Another day goes by
When you work your hardest
And yet, you are left with nothing
To show for your hard toil
All those hours you spent
Searching for the right profiles
All those hours you spent
Calling as many candidates as possible

Another day goes by
When the world of Recruitment
Lures you into its *****
With a lot of false promises
Only to grab you
In a vice-like grip
At the eleventh hour
And try and choke you into submission
In the same way
An anaconda coils itself
Around its hapless prey
And squeezes it to death

Another day goes by
When you toil away
Like there is no tomorrow
Searching for candidates
In every nook and cranny
But, with every candidate
It is the same story
They are not interested
Not for this particular client
A client which calls itself "mid-market"
But is actually rather small
Some candidates are quite friendly
Some are just polite
Some, downright rude
And others don't even bother
To pick up their phone
The bottomline is
This client just won't sell
And as yet another day goes by
I wonder what have I done
To deserve such an unwanted burden
Upon my hapless shoulders

Were nothing to go right
You would show me the light
Because, are you a beacon of hope
Which doesn't allow anyone to mope
Really, are you that one person
Who manages to keep me sane
Even when I am surrounded by total chaos
You teach me how to find bliss
When I am trapped in a bottomless pit of despair
Thanks to you, am I able to bear
Even the worst of all situations
Much louder than your words, are your actions
You fight fire with fire
Never, do you put on airs
Underneath your hard outer shell, lies a rather soft interior
For your people, do you greatly care
Not to mention, are you extremely brave
So much is there about you, that I greatly love
You are among the greatest poets
Not to mention, the most fearless activists
About what our society thinks, you give not a ****
Even after receiving so much hate
You have shown not, any alarm
Rarely, do you take the bait
Even after endless provocation
And at the same time, you show not, any caution
Hence, by you, am I so inspired
That I feel less and less afraid
To speak my mind
Until I grow really, really old
May the Lord bless you, you fantastic human being
With anything and everything
Which you hold dear
Keep fighting, keep motivating and take care
Jai Bhim! Vaazhga Periyar!!

Dear Investment Banking
Why do you have to be so difficult?
I spend hours and hours
Days and days
And weeks and weeks
Searching every nook and corner
For some really good resumes
Which are as easy to find
As a drop of water
In the Thar desert
I speak to dozens and dozens of people
Some are not looking for jobs
Some politely decline
Upon hearing the name of the client
Some need time to think
And others don't even bother to respond
It's a cruel world indeed

Dear Investment Banking
Why do you have to be so difficult?
After a lot of frustration and heartburn
And helplessness and desperation in turn
I finally manage to find a good candidate
Who also happens to be interested
However, as expected, there is a catch
He hasn't updated his resume
And by the time he does it
We would have already lost the client
Thus, I have no choice
But to move on
And resume the search
Which is already looking tougher
Than clearing the IIT-JEE!
Dear Investment Banking
Why do you have to be so difficult?

I have been putting up with you
For days and days
Weeks and weeks
Months and months
And even years and years
Your service has been average at best
And appalling at worst
Issues here, issues there
You name them, you have them
Frequent call drops
Truncated conversations
Total silence at the other end
Whatsapp calls getting disconnected
Nearly every minute
My own voice echoing
And I can go on and on
Every time I complain
You have your excuses at the ready
Geographical conditions
Mobile network settings
Problems with the SIM card
Or for that matter, the handset
It's a miracle
That I didn't die of sheer boredom
After listening to your nonsense
Anyway, I decided to give you a few chances
And thanks to my frequent complaints
There finally seemed to be a bit of improvement
In the overall service
However, I should have known
That it would be too good to last
The same issues started recurring
As always, I have been exceedingly patient
But now things have really gone too far
When a customer is deprived
Of a service as basic as sending a text message
It means the time has come
To end the relationship with the service provider
Once and for all

