First Believe

I've failed on many fronts, setbacks are deep and many,

Not afraid to tank again, I can face challenges any.  

If my right hand toils hard, left hand will surely lift the trophy,

If you believe, then you'll succeed; do you understand, do you copy?

 

I've been miserable and sad, emotions often take nosedive,  

Not afraid of my sensitivity, to all experiences I give high five.

If I can make someone laugh, the ripples will encircle me too, 

If you trust, you'll become happy, smiling is the right thing to do. 

 

I've felt empty and rudderless, drifting aimlessly with the wind,

Not afraid to meet absurdity, I'm slowly becoming thick-skinned.

If I can make the mundane live, I'll leave a mark on this date,

If you have faith, you'll find meaning, in your ordinary fate.

 

I've been morally bankrupt, acting wayward with gumption,  

I'll mend my ways, be upright, you have to believe I'm within redemption. 

Being Human

GenAI is all the rage, it can write beautiful code,

Between low code and no code, you can keep switching the mode.

It'll test for you, find bugs and fix, it will even optimize,

What used to be a fiefdom of programmers, it has helped to democratise.

GenAI is all the rage, it can provide a listening ear,

That a chatbot can counsel well, is the news of the year.

It'll paraphrase what you say, summarise, and also suggest some technique,

What used to be their monopoly, now psychologists future is bleak.

GenAI is all the rage, it can pen beutiful lines,

It sounds more authentic and real, I have heard from the grapevines.

The perfect rhythm and meter, the apt turns of phrase,

A million budding poets now, some brilliant, some blase.

Programmer, psychologist, poet, where do we draw the line,

The AI may take our jobs, but the human touch will keep us fine.

Taking Time-Off

Everyone looks up at me, I'm the homemaker,  

I'm the default emotional support, the nanny, the caretaker. 

Once in a while I suffer, from a little cold and cough,

And when I indulge in a little self care, feel guilty for taking time-off.

Everyone looks up at me, I'm the breadwinner,

Hunched on my desk throughout the day, I'm usually late for the dinner. 

Once in a while I plan a leave, saying enough is enough,

So many projects hanging at workplace, feel guilty for taking time-off.

 

Everyone looks up at me, I'm the family's hope, 

Though only a child, I study long hours, can somehow manage to cope. 

Once in a while I like to play, with other kids in play-off,

Playing during the exams is a strict taboo, feel guilty for taking time-off.

I don't know where we are going, why all are short of time,  

It seems totally ludicrous,  that taking time for yourself feels a crime!

Writing Dilemma

Sitting down to pen a poem, end up drawing a blank, 

The themes are repeating, and I'm getting bored, to be frank. 

What ought I write about, there's nothing exciting to share,

About topics I have realized, that nobody really cares.

How you say it is what matters, your non-verbals, your style,

How to portray that in a poem,  have patience, I'm giving it a trial.

The choice of words, the rhyme, the meter, the lyricism, 

I hope to get this right, not shroud it in mysticism.

Why you write in the first place, needs to be equally addressed, 

Another important question is, to whom are these addressed?

Writing 14 lines of rhyme, do not make a sonnet be true, 

What you need is someone worthy of love- and that are far and few.

I've kept writing for so long, never in return I got a share or like,

If I don't get a comment from you soon, I may as well go on a strike!

Friend Recommendation

Her name pops up, in people you may know, 

Do you know her, asks FB, I'm tempted to say no.

Sending a friend request is an option at length I consider,  

The fear of rejection makes me backtrack, and strongly reconsider.

Somewhat hesitatingly, I finally send the friend request,

Endless waiting follows- have I succeeded in my quest?

Constantly checking her profile, just to make sure,

She has accepted me in her fold, anointed me pure.

Greatly relieved to see, that she has become a friend,

Great validation, that our friendship didn't end. 

Barely a month goes, and I'm aghast to discover,

Her name's again in recommended list- its hard to recover. 

I had expected when she accepted the request, it will last at least a while,

But in a week to be back to square one is disappointing, and on her part, somewhat vile.

Social Media Outpourings

Facebook reveals, that its your birthday,

Greetings pour in, sending wishes your way. 

Your day ends responding to messages with thanks,

If it wasn't for Facebook, it would have drawn blanks.

LinkedIn reveals, you have changed your job,

For a moment you become, the platform's heartthrob. 

Congratulations pour in, wishing you luck in new role,

No one caring whats in store, what the new job will take toll.

Twitter reveals, you are an opinionated prick,

On left or right, its clear to which side you stick.

Trolls pour in, attacking you left and right,

You solidify your position, with all your might.

This social media is good, lets others know whats important, 

But if used in a mechanized way, it becomes totally impotent.

