Passion…unbridled

In a world full of insistent noise

Silence is a powerful choice..

*

The world seems increasingly unjust and unfair

And when I find myself descending into despair

I have been known to react, protest, and articulate

Strong opinions, but lately I’ve begun to hesitate

Because all I do by raising my voice

Is increase the decibels of the noise

*

So henceforth I shall choose to remain silent

Most worldly challenges do not need my comments

Instead, my finite energy I must redirect towards action

And hope to improve the world by a tiny fraction

I marvel at the fact that I never knew

That the mystery series featuring Nancy Drew

Was launched in the 1930s- or that the books were written

By more than one person- I was smitten

By Ms. Drew when I was young and impressionable

And I fancied reading Carolyn Keene’s writing would enable

An older version of me to write a successful series

Featuring a spunky Indian teenager solving mysteries

*

The fascination with Nancy Drew lasted a few years

Then I moved on to adult reading, and my dreams disappeared

But I remember how Nancy Drew seemed practically perfect

She surely won a starry-eyed adolescent’s respect

The stories had a timeless quality indeed

That was the first series that I did read

*

I had not thought about the series in a while

But coming across a reference today made me smile

The facts about Nancy Drew books that I learnt today

Have made me appreciate the series more, I must say

So many writers across decades kept her character alive

On these books, many generations of young readers have thrived

Lately I’ve noticed a baffling trend

Of fall items displayed in stores, do they intend

To make people plan ahead and buy

Pumpkins and Halloween decor in July?

*

I am not good at seasonal decorating

When I host a gathering, I’m usually waiting

Until the last minute to spruce up my space

Almost invariably the dilemma I face

Is whether to add to my home a seasonal touch

Or to leave my decor unchanged- it ends up being too much

For me to decide, but maybe it’s just me

Other folks plan for the next season probably..

*

Perhaps there is a different idea at play here

Summer is at its peak at this time of the year

Everyone is dreaming of cooler temperatures now

Browsing through and shopping for fall-themed items allows

People to transiently forget the intense heat

In that case, this is a brilliant strategy to compete

In the market for consumers’ money and attention

Fall decor has probably been displayed with intention..

*

I look at yet another plush pumpkin on display

And imagine the crisp fall air before walking away

You move to a new country with dreams that are vast

You are stepping into a bright future, letting go of the past

You have a script that you intend to follow to achieve

Success that would come easily to you, or so you believe

*

You try your best to adapt in a new land

Cultural nuances are difficult to understand

Despite your hard work, it appears you are being left behind

Missing out on opportunities repeatedly, you find

There is no scripted formula for you to read

The script keeps changing abruptly indeed..

*

You learn to change tracks, as circumstances dictate

You learn from disappointments, and celebrate

The small wins that give you confidence

That you can succeed in the face of challenges intense

*

For an immigrant, success never does come on a platter

But besides hard work and perseverance the one thing that matters

Is the ability to pivot, to be flexible and adapt

To changing circumstances, while keeping enthusiasm intact

I’m expected to be available at all times, on hospital call

Into the trap of complacency I cannot fall

What that means is that I am officially required

To stay glued to my phone, and so I remain constantly wired

Through calls and messaging applications

I remain with patient care teams in constant communication

*

That I am constantly distracted is an understatement

Since I am attached to my phone, it is hard to prevent

Myself from mindlessly browsing the internet

An activity that I’ve increasingly come to regret

*

Being on call is a part of my profession that cannot be eliminated

But I think I would be less distracted and frustrated

If I had a pager dedicated to hospital call

I would not use my phone for communication at all

Most news is disturbing and yet I cannot pull myself away

From news sources, glued to them I seem to stay

News pieces that challenge my moral compass, I find

Are difficult to shrug off, they stick in my mind

It is almost a morbid compulsion for me

To keep delving deeper into a news story

Until my anger and outrage are spent

Or to people around me I’ve had a chance to vent

But then I move on to some other piece of news

Somehow uplifting stories I never choose

The negative news spiral takes me down a rabbit-hole

Of anger, despair and frustration, crushing my soul

Reading news at bedtime causes sleep disturbance

Reading news when I wake up causes a stress response intense..

