COMA

 COMA

What if you opened your eyes one day?

And saw everyone looking down at you and smiling 

Parents, relatives, and friends. 

Tears of joy flowed down their cheeks 

Some looked shocked and dazed 

Others talking animatedly

Many whispering and giggling.

Your fragile eyelids flicker in weakness and disbelief

You lie bewildered and perplexed

 trying to comprehend the total disorientation 

The strange scene unfolding 

Before your bleary eyes.

People rush in and out of the room

Which you recognize vaguely.

You seem to be drifting on a calm sea

Or is it a fluffy cloud 

Of a strange consciousness?

But every time you open your eyes

Things look clearer. 

A medical practitioner saunters into the room

A nurse scurries in behind  

You don’t seem to recognize them    

He is beaming and calling you by your name 

You realize now that YOU are 

The center of attention.

You have questions galore 

But sleep calls some more and you doze off

Time lapses 

A few more days of this drowsy slumber?

You have no clue whatsoever

Of time- place- day  

Your eyes open clearer than before

But precise body movements are sporadic

And at times your head throbs

As if your brain is about to spill. 

You venture to ask a few probing questions 

But you mumble incoherently 

When? How? Why? Where?

People tell you to stay calm

That all is well

That the worst is over. 

The worst?

At last, you smile a timid smile

You sense a perceptible change 

As realization starts to dawn

And the fog begins to lift.

White walls, Tubes, monitors, machines beeping

Why do the few people around you look so much older? 

Palpitations worry you and you clutch at your chest

As people scuttle around.

More whispers and smiles aplenty

 You begin to feel stronger by the day  

They finally say you have been in a coma

It’s been ten years – give or take a few weeks

Strangely you felt no pain and no sadness consumed you.

 And while you slept a long sleep………….

The world continued to turn on its axis.

Wars were fought and thousands were killed 

Royals got married and people rejoiced 

There were natural calamities & pandemics  

That shook the very core of the universe. 

Glaciers melted, and the green cover was lost 

Drought, storms, earthquakes and floods caused havoc

The world over 

Terrorism raised its ugly head ever so often

While crazy lunatics shot people at random

In so-called developed countries. 

Planes mysteriously went missing 

People took to some strange pastime

Called the ‘ice bucket challenge 

And ‘Gangam style’ was the song of the decade.

Mandela, Malala and Trump 

Were the most googled names. 

Economies rose and fell

Something called ‘Brexit’ troubled Britain

And a movement named ‘Me too’ 

Got perverted men in hot water 

Creating headlines far and wide.

The Epstein and Weinstein scandals 

And Prince Andrew’s escapades 

became sensational stories.

 

You had blacked out,

 you had slumbered 

In a stupor – in a trance

No one knew the how and the why 

But now 

After years of nothingness 

Things begin to feel different

You have finally made your way 

Through the dark ominous tunnel

And every beam of sunlight 

Now spells hope.

A rectangular world

 Thought for  the day...

We seem to be living in a rectangular world!.

Except for the clock and flowerpot in my office , everything else is rectangular.  

It's the same at home. Except for crockery and cooking vessels, it's a rectangular world all  around me. 

I guess that's the easiest shape to mass produce .

Nature on the other hand hates the shape- probably detests it . 

That's why we don't have rectangular plants, flowers , trees, hills, mountains, rivers or seas. 

Cameras with round lens take rectangular photographs and no body part of ours is rectangular either!

Is it our unintentional fight with nature? 

I presume rectangles are just  omnipresent  creatures determined to box us in, and there is very little we can do about it .

No inspiration today

 On some days there is no poetry and no story, and despite good intentions, your  mind is like a clean slate- or an empty vessel - whatever you prefer. 

And you sit at your computer pondering the way forward and hoping to inspire the world. 

You cannot fathom the ' empty mind syndrome' because it usually doesn't happen to you . 

You make a beginning and a few words later, hit the delete button.

