Passion…unbridled

For years I read books consisting of characters with whom I could not identify

And even though I would sometimes laugh and cry

With those characters, a distance from them always remained

The world they inhabited was unfamiliar

The social structure of their lives different appeared

To place myself as a character in those stories was not

Something to which I could give plausible thought

*

The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of voices new

From the South Asian diaspora, and I have found a few

Characters in books with whom I can identify to some degree

Reading those books feels like a more intimate experience to me

*

Although I enjoy reading books with characters diverse

Finding someone like myself in the fictional universe

Gives me the representation that did not previously exist

Therefore a book by a South Asian author I never resist..

My stress levels are already high

Despite knowing this, I do not know why

I allow myself exposure to even more stress

That results from using my device in excess..

*

My nervous system goes into overdrive

Each time any kind of notification arrives

It could be a call from the hospital, an abnormal vital sign or a spam text

My brain has a Pavlovian response, regardless of the context

Even if the notification represents something I like

It has already caused a cortisol spike

*

In the morning I no longer have a newspaper to read through

Instead browsing through the news on my phone is what I do

The crisis headlines send my stress levels in the stratosphere

And I keep doomscrolling, spellbound by fear

*

In the hustle culture of today, multitasking as an asset I view

But in trying to multitask with my device, I am raising my cortisol level too

When social media posts send me into comparison mode

My stress levels see an additional load

*

Most interactions with my device seem to lead

To rise in my stress levels, therefore I need

To reduce the time spent on my device

It is time for me to follow this advice

These days it appears whenever I try to write anything on a device

Artificial intelligence is by my side to give me advice

Filling in blanks, suggesting the next word, (auto)correcting constantly

A “helpful” writing assistant it is trying to be

Formulating a selection of replies to a text from which to choose

It is trying hard to ensure I do not have to use

My precious brain cells in writing what I want to say

It is trying to “assist” me in every possible way

*

This assistance is completely unsolicited from my point of view

Mostly, it’s just amusing, but sometimes it gets annoying too

It creates a distraction to the flow of thoughts in my mind

I try to ignore its suggestions, but sometimes I find

That inadvertently I change what I am going to say

To match the suggestions it has given me, anyway

*

I think I can write without receiving advice from a bot

I have the capability to translate into words my thoughts

But AI-enabled programs seem to be designed

With the assumption that most people find

Writing difficult, and if it is difficult for them to articulate

Their thoughts, such assistance they would appreciate

*

I have been writing this verse on my device

I have been ignoring AI’s unsolicited advice

Each day as I’m trying to fall asleep, I make

A mental list of all the tasks I need to undertake

The following day- often I end up getting energized

By the planning, my sleep duration gets compromised

I wake up sluggish and slog through the day

Trying to accomplish things on my list in any possible way

*

The cycle repeats itself, night after night

I make plans when the time is not right

To execute them, and when the right moment is there

I am tired and not motivated enough to care

*

I’d love to make plans at the beginning of the day

But a lot of distractions come my way

In the morning, whereas the night is all mine

What I want to accomplish I can without interference define

*

As I write this, the wheels are spinning in my mind

An ambitious list of tasks I have to myself assigned

I must say it warms my heart when I see

In the hospital where I work, a little free library..

*

One day I noticed a tiny bookshelf in a corner had been placed

It declared its name and purpose, a handful of books occupied space

With room for many more-for the first few days

Attention to this addition not many people seemed to pay

But as time went on, I noticed books being added and removed

The number and variety of books had also improved

*

Over the past few months I have witnessed

Hospital staff and visitors checking out the library with interest

I have heard people talk about books they are reading

I hope initial expectations the little free library is exceeding

*

Books should be accessible, I firmly believe

From the little free library, anyone is free to retrieve

Any book, read and return, add to the collection too

Such a simple idea, but so profound in what it can do..

I grew up in a tropical country where I never knew

What wind chill to ambient temperature could do

I had no idea that the temperature I needed to keep in mind

Was the “feels like” temperature, I had been inclined

To take the actual temperature at face value

I learnt the hard way that this was the wrong thing to do

*

Polar vortex and Arctic blast entered my lexicon when I moved here

Winter weather advisories I learnt to respect, black ice I learnt to fear

Driving in the snow gives me anxiety considerable

Snowy roads can often be unpredictable

*

As I wait for an impending ice storm, potentially disruptive

Learning about the ways in which ice can be destructive

I hope and pray the storm’s fury is contained

I shall never underestimate winter weather again

The biggest wellness trends of 2026- screams the headline

I start reading out of curiosity, wondering how wellness can be defined

In terms of trends that are supposed to be

Short-lived in their life-span and popularity

Wellness should not be treated as a fad

That people follow fleeting wellness practices is sad..