*

I have to gradually wean myself away

From consuming news day after day

I’ve tricked myself into believing that I read news to stay

Well-informed, but I feel I am being misinformed anyway…

The hassles of travel become bearable

Whenever a good book I am able

To read-whether it is one I had acquired before

Or one that I’ve found in a bookstore

Sometimes more than one book I am able to read

When travel plans go awry- books are all I need

To combat endless hours of waiting and uncertainty

With gainful engagement and productivity

*

Some people carry their work along when they travel

But I cannot concentrate on work when my plans unravel

A book, on the other hand, provides the distraction I need

I completely avoid aggravation when a good book I read

*

To never be without a book is a self-made rule I follow

Whenever I have a time sink or things are slow

I read, and all the stressors around me

Decrease substantially in their intensity

Sometimes criticism to such an extent you internalize

That a genuine compliment comes as a surprise

Making you remember strengths that are your own

Qualities that you had previously shown

But had forgotten about and buried deep inside

The well of self-doubt, you were trying to hide

What you thought were your weaknesses, while all along

You were downplaying your strengths based on an assumption wrong

*

The criticism stung, and it stayed with you

You let your self-esteem slide with it too

The compliment you received brought you out of your shell

You realized that you were actually doing your job well

*

A message your fragile self-esteem has received

Don’t let your self-worth depend on how you are perceived

As a child I was taught a good vocabulary was a tool essential

So I tried to learn new words in a manner intentional

I wrote often, and tried my best to use

The most esoteric words that I could choose

The result was that my writing appeared

Immature, comical, and often weird

But my vocabulary I was determined to expand

More of the world I thought I would understand

If I knew more words, especially in the language of progress

A mastery of English would be instrumental in my success

*

Over the years my vocabulary has static stayed

The inability to remember new words often leaves me dismayed

My dwindling memory needs to accommodate

New scientific terms, and its capacity seems inadequate

To learn new words in English, therefore

I do not search the meanings of new words anymore

*

Sometimes the deeply ingrained urge to learn words new

Takes over, and I try to find synonyms few

For common words, hoping that they stay

In my increasing unreliable memory in some way

A poignant collection of childhood memories

Imprinted on a backdrop of luscious green trees..

*

The wide expanse and aerial roots spun

From the branches of the majestic Banyan

The sacred Ficus religiosa or the Peepal tree

Its shade harboring a shrine invariably

Mango trees laden with fruits in varying stages of ripeness

The canopies of flame-red Gulmohar trying to impress

Amaltas trees that would paint the town yellow-

Trees that resiliently continued to grow..

***

A sense of wonder as a new immigrant

Beholding for the first time fall foliage vibrant

*

The streets in my north-eastern city were lined

By oaks, elms, maples and varietals of pine

Leaves attesting to changing seasons

To make my new home here, gave me a reason

Cherry blossom trees announcing the foray into spring

Hope and joy to my winter-weary heart would bring

***

In the City of Trees in sunny California a home I made

I recall the scorching heat and the soothing shade

Of the lush foliage, but the orange and lemon trees

Stand out distinctly in my memories

***

I moved down south and came across

The awe-inspiring Live Oaks and Spanish Moss

*

Junipers, oaks, magnolia and dogwood trees

Loblolly pines and the swamp-dwelling bald cypress knees

And the Spanish moss hanging down like delicate lace

Are the trees with which I share my living space

I’ve had the misfortune of witnessing mighty trees

Fallen and uprooted by a hurricane’s furies..

***

Different places, different climates, different species

My sense of a place is rooted in its trees..

One lesson I have with difficulty learnt

Over the years, after repeatedly getting burnt

Is that when people ask for your opinion

They are looking for support and validation

Rarely the brutal, honest truth they seek

Therefore, before I open my mouth to speak

My honest thoughts, I must temper down

So that intensely critical I do not sound

Harsh criticism rarely its objective achieves

While agreeing with someone helps them believe

More firmly in themselves, therefore now I try

To pepper my truthful opinion with a dash of a lie

*

In examining my reaction when someone gives me

An honest but scathing opinion, I understand clearly

How criticism hits hard, and leaves me demoralized

If my opinion is validated, I’ve realized

That I get a boost of motivation too

What I like done to me, to others I should do

It has been found that for a given position women don’t apply

Until they are certain they are one hundred percent qualified

Or even overqualified, while men don’t harbor similar reservations

They are known to apply if they have two-thirds of the qualification

That the job demands, confident in their ability

To learn new skills, while women seem to doubt their capabilities..

This under-confidence tends to undermine

The careers of women from the time

They enter the job market, many women do not achieve

Their full potentials because they continue to believe

That they have to have all the answers and make no mistakes

Growth involves risk that many women are reluctant to take..

*

The societal structure is still heavily skewed

Towards men in business, women are viewed As less capable of being leaders, by both men and women indeed

More women to break these stereotypes we need

Let women be comfortable enough to display

Their ambitions, their visions, and make their way

Up the workplace ladder just like men do

With the right mindset, women can reach the glass ceiling too