You start again, and go a little further, but once again the words don't flow, as they are apt too. 

This is silly and a trifle preposterous. 

Delete,delete,delete, till you are utterly frustrated . 

You take a short break hoping against hopes that something will inspire you. 

Nothing happens. 

No inspirational ideas - no eureka moment and no insights whatsoever. 

Panic begins to set it.

Should you write about a childhood experience? Should it be a teen escapade ? 

A long lost love ? A dream ? What about working woes? Procrastination? Something futuristic maybe?.

You sift through one topic after another and manage to come up with zilch. 

This is disgusting to say the very least .

What's with me ? 

I am beginning to feel like a complete idiot - a  failure and rather powerless to boot.

They say that one is often motivated when sitting near water. 

Now that's an idea if there ever was one.

Well there is a lake close by, but wouldn't I look like an utter moron sitting in the burning sunshine near a large lake and staring at a laptop? 

Even the cats who greet me in the vicinity every evening are probably  asleep elsewhere. 

The four white ducks are usually  crouching under the overhanging shrubs near the edge of the lake at around this time.

It's not going to happen. 

No Michael I say to myself - there has to be another way. 

Wait- I am a dimwit to even imagine, I will be able to produce something constructive today.

Ok I have it. 

I think I'll take a nap .

Let's take forty winks, drowse, a siesta , doze, snooze or just put my head on the pillow and sleep.

Keeping it simple ! 

They say sleep can be inspirational.

So here's the plan. 

I've put the Ac on 18 degrees. The drapes are  drawn. The room is dark. The bed looks  welcoming .

I will live to write another day. 

For now it's adieu.

I wish I was a cat

 Random silly thoughts.

Have you ever wished you were a cat? 

A tame house pet.?

You laze around all day 

You are fed well 

Everyone gives you plenty of

love and attention

They want to cuddle you 

And play with you

And kiss you 

And you put up your price

And act snooty 

And they still say ' how cute"!

Then you slip out into the garden

And they go crazy

Searching for you 

And it makes you feel special

Coz you know you have them

Eating out of the palm of your hand

Or paw or whatever !

Then they  rattle your bowl

Promising you treats.

And call your name in desperation

While you peep at them

From under a bush or a chair

And you say to yourself

' it serves them right'

While sniggering !

Then when you are finally fed up

Of sitting alone and getting bored

As it's warm outside 

You get up and casuslly saunter in

Without so much as a ' by your leave'

And they are thankful 

And all smiles

And they thank God that 

You didn't decide to run away.

Makes you feel

Oh so special.

Their generous hearts are overwhelmed 

And they decide to get you 

Pampered and spruced up

So an appointment is booked

At a fancy pet spa

Costlier and sillier 

than the one for humans 

You come out feeling 

Bathed and bruised

brushed and dried 

Drained and stressed 

beyond measure

And smelling like an

Overpriced  powder puff

If only they knew

How much you detested this 

Utter nonsensical humbug 

You get home

And they are all cooing and smiling

And clicking pics

On their silly phones

While calling your name

Expecting you to pose.

Stupid humans for sure.

They ought to get 

Their act in order

 

All you want to do however 

Is rush to your litter box

And let it all out

It's been two hours of torture

Have they forgotten ?

But they are determined 

To shower you with more affection 

And the madness continues unabated

Till you hiss and 

Pretend to be annoyed

Tail waving and all

It's fun to see them scared! 

Finally they back off

While you make it to 

The litter box.

Then relieved

You tuck in 

And  go to sleep once again.

In a minute 

You're in dreamland 

It's a cat's life after all 

And they should know

That cats rule.

The good old days

 Do you wish you knew they were the good old days before you grew older ?

For the present generation, these are the days that will be referred to as the good old days 25 years from now.

Strange isn't it? 

Between the ages of about 15 and 30, human beings are in their prime, and those are the most enjoyable years of their lives ,and hence those become the benchmark for ' THE  GOOD OLD DAYS'.