A Milestone

Two thirds of the journey is over and done,

A sense of achievement, and relief for one. 

A little more plodding, and the end is within reach,

completing this milestone, will to me a lot teach.

I still have nightmares about that aborted mission,

Got bored before the mid point, couldn't sustain the vision.

Exhausted a bit, and also became disinterested,

Should have continued the sojourn, post getting rested.  

One third of the path, though is still untrod,

Don't know what obstacles will come down the road. 

Will I be able to sustain the momentum, keep the ball rolling,

And have the same zeal and energy, when in the last overs bowling.

I have managed to write for 60 days straight, knowing you read me sometimes, someplace,

You still care for my writing and for myself, though you may deny it on my face!

Punished For Being Outspoken

Express dissent, and be prepared to be harassed, 

Shunned by your fraternity, labeled rebel and outcast.

They'll demolish your office, while you are still in mid flight,

And claim 'Ukhad diya' brazenly, making of your suffering light.

 

Investigate misdeeds, and they will go after you,

Frame you in fake cases, against you venom spew.

Put you behind bars, after reopening old cases,

Defame you, summon you daily, without any basis.

 

Share a cartoon, and they will break your jaw, 

File cases against you, for breaking cyber law.

Nobody comes forward, claiming its retaliatory, 

No one has sympathies for the marked quarry. 

But you dare raid for tax evasion, and all hell breaks loose,

How dare you touch our demigods, they are as sacred as Zeus.

The Mutating Week

Monday morning, meetings aplenty,

Missing the weekend, feeling senti, 

Status updates, and plans for the week,

Monday is for brave hearts, not for the meek.

Tuesday afternoon, best time to work,

No interruptions, in the shadows lurk.

Working on, whats important, not urgent, 

For focused productivity, Tuesdays are god sent. 

Friday evening, let your hair down,

Enjoy the weekend, be the talk of the town.

Have unlimited fun, or the anticipation of it,

Recover and rejuvenate, for your health do your bit.

The weeks go by and so will the years,

How you structure your weeks- I'm all ears.

The Society

Preside over meetings, pull ones weight,

Decide important matters, including AGM date. 

Grant permissions like, to move in and move out,

The chairman is the final authority, have no doubt. 

Convene meetings, record the minutes,

Ensure attendance at AGM is not in single digits.

Take care of the day to day errands, be the silent workhorse, 

The secretary keeps things flowing, smoothly and on course.

Approve bills, make payments, 

In the AGM, present audit statements. 

Do the accounting, ensure receipts are there,

The treasurer ensures viability, and that accounts are fair.

I have been in all these roles, and with best of the best did hobnob,

Now I just want to be a member, no more working in a thankless job.

Real Qualities

Can you withstand this, are you really strong? 

Can you accept, however grudgingly, that you were once wrong?

Strength does not lie in putting up, a facade that is hard and upright,

If you're really strong you'll acknowledge, on occasions you were not right.

Can you take this to closure, do you have what it takes?

Can you deliver on every day, not just when there are high stakes?

Endurance does not lie in exhausting, all your resources and drive,

You take rest, pace your innings, for consistent results you strive.

Can you act in an ethical way, do you know what is right?

Can you behave when nobody is looking, avoid transgressions with all your might?

Character does not lie in fighting, battles that are big and bold,

It is visible in everyday actions- how you treat the sick and the old.

Sometimes what looks good on the surface, when you dig out comes the rot,

Don't hide your qualities in a vulnerable shell, have courage, stand out from the lot.

Performance Appraisal

It was tempting to give, a below average rating,

I'm not satisfied, my criticism's are scathing.

You can do so more, if you get organized a bit, 

Maybe a harsh message, will make you show grit. 

It was better to give, an above average rating, 

High expectations motivate- performance wont be gating.

You will stretch out more, use your strengths to the hilt, 

And by rewarding for potential, I wont feel guilt. 

It was convenient to give, an average rating, 

One could delay the raise, for the promotion keep you waiting. 

Little need to justify, the lackluster performance,

Some pressure to fit you, to the bell jar conformance.

I'd rather give timely feedback, than a rating that sticks,

And a generous (p)raise, that gives you in-the-pants kicks.

Writing A Blog

Content is king, but without audience its mute,

We need to drive traffic, lets go down SEO route.

The blogs you write may be as good as gold,

Keep churning new ones, don't rely on old. 

Be spontaneous at your risk, speak to an empty room,

Incorporate trending words, and your traffic will go boom.

Don't tailor your content, for humans to read and trawl,

Make sure the algorithm, and the search engine can crawl.

 

Context is queen, figure out who your audiences are,

If they want trash writing, just lower your bar. 

At all costs make sure, they get what they came for,

Leave a good engagement metrics, keep coming back for more.

