Passion…unbridled

It is easy for all of us to get caught

In our differences, is it not?

*

When discontent is high, we forget

Our common ground, when we are upset

The differences seem to create an unbridgeable divide

We hold on to our anger, our injured sense of pride..

*

When tempers and emotions settle down

And we take an objective look around

We find that the values that unite us take precedence

Over those that divide us- our differences are not as intense

As they had previously appeared to be

We begin to see a path towards unity..

*

Unfortunately divisive rhetoric is easy to perpetrate

In the era of social media, but we have to be deliberate

In ignoring that narrative, and shift our focus

To the people who actually surround us

And find that it is possible to connect

With them- at some point disparate views intersect

When I am stressed I acquire invariably

Traits of attention-deficit-hyperactivity

I want to drown my anxieties in busy work

Indicating to the stress monster who by my side lurks

That I do not have the time to get caught

In the web he is spinning, there is a lot

For me to do without succumbing to my stress

This is my usual defense mechanism, I confess..

*

When I try to do too many things simultaneously

That too under stress, the results are far from pretty

I make a mess of most things, but eventually

Something seems to go right serendipitously

And that seems to have an effect to alleviate

My stress, bring me back to a saner state…

*

This verse has been penned during a period of stress

With multiple interruptions and an attention span that is less

Than ideal for writing, but of all the things I have done

To suppress my anxieties I think this is the best one!

I came across an idea that sounds provocative

It suggested that Artificial Intelligence could give

Spiritual guidance, provide some form of therapy for free

By collating information from multiple resources it could be

A source of sensible, practical, actionable advice

Delivered like a professional, through your choice of device..

*

It sounds like an idea preposterous initially

To let artificial intelligence help you be

A better human being, but on second thought

You have answers to your personal questions online sought

And come up with generic solutions that may not be

Applicable to your situation specifically

AI, especially with improving iterations can provide

Personalized advice tailored to you, to let you decide

Whether and to what extent to follow what it says

AI cannot substitute for a human ear but can provide a way

For you to get some direction when you are in the throes of distress

I am warming up to this idea, I confess..

*

I asked ChatGPT to tell me how to meditate on a lunch break

And I must say the advice is something I can take

Artificial Intelligence in my life I can try to embrace

Though I maintain thar empathy from another human cannot be replaced…

You are advised to live each day with intention

But you feel like you are living perpetually in suspension

Between what you would like to do and what happens to you

As a passive observer rather than active participant you go through

The meandering streets of your life, with a faint hope in mind

That someday the ability to live life more intentionally you would find

But there are so many roadblocks that instead of being proactive

You continue to live life in a manner reactive

*

You long for the pace of your life to slow down temporarily

So that you can think and reflect momentarily

But you are always on the go, taking decisions on the spot

There is no time to spend in contemplation or conscious thought..

*

Until one day enough is enough, you decide

From the chaos of the world you retreat and hide

To give yourself the much needed time and space

To reflect and think, only then you come out to face

The cacophony of noise in the world outside

But you have broken free from it, you are calmer inside

*

There are times when there is nothing else to do

Except retreat in a corner, let calmness prevail over you

To break free from the stimuli to which you’ve been reacting constantly

And mapping out your next steps with intentionality

With my sanity hanging in precarious balance, I cram

For yet another test of my knowledge, another exam

Again, I have to prove my academic prowess

I have to attain test-based success

But my grey cells are deteriorating fast

Whatever I read does not seem to last

In the blunted sulci and gyri of my brain

Trying to remember stuff causes physical pain

*

I am much better today than a decade ago

In application of my knowledge, I can show

My capabilities much better on the field

Where my cumulative experience is revealed

But my bookish knowledge has been leached from my brain

And my aging brain cella do not allow it to be replenished again

*

I’ve tried mnemonics and associations as aids

For retention of facts, but they seem to fade

From my memory as soon as they are placed

This is the crux of the predicament I face..

*

To lament about studying here is much more attractive

Than actually studying- to which only half-hearted attention I can give

I have to keep my energy levels from being drained

So that for the test I still have a functional brain

Like so many others I’d been gullible enough to believe

That following the Blue Zones pattern of living could help me achieve

Longevity just like people in those zones

But now it appears that it has been shown

That the prevalence of centenarians could be based on erroneous assumptions

Owing to lack of birth certificates, and fraudulent claims of pensions

It makes me sad to learn that the whole premise was wrong

There was no secret to longevity all along..

*

Books and documentaries have tried to explain and expound

On the principles of Blue Zones living, some traits they have found

Among these populations that appear to be associated

With healthy living, but the claims are highly exaggerated

*

Since the formula for longevity is likely not present in the Blue Zones

In trying to live as long as possible, I am on my own..