*

Practices that are proven by research to enhance wellness

Should be incorporated sustainably, they should be timeless

Not trending right now, forgotten next year

As a new “trend” comes out, the old ones disappear..

*

Some contemporary trends deserve to stay

Some should never have seen the light of the day

Some by clever marketing have been popularized

Some are better in practice than theorized..

*

To follow wellness trends blindly I have no intention

But to wellness trends based on scientific studies I pay attention

The wellness trends that in my lifestyle I have incorporated shall stay

Long after the fads have faded away..

Who do I write for, I cannot exactly say

Only a handful of people read my verses anyway..

*

My writing is a chronicle of life through my lens

Reflecting my ideas, opinions and emotions intense

Sometimes when I go back to reading verses written years ago

I feel grateful for how much I have been able to grow

I write about common issues and topics esoteric

Sometimes I describe something specific, sometimes I’m more generic

Sometimes I skim the surface, sometimes deeper I dive

To express myself coherently I always strive

*

My son rarely reads what I write, but when I write I keep him in mind

If he were to read my verses in future, I hope he would not find

Any embarrassing details in what I have penned

To give him a glimpse into my thoughts is what I intend

I hope that someday he would be inclined

To read what I have written, mostly with him on my mind

From the east I moved to the west

Ever since I’ve been on a quest

To find the best of both worlds and incorporate

From both eastern and western cultures their best traits

*

I’ve made a rather interesting observation

When I travel to a different nation

Each aspect of the culture that I see

I place in either eastern or western category

Most places are in the middle somewhere

I categorize them subconsciously, without being fully aware

*

Having witnessed two vastly different cultures in different lands

The strengths and weaknesses of each I understand

To take the best of both cultures is a privilege given to me

The best example of this amalgamation I wish to be

The longer I practice medicine, the more stories I accumulate

Stories that represent an aggregate

Of the experiences of my career that were memorable

Stories that have shaped me, that have enabled

Me to become the physician that I am today

Stories that have taught me invaluable lessons along the way..

*

From scientific principles to bedside patient care

In each aspect of medicine, I have stories to share

I have forgotten facts, but stories I have not

To me, comfort and confidence in my practice these stories have brought

*

When I make a medical decision, I am influenced

By my knowledge and cumulative experience

This includes the stories I carry in my mind

Inspiration in my old stories I often find

*

I am privileged to have so many stories to tell

I hope to be able to treat this privilege well

Each time I use disposable plastic cutlery

To eat a quick meal in a plastic box in a hurry

And toss everything in the trash can when I am done

A little guilty, a bit ashamed, I have begun

To feel about this lifestyle of convenience

I have a variety of excuses in my defense

But the fact is that single use plastic is not and has never been

Good for us or the environment, it poses dangers unseen

*

I know I can bring my lunch in a container made of steel

Bringing a ceramic coffee cup to my office should not be a big deal

I can keep some real cutlery at hand

The concept of reusable dishes I do understand

Here a small confession I must make

I grew up without single-use plastic, but it did not take

Much time to develop the bad habit of toss and throw

I was using plastic with abandon, but now I know

Just how harmful the ubiquitous use of plastic can be

I can no longer use and throw plastic without feeling guilty

*

The cost of convenience and durability is high

When it comes to plastic, all of humankind needs to try

To replace single use plastic with reusable stuff

It is eminently doable, though it seems to be tough

A rather unusual gift I received recently

A book personalized for a reader like me

A book with me as the protagonist

It was a full-length novel and this is the gist-

The story revolves around a sort of medical mystery

That I, the protagonist, solve quite cleverly

Using my skills as a cardiologist and a leader in the community

The book cover includes a professional picture of me

There are some testimonials printed at the back

To give it the authenticity that it otherwise lacks

*

Of course I was intrigued by this book personalized

It was interesting to see my character development, but soon I realized

This book generated by AI seemed quite daft

Worse than an amateur writer’s first draft

While the thoughtfulness of the gift-giver I appreciated

My fear of writing being taken over by AI dissipated

*

A quick internet search showed me how a personalized book could be created

Both fiction and nonfiction books could be generated

In minutes using artificial intelligence

But the writing was formulaic, at times not making much sense

I doubt a reader worth their salt could be deceived by AI

To figure out that the book was not written by a human, one did not need to try

*

I know large language models are learning fast enough to outpace

Human beings in every sphere, but I believe there would always be a place

For authentic storytelling that humankind has always done

The battle of creative expression is unlikely by AI to be won