your journey, you go the extra mile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food glorious food

(This poem strictly reflects my opinion on food fads with no intent to criticize individual food preferences.)

world-map-food-drinks-11205159

I notice there is a growing trend
Among my acquaintances and friends
Of believing in food fads that are mushrooming
Leading to crazy new diets, each one assuming
That adding or subtracting one ingredient
Can solve all your problems, irrespective of their extent
Help you lose weight (most important, isn’t it?)
Miraculously make you active and fit
Improve your sleep, concentration and endurance
I try hard to believe all of this,but it does not make sense
As to why expensive exotic ingredients are required
To make life better, to get results desired

**

I thought the origin of civilization
Can be traced to the beginning of cultivation
And bread made from wheat sustained generations
Of humans across the globe, then why the condemnation
Of wheat- being gluten-free is the new fad
Substitute with costly ingredients, because wheat is so bad
What would we grow if wheat disappeared
To feed billions- to me the scenario is weird
Another food fad that I find difficult to comprehend
Is why kale is a super food all alone, while a blend
Of mixed vegetables, cooked and raw, in every hue
Should lack the same properties? (They are cheaper too)
Thus we have kale chips (highly processed, mind you)
Being considered healthy snacks, that is just not true
Or the new trend of juicing that I perceive
As far too hyped up; I cannot believe
That something requiring an appliance sophisticated
Can be a panacea- its benefits must be overrated
I will not even talk about low-carb diets here
With their range of expensive products- be aware
That the low carb heaven they promise is loaded
With chemicals that might be junk once decoded

**

Of course these statements that appear extreme
Are my biased views, to others it might seem
That these diets offer benefits unique
They might offer health solutions that they seek
My final two cents on this topic are-
How many people can take these diets far
And stick to them, day after day, year after year
The number appears to be quite limited, I fear
To eat natural foods, sensibly and in moderation
Would be the best strategy, in my humble opinion.