A Zero Thought Mind

Thoughts are swirling in my mind, some say, in a day, 70 grand,

Most are useless, recurring ones- vanishing like lines on sand. 

Some are pretty nasty too, fill me with fear and dread, 

How silly, I aim for zero thoughts, when thinking wins me bread.

 

You think a lot, put your mind to rest, - easier said than done,

Just focus on your breath for a change,  your thoughts wont weigh a tonne.

Take a deep breathe in, hold to count of 4, and slowly do exhale,

The thoughts will come to a gentle halt, as the ship loses its sail.  

In case the storm of thoughts is strong, I've other tricks up my sleeve, 

Ground yourself in the present moment, till the thoughts do not leave. 

Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch and feel, 

Forget the past, park your dreams- stopping thoughts is no big deal. 

If I truly wished, I can get rid of, your each and every thought,  

Sans your memories, pain or pining for- I'm as good as naught. 

Why So Athletic?

Ready, steady, go, waiting for the sound of gun,

I pump myself up, getting primed for the run.

The distance is short- I've got to give all it takes,

Its a sprint that I must win, as its a game of high stakes.

As I take my mark, breathe deep, get ready to roll, 

I calm myself down, settle for a leisurely stroll, 

The distance is large- I've got to conserve for the long haul,

Its a marathon that I must finish, winning is an order tall.   

Ready, ready, ready, I've to keep changing tracks,

Swim, cycle, run, test my abilities to max,

The course is bumpy- I've got to learn all the tricks,

Its a triathlon that I must endure, as all check-boxes it ticks. 

 

Sometimes to prove to others, sometimes to myself,

I end up running in circles- hoarding trophies for the shelf.

A Fading Symphony

Wishing you annually on your birthday, that ritual is now passe,  

Penning a few lines, for you, here and then, about that I cannot say. 

What used to stab, and wound and throb, now runs on an even keel, 

The background hum of pain has died, behold the man of steel.

The yearly exchanges of wishes and notes, my tenuous link with thee, 

Is finally brought to halt this year, I've set myself free.

I no longer need to scheme or brood, on what you'll say to me,

I'm a master storyteller now, you'll be what I'll like to be. 

 

Its difficult for me, to be constrained, by the sobering reality,

-That my love may be, unrequited, sterile- Oh! spare me the pity.  

And that's why I close my eyes to you, now you are no longer piercing or true, 

They may call me names, or delusional, but over the cuckoo's nest I safely flew. 

The more I try to catch your shadow, the more it increases my parting pain,

The moment my fancy reshapes you as a ghost, I'm back in control and at peace again.

 

The ONE Thing

What's the one thing that you will, like to do one day,  

Write a book, start a company, or stage a play?

If you do it well and good, all else will be a cakewalk, 

You would be able to pay your bills, and be the town's talk.

Can you narrow it further, what would it take,

To identify a subset, that in five years you can make. 

Is it writing the first few chapters, start moonlighting on the job,  

Your first year's broken down goal- to distinguish from the mob.

 

What's the one thing this week, whats the one thing today,

What's the one thing this moment, to make this count as a day.

Write the title of your story, choose your company's domain name,

Take the fist step towards achieving, focus tightly your aim. 

You ask me to do one thing, and ignore the other flames,

My heart is not mortgaged to thee - it has hundred claims. 

A Free Guy

Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains, 

We are creatures of circumstances, or so the author claims.

Conforming to the society, we are shaped by the invisible hand, 

Sometimes we yield freedom, sometime its taken by the law of the land.  

We trade our freedom, for bread on the table,

Are left behind in the race- a dark horse in the stable.  

Injured, not whole, we blindly keep following the herd, 

Abdicating responsibility and freedom, with a stone we kill 2 bird. 

Can we really have freedom, have a power to shape? 

Be more than our instincts, be more than an ape? 

Or are we subdued by civilization, with a veneer so strong, 

That exerting our freedom, would seem oh so wrong.

But today I realized, with a sudden gleam,

I have the last of human freedom- the freedom to dream!

I Know Why The Trapped Fish Shines

A question that haunts me, day and night, 

Can I escape this world, of aqua and white? 

Should I stay content, and never roam, 

Or fulfill my yearning, for seas unknown?

 

But what if I am set, accidentally free, 

Can I find my route, towards the vast sea? 

My fins are weak, and though I daily pined, 

I was limited to this tank, have remained confined.

 

The dream of freedom, a current I chase, 

But this tank is my only, safe and familiar place. 

The weight of this dream, is pulling me down, 

I keep swimming in circles, and live without renown.

 

Today, however,  I saw in the aquarium's glass,

That I'm shiny and golden and of a different class.

PS: This was written in conjunction with chatGPT. I asked chatGPT to convert the poem 'Setting the Birdie Free' to fish from bird and then played around with the output and refined it a lot.

Setting the Birdie Free

Caged from birth, can I fly?

Is a real question- Zero reasons why, 

I should be smug, and venture into the wild, 

Are my feathers strong, I've been limited as a child!

Even if you were, to set me free,

Would I be able, to climb the tree?

You've irreparably damaged, broken me for life,

Cant even escape this life- in the cage no thorn or knife!

Freedom to fly, is a mirage I chase,

This cage has become, my comforting safe space, 

The weight of that dream, is crushing me down,  

Going through the motions- on my existence I frown!

Today however, I set the birdie free,

Realized I could sing, pour my heart, and just be!!