Dear Patti, it has been three years
Since you left us
A lot of things have happened
Many more have changed
Yet, never can I forget you at all
Always, did you stand tall
As the head of our family
Under you, were we all happy
You were the kindest family member
Your sheer compassion, will I forever remember
My friends were your friends
No relationship with you ever had an end
Really, were you the height of altruism
Through you, did God speak humanism
You have appeared, in countless dreams of mine
When you were alive, never did I feel alone
At times, when all hope seemed lost
You reminded me of my best
Thus, did I develop resilience
Very well, could you understand my silences
Throughout my life, were you with me
The good me as well as the bad me
Your goodness had absolutely no limits
Yet, rarely did you sugarcoat things
Every time, did you speak your mind
And let me know what I had to amend
In order to become a better human being
To you, could one go on listening
And learn a lot about the world
In spirit, never were you old
Tremendous courage, strength and determination
Provided you the ammunition
To go on working, in spite of your numerous health issues
Now, badly do I need a box of tissues
Let me say it once more
Never can I forget you at all, Dear Patti
Rest, not in peace, but in power!

You are my idol
You is it, who manages to make me smile
When I am down in the dumps
You are an amazing poetess
Imagine, could your writing ****
Then die, the oppressors shall
One of the fiercest voices against injustice
Always, are you ready to make sacrifices
For the benefit of humanity
And the transformation of our extremely regressive society!

You are my idol
Always, do you manage to cast a spell
Through your mind-shattering poems
As well as edge-of-the-seat novels
An enchantment that is almost impossible to lift
Really, are you a gift
To the literary world
So much do I love, the way you play with words!!

You are my idol
Never, are you idle
Buzzing with ideas all the time
Truly, is your mind sublime
You are the light to my darkness
The fire to my icy coldness
The humour to my seriousness
The subtlety to my directness
The list is endless!!

You are my idol
I like you more than I hate Israel
You mean as much to me
As independence means to the Palestinians
It was such an honour to see you perform
Last December, at G5A Warehouse
In front of a full house
That I felt I was in a dream
It was indeed a surreal feeling
May you keep performing and inspiring
May all your dreams come true
And may Jesus bless you!!

I get a call from a friend
To whom I haven't spoken
In quite a while
All pleasantries done, we begin talking in right earnest
Catching up on each other
And reminiscing the good old days
When there was no pandemic
We're just over five minutes into the call
When there is a click
And the call drops all of a sudden
I call him back
And we continue from where we left off
However, after barely two minutes
My friend gets busy
Understandably, work is calling
I know the feeling well
After all, we're in the same boat
However, after a few hours
He calls back
And the conversation continues in right earnest
But, would you believe it?
After just over 5 minutes
The call drops, yet again
Way to go, Vodafone
You've just managed to ruin a conversation, twice
Mark my words
If there are any more call drops
Then it will be you
Who will be dropped, as a service provider

There is no one in this world
Who matters to me more than you
The lone exception being Jesus Christ
Were you to be put through any test
No matter how rigorous or torturous
I have no doubt you would emerge victorious
This is not to say you would find everything easy
After all, in life, is nothing ever easy
However, you have faced the worst
And emerged among the best
So many people hate you to the core
However, none of them do you fear
Never, will you be silenced
My heart, have you stolen
And I am sure I am not alone
You have as many ardent admirers
As you have fierce adversaries
Thanks to you, am I able to find the courage
To break free from my cage
Which is full of numerous anxieties and insecurities
And make my way towards finally finding inner peace
Nobody has made such an impact on me
As you have done
Thanks to you, can I smile through my pain
Because, no one dares the way you do
Not a lot of things, do you rue
Because, you are thoroughly independent
And at the same time, not hellbent
On doing anything with blind faith
Well, here's wishing you loads of happiness, peace and good health
And as always, may you be blessed by the Lord!!

A very nice friend, you are
A fun-loving colleague, you were
Really, did I enjoy the team lunch we had at Zaffran
Though the food was a bit of a pain
Always, did working with you make my day
Because, you helped me keep stress at bay!

