SUMMER LOTUS

…to her young intern

4th Jan 2024. 1 min read published in The Power Of Poetry

What can I teach you young lady

That is valuable for your life

Values that money can’t buy

That the road ahead is not as smooth as you wish

There will be bumps and potholes indeed

Some will make you stumble and even bleed

But you will pick yourself up.

As you are taught to be calm

It seems like you are given a balm

So that when you fall, you will not falter, at least not mentally and spiritually

Your mind will remain crystal clear

Solutions will surface, kind words will arise from your lips, your hands and legs will remain steady

You can rectify the situation

Because nothing serious will happen

If you do not panic

Everything will smoothen out like a silky fabric

It’s here that I practice calmly so that you will imbibe what we believe to be good for your well being

I must thank you too as I benefit from working with you

Based on this principle of tranquility

Don’t even flinch, things are not as bad as you imagine

Kind words, positive thoughts, and a good deed will carry your day as they do mine

And we can all have a great time

Jan 1st 2024 1 min read posted in The Power of Poetry on medium.com

Resolutions are often broken

Because they were often perfunctorily taken

This year I found the power in setting my goals

As I analyses them carefully and clearly with soul

First is self assessment

As they say, know thyself and the battle is half won

Know your weaknesses and your strengths

Work on them and achieve your ends

Next is self discipline

Set your time, learning effort, focus and be real keen

To attain knowledge, awareness and good health

You may even increase your wealth

Finally is self healing

For oneself and the World, PRAY

As one cannot control what is beyond one’s power

Prayer can and to that I add reading and writing with fervour

To each goal, their specifics are named

Everyday, this will be my game

When another year end nears

I hope to say it’s been a Great Year!

26/12/23 1 min read (published in The Power of Poetry)

Author in Boston, December 2023

One morning in beautiful Boston,

I left the hotel to meet up with my friend who had gone shopping

She did not wait for me as I was napping

The biting blustering wind scoured my face as soon as I stepped out onto the pathway.

I was poor with directions and feared that the GPS would mislead me

I walked briskly on the verge of running, keeping my fingers crossed

It’s not so much the cold but the fear that the person behind me might pounce on me

Few times I threw side glances to size up the figure behind me.

I could run, I could kick, I could scream

Noticing people coming in the opposing direction comforted me

Everyone seemed to pace along, nonchalantly

Being well covered up by his neck buff added to the mystery and my tension

600 m later, the destination loomed up before me

The figure behind me had passed ahead

I was relieved

All in my mind

I have a fertile imagination and innate fear

Anyway, I am glad to overcome my doubts by setting out

What’s worse

To be held captive in my own mind each time I am challenged

Or face the uncertainty, realise the truth and fortify my mind

Many times it’s the tricks of my thoughts

I had chosen not to submit to fear

16th Dec 2023. 1 min read

Author at Climb Central, Singapore

My palms develop calluses as I grip the handholds

My feet ache as I pushed against the footholds

My arms are pumped up as blood is diverted to them

I feel the power of gravity as it hauls me back to earth

And I am tempted to let go

It’s the next level of difficulty

My mind says breathe

My heart says be still

My eyes say look for a better grip

My arms and legs say rest on the wall

My soul says be positive and move along

Rock climbing develops your grit, your persistence and your intellect

There is always a way to finally reach the top

Some can do it because they have unravelled these traits

They are strength, stamina, strategy, stability, stillness, silence, style and sentiment

I will get there, at the top of this level, one day.

These are the qualities that will get me whatever I want in life

29th Nov 2023. 1 min read (The Power Of Poetry)

The world is full of trouble

And it will continue to struggle

Man has since not budged an inch

As he has not looked within

Life is a mirror that reflects

If you want to make yourself glad

Remember what one sees but others do not

Accept that it’s no one’s fault

Rather, it’s a matter of different views

To another, one’s thoughts may seem skewed

It’s important to have mutual respect

Even when we differ in many aspects

What is a true human strength

It is the power to not take offence

To all who are different, let’s adopt a sincere embrace

So as to live life with peace, joy and grace

19th Nov 2023. 1 min read (poetry)

Author’s mutt, Happy

Happy, the love of my life

Everything was perfect about you except you were a runaway kid

When you went missing without my knowing

I did not relent as I went searching

Such a small creature could create so much upheaval in my being

At one point, I became so good at philosophizing

That I could handle a new beginning

But deep down, there was no pretending

That this event was too heartrending

When suddenly, a white shadow darted right

I leapt from the car and grabbed the mutt

By now, all terror stricken by the ‘wild’

But both of us were glad you were back in my arms like a child.

Thank God!

(First posted on my FB dated 6th June 2012, now shared with medium.com)