However, paradoxically speaking, they are good days and some of the toughest as well.

You're finishing school, thinking of college and what next.

If your smart and ambitious , you have some plans in place if not it's  let's see' when asked about what your plans were!

It's also the age when one is maturing physically, mentally and emotionally and those are additional challenges to cope with.

Then comes the job search and the quest for a suitable opening followed by looking for what one hopes is the correct life partner and then the wedding tension &fun.

Before you know it there are kids inbtoe and all at once from ' baba and baby' you are ' sahib and memsahib'!

And then you are refered to as ' that middle aged couple'.

Time flies over us and leaves it's shadow behind.

Early morning ....

 Ever wonder why ducks often swim so fast. Fish too!.

Even in a tank.

Nothing to do 

Nowhere to go.

No plans for the weekend 

Silly thoughts I know

But they enter my brain

And get me thinking .

Moths too

Near the lake this morning 

Determined to enter my ears, mouth and nostrils

Actually only the left nostril

My nose is crooked you see

So the right one  would be 

A bit of a squeeze.

One did enter 

And set me off on a sneezing frenzy.

Morning walkers backed off

Suddenly moved to the grassy patch

Pretending to pluck flowers

From overhanging boughs !! 

Covid still scares doesn't it?

Then there are those paid to walk dogs

Standing and chatting on their phones 

While the poor cannines whine to move.

I need to go home.

THANK YOU

 A thought for the day …….

Thank you, is a phrase that many of us probably use daily.

However, of late, it seems to be going out of style, or to put this in the right context – is being used insufficiently.

Here is the thing- Are we using it enough, or should we be doing much better?

It is often the unsung heroes and the tireless blue-collar workers, who end up getting the least thanks although they deserve it the most.

There are others too who could do with being thanked more often! Parents, children, family, colleagues & friends. Not too sure what actually comes in the way?

 Is it embarrassment, a couldn’t care less attitude or just plain absentmindedness?  

 Is it due to the fast pace of life we are leading?

Do we just take too many things and people for granted?

 Are we too busy to show gratitude or do we feel it does not matter any longer?

Maybe we feel that we ‘pay a tip or a salary’, so that is sufficient!

Positive psychology emphasizes the fact, that any form of gratitude, is strongly linked to well-being and happiness. Being thankful, in the simplest of ways, is shown to improve our personal relationships and make us more resilient

Martin Seligman, a leader in the field of Positive Psychology, wrote, “when we take time to notice the things that go right – it means we’re getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day” 

While money is certainly ‘up there as a must-have’, recognition and appreciation for a job well done, go a long way in motivating people to do better. Words and phrases like ‘great job’, ‘well done, and ‘I sincerely appreciate’, are all worth remembering and using, in our day-to-day life.

Over the years, I have spoken to a number of friends and colleagues on this topic, and many have felt, that more often than not, they are taken for granted, as they rarely receive any form of gratitude for a job well done.

So here is the question- are we becoming more callous & less sensitive to the world and people around us?

Taxi drivers, food and other delivery workers, the people who work in your house and office as support staff, the petrol pump attendant, the security guards at the gate or in our buildings, are all people we see daily, but who we tend to treat more like ‘expendable commodities’.

When was the last time you asked any of these people their names?

By this I don’t mean you have to go around asking any and everyone their name, but what about your regulars? Are the ones you pass or interact with daily closer to home or at your place of work? Care to hazard a guess? The answer could surprise you.

Have you ever asked about their lives, their families, or their well-being?   

 

I never used to do it enough either, but have made a concerted effort over the last couple of years to do better.

However, this is no sermon from the mount, nor am I attempting to display a holier than thou attitude! All I am saying is that we must show gratitude more often.

 Genuine encouragement, reassurance, empathy, and compassion should never go out of style

A genuine heartfelt thank you, along with a smile, if it’s not too much to ask for, costs nothing, but it can make someone else’s day a little better!

Want to give it a try starting today? 

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"Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others"