A very nice friend, you are
And a **** cool wife and mother
Almost all poems of mine, do you appreciate
All my rants, do you put up with
As far as patience goes, hard are you to beat
Some day, would I love to give you a treat!!

A very nice friend, you are
For your family, greatly do you care
So sweet and charming, are your kids
Managing family and work at the same time, is very hard
However, easy, do you manage to make it look
Never, do you pass the buck!!

A very nice friend, you are
Always, does speaking with you make me feel better
Hope we catch up soon
To meet you again, am I quite keen
Till then, take care and keep the smile on your lovely face
And may Jesus bless you with a truckload of love, happiness and peace!!

Dear Amma and Appa, wish you a very happy anniversary in advance
May the Almighty grace the two of you with his presence
And shower you with many a blessing
Without your presence, am I nothing!

Dear Amma and Appa, wish you a very happy anniversary in advance
The two of you strike a beautiful balance
Made for each other
For Shreeja and I, so much do you care!!

Dear Amma and Appa, wish you a very happy anniversary in advance
May you get a wonderful chance
To relive all your precious memories
And celebrate till the Fat Lady sings!!

Dear Amma and Appa, wish you a very happy anniversary in advance
Slowly and steadily, may this beautiful couple dance
Till all their worries are buried
And love is spread far and wide!!

Dear Amma and Appa, wish you a very happy anniversary in advance
I love you both to pieces
Please have the time of your lives
And when finally cometh the big day
Please don't forget the treat, come what may!!

One of the truest friends, you are
Selfish, are you never
Greatly, do I value our relationship
And always, will I clap
For anything and everything you achieve
Because, you make me believe
That every problem in the world can be solved
If we thoroughly apply our mind
You are a very kind soul
And strongly do you feel
For anyone and everyone
Being associated with you is really a boon!

One of the truest friends, you are
For your family and friends, deeply do you care
You were also a wonderful colleague
At that time, was my ego getting big
But thanks to you, did I manage to mellow down
And learn a valuable lesson
Something that I will remember forever
You know, you can seriously make a good teacher!!

One of the truest friends, you are
You and Vivek make a rock-solid pair
It was a great honour to visit your home
Both of you are truly gems
When it comes to character and personality
No wonder, does everyone love your family
Especially your lovely little children
From whom, is there a lot to learn!!

One of the truest friends, you are
And will be forever
May Jesus bless you and your family
With every bit of love, happiness, peace and prosperity!!

Three years of hard work
Three years of patience
Three years of dedication
Where are the rewards?
You talk so much about speed
You talk so much about quality
You talk so much about numbers
Where were you
When the salary was delayed
Every alternate month?
Where were you
When the incentives were delayed
By more than a year?

Three years of hard work
Three years of patience
Three years of dedication
There has been so much
I have put up with
But I do expect something in return
Such as timely payment of salary
Timely payment of incentives
And you have failed to deliver
In all of these aspects
Each of which, is so critical
For a healthy relationship
Between employer and employee
But, are you a good employer?
Looking at the evidence so far
I guess the answer is no

Three years of hard work
Three years of patience
Three years of dedication
The wait has been long enough
I have been extremely patient
But at some stage
My patience is bound to snap
And then, you will hopefully understand
That it may be easy
To lose a good employee
But much more difficult
To find a replacement
And, looking at the speed
At which you pay the salary or incentives
The search will go on and on
Until your wretched company shuts shop
Which is something
That we are all eagerly looking forward to!

Wish you a very happy married life
Sure am I, that you will make a great wife
Because I know you very well
You are a **** good girl
Very intelligent and hardworking
Very warm, friendly and caring
Almost nothing, do you lack
Even assuming I am not cutting you slack!

Wish you a very happy married life
Very well, do you handle strife
Extremely cool and composed
So mature and level-headed
Riddham could not have asked for a better partner
Seriously, I do not know who is luckier!!

