Passion…unbridled

Going to school for over a century has been

A fact of life for children aged five to eighteen

With the pandemic, the world order was upended

With consequences that went beyond intended

When school switched to online mode of instruction

Who knew it would eventually lead to reduction

In school attendance, and increase in truancy

That educators were probably not able to foresee

*

With online classes, supervision adequate

Was not possible, it was unfortunate

That children were at the mercy of a working internet

Or free to browse online sites, and homework forget

Parents were often trying to work from home too

There were just too many things they had to do

*

Many children felt academically left behind

Some others struggled with disorders of the mind

They developed mechanisms to cope on their own

In a chaotic world they were left all alone..

*

When school changed back to instruction in-person

Circumstances suddenly did not change for some

Confused and directionless, they unfortunately found

Absenteeism from school as a solution to their troubles profound..

*

To get children back in school without

Being punitive to parents is no doubt

A pressing need for our society, so we can ensure

No child is deprived of basic education any more

I have been inhabiting either the past or the future in my mind

It is time to forget both and my bearings find

In the present, experience the moment in which I am right now

Try to savor it, make it as pleasurable as circumstances would allow

It is a cold crisp day; I bundle up and go outside

Take a brisk walk and feel energized

Thoroughly invigorated, focus I am able to find

In my work, having left the past and future behind

In the present moment, my work starts to appear

More rewarding, my faculties are clear

From the baggage that I was carrying with me

I am able to find joy in my mundane work finally

*

I learnt about the Swedish concept of “Njuta” which translates

Into savoring the moment, trying to create

Joy in whatever you are doing in the moment

After all, there is nothing better than living in the present

This Swedish word captured my attempt perfectly

Njuta is what I had needed desperately..

I am literally giving you some bitter pills to swallow

Please know that my advice to you does not ring hollow

These medications are designed to work for your condition

And I have prescribed them countless times as a physician

It is unnerving to get a new ailment diagnosed, I understand

But diagnosis and treatment do go hand in hand

While there are lifestyle changes needed for sure

With a few pills adequate treatment of your condition we can ensure

You’ve never been on pills, this is overwhelming for you

But know that without medications, you can feel worse too

*

I suspect you have read about practices unscrupulous

The internet is full of such reports, they make you nervous

You wonder if there is an ulterior motive

In my recommending these pills, but I am just trying to give

The best possible treatment to you, supported by medical guidelines

I can recommend you trusted references to check out online

But I am afraid a random web search might be misleading

There is a lot of misinformation out there that you could be reading..

*

I know I have to channel the art of persuasion

To not come across as overbearing but still make a strong recommendation

Unfortunately I know what you may not at this moment realize

Serious consequences can occur (though I am not trying to catastrophize)

If you are not started on medications soon enough

That would place both of us in a spot tough

*

We do not practice paternalistic medicine, therefore

I cannot compel you to take pills any more

I hope you shall get over your initial hesitation

And start taking your prescribed medication

The sky was overcast, there wasn’t enough sunlight

I enhanced the photograph with a “filter” to make it more bright

Then showed it to my son (before posting) expecting his approval

But on the contrary he suggested removal

Of the filter that I had chosen with care

The wrong filter could ruin the picture, I was quite aware

The one I had chosen made it look as it would on a sunnier day

Yet in my son’s opinion, its authenticity I had stripped away..

*

The filters for photography available now

Feel like a new tool to tinker with somehow

I see gorgeous pictures and am tempted to show

My photographs in an aesthetically pleasing glow

My son’s objection however led me to examine why I felt compelled

To embellish my picture, what did this act about me tell..

*

I felt the need to beautify something that did not need

A filter for enhancement, its beauty was pristine indeed

I was afraid to show everyone a picture less than perfect

Somehow I felt it would badly on me reflect

Because I see gorgeous photographs everywhere

(They are often photoshopped too, I’m aware)

It is hard to know what is touched up and what is not

Technology has such tools at our fingertips brought..

*

Trust children to tell you what you should yourself realize

Without the influence of others, when you see the world with their eyes

You know that using a filter is a lie, albeit an innocuous one

Let me end here by saying I am proud of my son!

An innovative product in the market is released

And everyone who uses it appears pleased

It is the next best thing after sliced bread, people say

Its company’s share prices skyrocket, everyone scurries away

To buy it, suddenly in everyone’s possession it appears

People are going to miss out if they don’t buy it, they fear

*

Initially it appears nothing can go wrong

The product is promising, its market presence strong

Then there are whispers of faults and defects

Being few and far between, they have minimal effect

On the popularity of this product wondrous

Sales of the product keep soaring thus

As more and more units are sold

More glitches and malfunctions start to unfold

Safety features thought to be among the best

Now appear to be failing in real life’s tests

The company scrambles to improve the design

But similar products are already in pipeline..

*

People still buy it, but it no longer generates

Owner’s pride and neighbor’s envy, its fate

Is now relegated to just one of many available

It has lost its sheen, it’s no longer a status symbol

“A social media influencer I aspire to be,”

Declares my high-schooler audaciously

At my involuntary eye-roll, she lets out a sigh

She’s bedazzled by this “profession”, she wonders why

I do not take content creation seriously

It requires hours of labor, talent and creativity

To make an aesthetically pleasing video that needs

To grab attention of its audience in nanoseconds indeed

But if successful, it is the easiest way

To make all good things come your way

Money, shiny objects, experiences and fame

For aspiring to all of it, how can a youngster be blamed?