What do you do when being stuck seems to be

A permanent state, a way of life essentially

Every once in a while you get rocked side to side

Sometimes it almost feels like you are ready to glide

Forward- after what seems impossibly long

But then your exuberance proves premature, your intuition wrong

You end up staying exactly where you have been

As your heart aches for adventures unseen..

*

I am writing this because I’ve been feeling stuck

In my current position for years, I seem to be out of luck

Despite a worldwide pandemic and personal losses profound

My overall position is unchanged, my life revolves around

The same dyad of home and workplace

The monotony of which I’ve almost embraced

Yet there is a part of me that longs for some thrill

I need something else for my cup to fill

*

The only time when unstuck I feel

Is when my innermost thoughts I reveal

In my verses, when I am able to write

A coherent poem, something feels right

Like I am taking a step forward, at least temporarily

I feel my soul gets unstuck momentarily…

I consider it my responsibility to pass down to the next generation

My culture, my heritage, the time-honored traditions

That I grew up observing year after year

The heartwarming rituals that I hold dear..

*

Sometimes it is not an easy task to observe

Traditional customs, it is challenging to preserve

The authenticity of cultural expression in a foreign land

To immerse my child in my culture, so that he understands

The rich multilayered context behind our rituals

To help him identify their relevance, both cultural and spiritual..

*

While observing festivals and traditions in the same way

As they are celebrated back home seems difficult today

A few different facets I try to incorporate

Each year, when the festival I celebrate

All the traditions that I hold close to my heart

I hope to pass down to my son in parts..

*

Preserving my cultural heritage is not just a responsibility

But an integral part of my Indo-American identity…

While inwardly I am perturbed and I seethe

With discontentment, I must remind myself to just breathe…

*

When you get overwhelmed you take

Shallow fast breaths, you can break

The cycle of worsening anxiety and discomfort

By taking a deep, slow breath- it does not hurt

To get more air into your lungs, the effect instantaneous

Is that of a sense of calm, your breath comes into focus

Once you have taken a long, deep, satisfying breath, your mind

Regains its sharpness, more clarity of thought you find

*

We breathe in and out, throughout our lives

As a reflex, but the beauty of breathing lies

In being able to slow it down and experience

It fully, engaging each and every sense

Think of how fascinating it is that some control you possess

Over your breathing, you can control other bodily mechanisms much less

Your heart rate you cannot slow down at will

But by taking deep and slow breaths you can slow your heartbeat still..

*

Take a deep breath, whenever you are faced

With a challenging situation, and embrace

The calmness that you feel deep inside

Now the next step you are free to decide

*

I took a deep breath, my frustration level

fell

Now on the rest of issues bothering me I can dwell

I was angry and now I am repentant

The moment of anger came and went

I managed to say something hurtful in the heat

And even if similar behavior I were to never repeat

Probably permanent damage I have done

Is there a way forgiveness can be won?

*

Words cannot ever be taken back

I was angry and judgment I then lacked

I can make a thousand excuses for being frustrated

Try to manage anger better but I feel devastated

At this moment thinking about what I said

Worst case scenarios are playing out in my head..

*

I made a mistake and I intend to apologize

But I have sunk further in my own eyes

Each time I slip up it is harder for me to forgive

My own self, with increasing guilt I live

*

Let me try to pray, or perhaps meditate

In this conflict my own inner voice has to mediate…

I have to work on self-perception some more

So I do not repeat the angry outburst I displayed before

I am not the first person to have this desire

To leave a legacy through which one continues to inspire

Younger generations, to try to leave a footprint, however small

On the world, to leave something one can call

Unique to that person- a work of literature or art

Or music that touches innumerable hearts..

*

I am not likely to produce something profound

But I would like to weave my thoughts around

Into verses for my progeny to discover one day

(I doubt they would but I fantasize about it anyway)

*

This us wishful thinking, and I hopebesides,

That I have more time to formulate my legacy on my side

Let me just write, the fruits of my labor

Are not intended to be there for me to savor…

Aging is not uniform, scientists have found

This to me is a revelation profound

At two specific ages, people experience

Accelerated effects of senescence

Since near one of those ages I happen to be

Can I blame my issues on an aging machinery?

*

Slower metabolism, greater intolerance

I now witness to excessive indulgence

Less calories and more sleep I need

I retain less than a tenth of what I read

Aching joints tell me something is altered in me

I am on the fast track to aging evidently..

*

Once I get through this year I should achieve

A steady state, if the study I were to believe

Until the second wave of aging comes my way

But that one is a decade and a half away

I think it is time for me to not disregard

My body’s signals- or else aging might hit me hard

Let me try to slow down just a bit to keep pace

With my “aging” body and find a comfortable place

Between the Epicurean delights of youth

And of the twilight years’ chaste pursuits