Wish you a very happy married life
May your sorrows be extremely brief
May your cup of joy get filled to the brim
You and Riddham make a wonderful team!!

Wish you a very very happy married life
Very adventurously, may you both live
Seriously, I cannot wait for your big day
May Jesus keep all troubles at bay
Take care and meet you soon
In the meantime, may you dance under the light of the moon!!

My best friend are you, forever
Leave you will I, never
Unconditionally, have you always loved me
Never, have you not been there for me
When have I really needed it
Our relationship is nearly perfect!

My best friend are you, forever
Never can I forget our ride in my scooter
Thrilled were you, like a child
The memory was absolute gold
Truly, do I love you as a friend
In fact, are you actually a family friend!!

My best friend are you, forever
Rarely in you, have I seen anger
Extremely thankful am I, for your sheer patience
Again seldom, have I seen you tense
Certainly, are you the definition of "uber cool"
And almost never are you dull!!

My best friend are you, forever
Not valuable has been your advice, never
Almost always, are you caring and sweet
Yet sometimes, quite strict
And sounding like my mother
Though, actually are my unofficial sister!!

My best friend are you, forever
For you, a lot do I care
Sometimes, have I not given you enough space
Sending message after message
At other times, have I bored you
Or demanded a bit too much from you
For all these, would I dearly love to say sorry
I won't repeat it, don't worry!!

My best friend are you, forever
Your mother is nearly like my mother
Love and affection oozing from every bone of hers
Not to mention, are you and Pradeep amongst the cutest couples ever
And he is a good friend
Grateful am I to him, to no end
For encouraging our relationship
It is indeed a beautiful friendship
May God bless you, dear sister
Have good fun and take care
Here's hoping we meet again soon
In the meantime, may you shine like the moon!!

How cruel can you be?
How heartless can you be?
Every month, every week
Every day, every hour
Every minute, every second
You subject your employees
To nothing but abject slavery
In the name of hard work
In the name of targets
But in reality, just to satisfy
Your unquenchable thirst for money
Your insatiable greed for power

How cruel can you be?
How heartless can you be?
You expect results at the speed of light
But you do not provide your employees
The necessary resources
After all, do you think
They are all Harry Houdinis
Capable of pulling rabbits out of hats?

How cruel can you be?
How heartless can you be?
Your employees burn the midnight oil
And brave Hell for you
Some of them are forced to do it
Just to make both ends meet
And you have the sheer nerve
To deny them their pay
Which they have so richly earned
After weeks and weeks of toil

How cruel can you be?
How heartless can you be?
Mark my words, the time will come
When you will pay for your deeds
Till now, you have been lucky
Fate has been on your side
However, things will soon change
Your company will be in free-fall
You will be in debt
With nowhere to turn
As your employees will desert you
One by one
Not even a Houdini can save you then

Dear South Africa, worry not
Chokers, you guys are definitely NOT
Done your very best, you have
A lot is there, to love
In the way you play your cricket
Certainly, are you not easy to beat!

Dear South Africa, worry not
Losing, is the end of the world, NOT
You guys have scaled many peaks
Never given up hope
Even when the situation has been bleak
Always, have you gone deep
Whether it be chasing totals
Or for that matter, defending them
Never, have you not given it your all
So, no need to raise an alarm
Just because you lost one final
Which, by the way, was your FIRST
And you certainly played your best!!

Dear South Africa, worry not
You guys have done a lot
Brought in big hitting batsmen
Beefed up your spin attack
Improved your batting against spin
And of course, terrific, is your pace bowling attack
In short, have you taken all the necessary steps
In order to improve your winning chances!!

Dear South Africa, worry not
Always, do you guys fight
Till the very end
Soon, may your title drought end
Please keep repeating this to yourselves
"We are NOT chokers
The World Cup, will we soon WIN!!"
Amen!!