*

Isn’t it amazing how a living you can make

By selling dreams to people, how you can take

An idea and convert it into an online business

Using a little creativity and showcasing it with finesse

By giving people a peek into your life, heavily stylized

By luring others to mimic you, follow your advice

Promoting brands through collaborations paid

For a nice sum of money, your own self you can trade

*

When the going is good, you have influence

Over your followers, but any day you can lose relevance

And be replaced by an influencer fresh and more vibrant

Despite your efforts to create more engaging content..

*

All this show and tell is good while it lasts

But style without substance can fade away fast

So besides selling dreams, you should try to learn

Conventional methods by which most people money earn…

Artificial intelligence is here to stay

Can it wipe social inequities away?

*

Or are the AI systems designed to propagate

Our current biases and perpetuate

Them in their applications everywhere

Create a complex web of which we should be aware

*

Take facial recognition technology, for instance

That is biased against darker skinned citizens

You cannot teach a bot cultural sensitivity

The AI system cannot on its own become bias-free

*

We mortal human beings have insight

Into our limitations, we know we are not always right

We know we have biases that can influence

Our judgment, at the same time in our defense

We can say that as fallible as we may be

We can unlearn and relearn, become free

Of our preconceived notions if we try hard enough

We can process simultaneously strong emotions and reasoning tough

*

Our brains may be complex neural networks but our minds

In an intangible realm nourishment find

The complex interplay of thoughts and emotions that creates

Our behavior is not something that AI can replicate

“You’re good at this,” whenever this she was told

She would find her imposter syndrome unfold

She would get flustered and worry about

Disappointing everyone, she would doubt

Her abilities, afraid that people would come to realize

That she was no good at all, perhaps she was telling lies..

*

People told her what she was good at again and again

She honed her skills; her efforts did not go in vain

Yet she never quite believed in her own competence

She never could find that level of self-confidence..

*

When people tell you that you are

Capable of something more, of going far

When they tell you that something better you can achieve

They are not giving you false hope, try to believe

What they are saying, because they may be able to see

Your true potential, unaware of which you may be

You may be in a web of your insecurities mired

Unable to trust in your ability to achieve goals to which you have aspired

If people praise you for your competence, take that as a sign

For you to work towards the goal for which you are destined

Consider it your lucky charm, or a prophecy

Leave aside self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy

You try to take decisions in a manner objective

You try to weigh a situation from different perspectives

You step away and examine a problem holistically

So that you don’t miss the forest for the trees

You do not want to be swayed by emotion

You want to decide with eyes wide open

*

Then there are times you close your eyes

When going with your gut feeling seems wise

When your heart is at odds with your head

You silence the voice of practicality, instead

You go ahead guided by your intuition

You hope you can bring your dreams to fruition

*

Some decisions need reason’s impartial voice

For others, your instincts should let you make a choice

For a decision that impacts others my mind I use

For personal decisions, my heart over my mind I choose…

No matter what you decide, you wonder about

The road not taken, you sometimes doubt

Whether the best decision was taken by you…

Whatever you decided, you would have to follow through

We all grew up being taught

Basic etiquette in school

To treat others with kindness

Was supposedly a fundamental rule

Most of us more or less stick to those norms

When with other people we’re face to face

But when involved in online discussions

We fail to extend to others such grace..

*

When people turn to social media forums for advice

With mockery and scathing criticism they are met

Behind a veil of anonymity people feel emboldened

To tear down others on the internet..

*

It is time we all learnt a new set

Of rules of engagement for the internet

Think before we type vicious comments

Practice in the online world real-life etiquette

This poem was inspired by an Indian movie I watched titled “Kho gaye hum kahan” (Where are we lost) that explores the story of 3 youngsters trying to find meaning in the digital age and eventually discovering that life is meant to be lived in person and not online.

(I think this blurry image captured from a moving car is apt for this poem)

You do not realize how far you have drifted

From who you were, how your priorities have shifted

Though your goals and dreams are the sane as they used to be

You’ve let yourself be pulled in different directions unknowingly

You are bedazzled by the highlights that you see

Of others’ lives, you compare them incessantly

With your behind-the-scenes life that a big mess appears

You are flailing while everyone is succeeding, you fear

*

Do you realize that less than two decades ago

There was no way for you to know

The business of most people around you unless

You interacted with them or they had achieved considerable success

But now every person behind an instagram reel

Appears successful, and makes you feel

You are not enough, that you need to be

Doing something that the world can see

And applaud you even if the story is fake

Think of the toll on your emotional state this can take..

*

Step away from the phantasmagoric universe

Of social media, do not make yourself feel worse

Remove the unreal comparisons and find

A way back to your sane, less conflicted mind

You’ve lost yourself in a world that is beyond your comprehension

Discover yourself in the real world, leave your device and pay attention

I had somehow assumed artists were their own special breed

To be an artist, a completely different set of qualities one would need

I was convinced my world could never intersect

With that of artists, my personality lacked an artistic aspect

I thought my manner of thinking was completely objective

I did not dabble in ideas creative or subjective

*

Not long ago, I stumbled upon, by serendipity

My own ignored creative ability

I could develop it further, I realized

It actually came as a pleasant surprise

*

Giving artistic expression to the chaotic thoughts in my mind

Has led me on the path of self-realization, I find

I can process complex emotions through art

I can better align my mind and my heart

*

While I do not have the audacity to call

Myself an artist, I can be artistic on a scale small

Each time I flex my muscles creative

Much needed nourishment to my soul I give..