Maximising the RoI

Subscriptions galore, a silent guilt hangs on,

New movies to watch, the month's almost gone.

That's money down the drain, for every serial I don't watch,

In a bid to recoup investment, I watch drivel non-stop.

A pile full of books, makes the load of guilt high,

Their price depreciated, still lying unread, I sigh.

Every waking moment, I don't read and assimilate,

The knowledge becomes outdated, arrives a bit too late.

  

I need an AI assistant, to squeeze the best RoI,

It would watch movies for me, and not just curate for my eye.

It would summarize books and seasons, I'll be able to talk smart,

As it optimizes my attention, I would have mastered the art.

They say to gain control over your life, sometimes you need to do less,

Make peace with the unwatched movies, and of unread books don't stress.

Amor Fati

What is, is; enjoy the present,

Don't overstretch, or be hellbent,

To create your future, give birth to a new time,

Or drown in misery, on having lost your prime.

10 years back, you pined to be here,

Don't spend the next 10, trying to be there.

Don't spoil what you have, by desiring what you lack,

Rejoice in the moment, get your life back on track.

You had a blueprint, but territory differs from the map,

There'll always be a chasm; stop living in the gap.

Between the ideal and the actual, life gently slips by,

To the perennial new aspirations, you need to say bye.

Amor Fati, learn to love your fate,

Appreciate the earth, heaven can surely wait.

Which One is Supreme?

As you sow, so shall you reap, is the law of Karma,

Bad deeds can curse you to eternal hell, good deeds can elevate your varna.

The world is determined; every effect has a cause, you can't beat your destiny,

Deeds from the past can haunt your life, crown you a hero, or bless you with ignominy.

Desire is the root cause of all beginnings, is the law of Kama,

Be it a child or novel solutions, one has to get sucked into this world drama.

There is free will and agency, of course, you can make a random choice,

When everyone's driven. by their passions, there's unpredictability, chaos, and noise.

To place society's interests beyond one's own is the law of Dharma,

It's to be guided by a sense of duty, which doesn't change but is sort of perma.

We're neither determined nor totally free; we are bound by constraints and laws,

That if we choose for once, we choose for all times, should give us reason to pause.

The Vishnu is stuck in a Karmic loop, Brahma's desires leave him disgraced,

The Shiva performs his duty, come what may, the Trinity within me be praised.

Daring Greatly

Problems galore, it’s a literal war front,

The call is strong, to pull off a stunt.

The economy provides cover, lets me lie low,

In the age of AI layoffs, passion needs to burn slow.

If not a prisoner of the economy, I would have gone for the kill,

Let the situation improve, before showing valour, pay the bill.

It’s not just a risky proposition, where there’s a probability of loss,

It’s daring greatly despite knowing, your life may go for a toss.

It’s true that the more I dare, the more I vote for myself,

The economic excuse cripples, this adventure I can’t help.

Due to a lack of courage, I can’t put my life on hold,

Never mind the bourses crashing, or tanking prices of gold.

To dare greatly within constraints, is not a foolishness or crime,

You’ll never be able to leap, if you just wait for the right time.

PS: This poem was partially inspired by reading this Medium article and was first published on my Medium blog here.

To Pee or Not to Pee

I have a mild urge, to urinate,

No restrooms in sight, it'll have to wait.

I'm firmly in control, calling the shots,

But the experimenter, made me drink a lots. 

The urge has become moderate, pressure building up,

Have to control my impulses, can't leave in a huff.

The impulse control spreads, to other self-control domains,

I give up a small treat now, so tomorrow's luncheon remains.

The urge is now urgent, I have to bladder void,

Experiments like this, in the future, I'll avoid.

I'm almost like a drunkard, deprived of sleep,

Can't think through straight, or my attention keep.

The urge is fulfilled, now I no longer need to pee,

This research got an IgNobel, not everything's about me.

PS: This poem was inspired by the research that got awarded the IgNobel prize for Medicine in 2011. 

An On-Demand Poem

I've all but forgotten, the art and craft,

Some rhymes, some rhythm, just add to cart,

On checkout, don't forget, to add the coupon code,

Enjoy within minutes, a limerick or an ode.

Most days it's the standard, 14-line drills,

I can tweak the format, or make a quick one, no frills.

I'll customise the sonnet, to suit your taste,

Please savour the delicacy, don't gobble in haste.

You demand a sentence-long poem, and I certainly can,

Maybe Haiku is the template, worth your attention span.

I can stretch the sentence long, or make a short,

In the age of reels, I need to adapt, you exhort.

Playing with words but losing its soul,

Hashtag WorldPoetryDay, I have met my goal.

Being a Poppy

Don’t be afraid to be a poppy, in a field full of daffodils,
Be it their scorn or enchantment, it's all grist for the mill.
They laughed at Einstein, they also laughed at Bozo, the clown,
If you don’t blossom or break through the cracks, on you I’ll forever frown.

For when a poppy pushes up, through the dark earth to the spring,
It just knows in its heart that sunshine spring will bring.
It shows courage against odds and deeply values life,
And believes in miracles that are born of strife.

When Lady April brings the daffodils, the springing grasses, and warm April rains,
Does your Poppyness torment you, fill you with doubt and pain?
Would it reassure you if I pointed, I’ve been the odd man out,
Does that message assuage you, so you can stop whining and shout?

Whether to be a poppy or a daffodil, I have not given you the choice,
This whole piece is a dramatic monologue, where, my dear, you don’t have a voice!

PS: This poem was written as a response to this prompt on Scrittura and first published on Medium here.