You started with a vision, of what your messaging was going to be,

And ended up losing your soul and contorting as per what they want to see.

Small Things

A small win here, a slight praise there, 

Enough to keep, at bay despair.

When you're stuck in a place, that's totally dark,

All you need is a candle, providing contrast stark.   

A faint smile here, a light touch there,

Enough to feel, someone does care. 

When you're floating in a sea, that's endless and vast, 

All you need is an island, to keep swimming fast.

A single 'like' here, a heartfelt 'comment' there,

Enough to feel you belong, that life is fair.

When you keep on writing sonnets, that nobody reads,

All you need is a 'share' to go viral, and fulfill your needs.

 

A small act of kindness, can really make ones' day,

You never know what they are going through, what pain have they.

 

Bugs

Let bygones be bygones, lets start afresh,

The software is buggy, lets start from scratch.

Back to the drawing board, apprehensions galore,

When we scrap the design - there will be bugs no more.

Expect the best, the future looks bright,

Changing a line of code can make it right.

With every small change, comes a risk and fear,

It may work as hell, or crash, oh! dear!.

Focus on the now, enjoy the present, 

The stack trace left behind, is purely god sent.

Problem solved for now, may in future recur,

we will cross the bridge, when the rivers occur.

Groping in the dark, or merely overhauling the code,

Can fix issues in the small run, but wont work well down the road.

Firing Dilemma

Performance of the employee, not upto the mark,

No scope for improvement, the future looks dark.

Lack of common sense, combined with lack of ability,

For business to thrive, one has to decide with agility.

 

Attitude of the employee, leaves much to desire,

No zeal or enthusiasm, it's difficult to light a fire.

Not working well with others, lacking sense of ownership,

For business to survive, someone needs to get off the ship

Ethics of the employee, under a dark scanner,

Using dubious means, acting in a devious manner.

Adept at backstabbing, versed in organizational politics,

For business to heal and grow, this cancer you need to nix.

I can fix the IQ and EQ part, and get you back on the progress path,

But if you lack Moral Quotient, only God can save you from my wrath.

Postponed

Covid 19 spreading, surges in case,

Exams approaching, in a few days. 

Pleas of parents, to do in online mode,

Fall on deaf ears - doesn't well bode.

Mails after mails, hoping for sanity to prevail,

School insisting on offline, so their schedule doesn't derail. 

The government issues directives, to close schools for some time,

The school postponing the 'offline' exams, without reason or rhyme. 

The ward is happy, that the exams got postponed,

The spouse is irked, one more week for ward to goad.

I am relieved, don't need to pick and drop this week,

Nobody cares for the students learning, or that corona is at peak.

We fought hard as a parent group, to expose the fallacy of an offline exam,

Postponed, in lieu of conducting online, a snub to us, can we still remain calm?

Murphy's Law

Showing demo, of the app,

To the investor- funding next step.

Not once in a 100 trials, had the app hung,

On this occasion though, it left me tied tongue.

 

Rolling out solution, to the first client, 

Mails and SMS not delivering, playing defiant.

In internal rollout it went smooth, there's nothing to hide

But on client side not working  -  all in a day's stride.

Presenting the prototype, to the boss,

Bugs by the dozen- leading to face loss. 

Never in the testing, an error showed up,

But now the idea is rejected , and my time's up.

 

I'm sure you know the Murphy's law, and will excuse me as such,

Why things don't work, when they are needed the most, I don't know much!

Reading Books

Gems hidden, in plain sight,

I read books, with all my might.

Hoping to learn, a few new things,

Reading to me, knowledge brings. 

Critiquing ideas, having my say,

I review books, so that I may,

Separate the wheat from the chaff,

The erudite scholar from riff-Raff.  

Daily reading, target set, 

Tracking goals, I've not reached yet.

I'm driven to finish a book a week,

Compulsively hooked to my reading streak.

I've all but forgotten, what its like, to read for mere pleasure,

Reading to me has become a chore, and not what it used to be - for leisure!

Do Not Disturb

Discretion desired, intimacy craved,

Resting in a hotel room, with eyes that are glazed.

Retreating from the world, putting a sign upfront,

Do Not Disturb is my message, about which I'm blunt.

Notifications galore, to focus is the need,

Need to stop scrolling, through the social media feed. 

Putting dark mode on, activating with one touch,

Do Not Disturb is the mode, that to me means much.

 

Irrelevant calls avoided, marketing scorned, 

Need to avoid tricksters, that can leave me conned.

Cutting off in mid-way, keeping the spam callers at bay,

Activating DND services, blocking calls will work, I pray!

They say I have an open door policy, that I am as approachable as anyone,

Can't you see I am a bit disturbed for now, do I have to put up a sign, for one?