Whenever you enter my thoughts
A fire begins to burn fiercely in my heart
Destroying everything in its path
Except any positive thoughts
And from my mind, emerges a voice
Saying "You can do it
And you WILL do it!"
Whenever something seems amiss
I think of your struggles
And gradually, do I find myself more capable
Of achieving every task that is set before me
A Harry Houdini, you may not be
However, an inspiration are you, for sure
Because, so much do you care
About righting all the wrongs in our society
Casteism, Hindutva, Islamophobia, gender inequality
Determined are you, to fight hard for social justice
Even if you end up paying a huge price
I consider myself an extremely lucky person
To know such a lovely human being like you
Who talks not through words but actions
Though you are a very loving partner and mother
Rarely, do you showcase your affection and care
Your sheer nerve and bravery would make Godric Gryffindor proud
Your patience, dedication, loyalty and sense of justice would make Helga Hufflepuff proud
Your sharp wit and natural curiosity would make Rowena Ravenclaw proud
And finally
Your sheer ambition, determination and resourcefulness would make Salazar Slytherin proud
Always, will you be my primary motivator
Keep rocking, keep fighting and do take care
May the Almighty bless you forever!!

What a wonderful sister, you are
For you, a lot do I care
Not all the time, may we talk
However, when it gets really dark
You are the light I badly need
Your words of advice, are always to be heeded
And interacting with you is so much fun
That it makes me forget all my pain!

What a wonderful sister, you are
With you around, is there nothing to fear
Indeed, do you have a very calming presence
And gifted are you, with oodles of common sense
No wonder, are you such a fine lawyer
A lot of trouble, do you often have to bear
However, every test do you end up clearing with flying colours
For you, are no circumstances too adverse!!

What a wonderful sister, you are
Grinning was I, from ear to ear
When you arrived a few weeks back
Brought me some respite from work
So thoughtful, was your gift
Truly, do you possess a golden heart!!

What a wonderful sister, you are
And will be, now and forever
Keep smiling and take care
And may you be blessed with a glorious future!!

A precious friend, you are
Almost any kind of trouble, can you bear
You speak your mind without worrying
About what most people would be thinking
Praise, criticism, you give in equal measure
Really, are you a friend to treasure!

A precious friend, you are
To work with, great fun you were
Spot on, were your suggestions
Seldom, were you out of action
To you, am I very grateful
For being extremely kind to me
When I didn't deserve it at all
Really, did you set my mind free
From all my shackles of self-doubt
Your compassion is hard to beat!!

A precious friend, you are
And a wonderful wife and mother
Vivek has a heart of gold
And your children are themselves gold!
Moreover, being at your home
Has always felt like being at my own home!!

A precious friend, you are
Now and forever
May Jesus bless you and your lovely family
With everything that makes you all happy!!

Say I love you, Ms. T
Willing am I, to change
And expand my range
But I will change only my behaviour
Not my nature
For you, can I be silent
Become less brutally honest
Speak more softly
Walk more slowly
Keep some distance
Be less tense
Irrespective of the situation
Give you more attention
Even go to jail if required
As long as the cause is good!

Say I love you, Ms. T
With you, will I always be
Loyal to the tee
Through sunny and rainy days
Even if I never get my way
Your secrets, will I keep forever
For you, deeply will I care
However, never will I be overprotective
No matter what, will I do my best to stay positive
After all, are we a team
And you make me beam!!

Say I love you, Ms. T
So much fun, can we have
And so much, can I give
A night out at Elliot's Beach
Swapping tales at lunch
While I savour a Beef Biryani
Writing poems about each other
Listening to Harris Jayaraj songs together
Dissing the central government
Getting into a Harry Potter related argument
Travelling in a "toy train"
Dancing in the Chennai rain
The list will be endless
And will I make sure, nothing you miss!!

Say I love you, Ms. Y
If you love me back
I swear I will always have your back
Because, are you my world
And it is your hand I will forever hold
If not, then thank you for this beautiful opportunity
To write yet another piece of romantic poetry!!

