Questions 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
As 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)
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
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)
I 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
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.)
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.
My life in books
This one will give you a glimpse into the world
Of yours truly, from the time she was a little girl
The passion which was at the age of five ignited
Was in the form of printed words that left her excited-
I am going to tell you how books made an entrance
At different stages of my life, became my best friends-
Starting from a cartoon strip in a news periodical
Foraying into a book that took me on a journey magical
Through the solar system and the stars, teaching me
About the universe vast; I still recall quite gleefully
The colorful illustrations and facts fascinating-
I’ ve yet to find a book that captivating…
As I grew older, I thrived on a diet steady
Of Secret Seven and Nancy Drew, always ready
To solve difficult mysteries, mostly imaginary
Thinking I’d acquired skills extraordinary
Interspersed were folk-tales from lands far away
Making me yearn to travel to those places some day..
Then there were books that left an impression
Indelible, like the one translated from Russian
About a young boy and his doppelganger electronic
I longed for a friend (robot) with senses supersonic…
How can I forget friendship that sprouted spontaneously,
Over shared love for Agatha Christie’s outstanding mysteries
Over the next three years, my friend and I scoured the library
For any evidence of Dame Christie’s prowess literary
Read and discussed every single book ever written
By her, you can see the extent to which we were smitten..
Through the tumultuous years of adolescence
Powerful love stories had a constant presence
In my life- thus Bronte sisters and Jane Austen
Were integral parts of my personal heaven
I read works of literature, that were for me
Finest instances of human art and ingenuity
From Hugo and Hardy to Maugham and Tolstoy
Reading classics gave me unparalleled joy
These days I find myself gravitating
Towards stories of immigrants; captivating
As they are, in those pages I try to find
Succour for my lonely heart and mind
Get lost in powerful stories that reflect
How I feel today, they are perfect
For lightening the burden carried by me
As an immigrant who once crossed the sea
Thus Jhumpa Lahiri, Khaled Hosseini are a part
Of my bookshelves, and of my heart..
As I go through life, the genres might shift
But reading books gives me that indescribable lift
That always keeps me thirsting for more
There are always books for me to devour!
(Image source: www.notonthehighstreet.com)
Time management
Time management seems to be a skill
That I have not learnt, probably never will
Twenty-four hours in a day are not enough
To do everything, deal with all the stuff
That is part of my life as a mother and a professional
A schedule I try to follow, but the results are dismal
Every task on my list takes longer than I anticipate
And at the end of the day I am running late
I try to make up by compromising on precious sleep
Eventually for sleep debt I pay a price steep
As inefficiency creeps in throughout the week
The prospect of time management appears more bleak..
**
Taking a look at my schedule with a critical eye
There were a few things I did identify
My plan for each day was far too ambitious
Leaving no space for things to be ambiguous
I needed to shave off a few tasks on my plate
So I could accommodate the rest even when running late
Next I took stock of the amount of time spent
In looking through social media feeds of my friends
It was a LOT, even though my estimation was conservative
Draining time in cyberspace, I had little time to live
Out my life in the real world, do things that were required
Suddenly to delete my Facebook account I was inspired
(Thinking it through, I did not act on this impulse,
But over time, to social media I’ve become somewhat averse)
Next I realized that I was making futile attempts to
Multi-task, making it fairly impossible to do
Even one task efficiently, thus running behind-
I had to get the superwoman mentality out of my mind
**
Now that I have been able to identify
All these lacunae, let’s see if I can apply
These solutions that are simple enough, I think….
Well…while writing this verse time flew by in a blink
So I need to rush again pretty much the same way
As I’ve been doing; hoping there will be a day
When I am somewhat better at time management
I shall post my success here, in that event…
Perspective
In a lighthearted discussion on plans for the weekend
The conversation took a turn when dismissively my friend
Said, “Oh, you are rich, you might not care”
We left it at that, from her point of view it was fair
But my mind wandered to all those times I had heard
“Oh you are (rich/ smart/ lucky/ successful)” or some such word
Life would be easy for me, was the insinuation
I admit I disliked these words for their implication
With my eyes constantly looking upwards at targets higher
I did not associate those adjectives with me or my desire
I constantly felt I had to complete an arduous journey
Before I could let those words describe me
I looked at people who had achieved much, much more
Those exalted skies were where I wanted to soar…
**
But something about this discussion instilled in me
For the first time, a desire to assess objectively
Whether what I had achieved was with expectation commensurate
What was my contribution and what was attributable to fate
In counting my blessings, I realized one thing
I had some achievements that hard work and luck did bring
When others pointed out all those things, it was an expression
Of appreciation for the blessings that I had for granted taken
I felt worse-off than I was because constantly
I compared myself to those perceived more successful than me
This insight allowed me to change my perspective
Being grateful for my blessings is a better way to live!
Parenting lessons from the Titanic
Reading the story of the Titanic with my son
Was for both of us a brand new lesson
It was a book written for a preschooler
With simple sentences and many pictures
Not different from his other books in that sense
But it was a story viewed through a very different lens
For my five year old, an introduction it represented
To tragedy, death, misfortune- everything I had prevented
Him from learning about so far, considering his young age
While reading his disappointment grew with each page
As he realized what collision with an iceberg meant
He had tears in his eyes when down the ship went
When he realized that little girls and boys had to be
Separated from their fathers, who drowned in the sea
He closed the book and in a sad voice said to me
I hate this story, I hate the iceberg in the sea
That made the ship sink and people die
Why did this bad thing happen, mom, tell me why?
I tried to tell him how bad things sometimes happen
So we learn from our mistakes, don’t repeat them again
Of course he is too young to appreciate the dark irony
Of the unsinkable ship sinking on its maiden journey
**
That set me thinking, when is it appropriate
To introduce children to tragedy, when to state
Unpalatable facts as they are, how to explain
Tragic events-historic and current, in language plain
In today’s world our children are exposed
Through various media, to a significant dose
Of news- at times disturbing and violent
That we cannot always screen as parents
Talking to a five year old about these things
Is not easy, a lot of questions it brings
Forth from the child, for which there are
No perfectly satisfactory answers, by far
I thought this book was the perfect segway
To discussing more serious topics every day
**
I realized my son was growing up fast
His innocence was not going to last
This book marked an important transition
From fantasy to real life, this was a graduation.
(Image source: wikipedia)