Day by day
I am falling apart
Sinking to new lows
My world crashing around me
I may be thirty years old
But at heart, I am a child
A lost child, seeking reassurance
Seeking sanity, in this insane mess
Seeking happiness, in this tragic story
Seeking an escape, from this hideous cage
After all, what have I done
To deserve this terrible fate?
I did not ask, to bear this burden
On my already weary shoulders
It is quite easy to say
That I will soon be fine
That it is only a matter of time
But, how can I right the wrongs
That I have done
Over the last few hours
In my anger, panic and desperation?
Whether it be shouting at my family
Or breaking my phone screen?
Of course, I can start afresh
My love for my family is real
Irrespective of a few spats
Triggered by being cooped up
In a small house, for two days
After all, these are mad times
You cannot eat at a restaurant
You cannot watch a movie
You cannot attend a poetry event
You cannot even go to a park
But, how long can one remain inside?
In the absence of fresh air
The mind tends to become stale
And therefore prone to meltdowns
Can you then seriously blame me
For flipping out, as I did?
Of course, it is easy to say
That I should be more mature
Given my present age
But then, autism affects you
Irrespective of your age
Anyway, the fight is on
The virus may **** us physically
But it is upto us, to ensure
That it does not **** us mentally
Of course, we have to take a few blows
It is certainly not an easy battle
However, as they say
It is better to try and fail
Than to give up right away
Therefore, whether we win or lose
We will not go down without a fight!!

You are one of my kindest friends
A relationship with you, has not an end
Soft-spoken, tolerant and caring
Around you, are good things forever happening
Never, do you judge
Your heart is huge
Lucky am I, to be part of your life
And you have an awesome wife!

You are one of my kindest friends
Loving your spouse to no end
The two of you are an extremely sweet couple
Shruti is a **** good girl
Been there for me, she always has
With the two of you around, life almost feels like a breeze!!

You are one of my kindest friends
Slowly, are we developing a lovely little bond
Chatting with you is quite reassuring
Because, are you so understanding
Not to mention, nearly always appreciating my poems
As well as advising me at times
Well dude, please stay the way you are
Have fun and take care
And may the Lord bless you forevermore
With a truly glorious future!!

You are one of my closest friends
We share an unbreakable bond
A beautiful soul, you are
For almost everyone, deeply do you care
Selfless, humble and unassuming
Warm, friendly and caring
Really, are you a dream friend
In you, is there nothing to amend!

You are one of my closest friends
By nature, are you too kind
Due to which, often do you suffer
I hope and pray, will things soon get better
Especially considering your faith in the Lord is unwavering
Without you, is your family nearly nothing!!

You are one of my closest friends
Someone whom I will fiercely defend
At the drop of a hat
Your loyalty is impossible to defeat
Always, have you advised me well
As a friend, truly are you vera level!!

You are one of my closest friends
Your family cares for me to no end
And my family is also your family
Forever, do I want you to be happy
Totally, do I enjoy our long calls
They keep me from feeling dull
Definitely, are you a godsend
And may our relationship never end
See you soon bro and take care
And may the Lord bless you with everything you desire!!

A very close friend, have you become
Somehow, do you always manage to beam
Irrespective of the situation
Whenever I experience tension
It is you, who ensures calm
Thanks to you, a better person have I become!

A very close friend, have you become
Twice, have I been to your home
Never, have I not been treated like a family member
Your children, I really adore
You yourself are a wonderful wife and mother
Not to mention, a colleague to die for!!

A very close friend, have you become
Forever, are you welcome at my home
Always, have you supported me till the very end
We share an unbeatable bond
A very sweet and caring person, you are
A truckload of difficulties, do you bear
But you possess an indomitable spirit
Hence, are you able to ace every single test
Which life throws at you
As a friend, I love you!!

A very close friend, have you become
I know you will forever be with me
To be associated with such a lovely person
Is something I consider a great fortune
May you be blessed with loads of love, success, happiness and peace
And may the force be with you, now and always!!