pavitra baxi

The magician

Posted on September 5, 2021 by pavitra baxi in #Write52

I turned 40 last month. It was a weird and wonderful feeling.
Weird because, as a kid, 40 meant an age when you start feeling/acting old. An age where you start to think more about endings than beginnings. Nothing of that sort happened, I am feeling exactly the opposite: younger than ever, more in command and control of my emotions. Just a bit more sorted in the head.
Wonderful because I’m experiencing a phase of “experienced youth”. 40 has turned me into a magician: I am reliving my youth without the insecurities and superficialities.

The past plays tricks on me,
Letting out of its hat,
Just the things I want to see.

Making me believe,
I was cut into half,
When, in fact,
The mirror was playing its
Part.

Concealing from Now,
sometimes pain, oftentimes pleasure,
Giving them a different life
and different names altogether.

Unconvinced of my role
I blame it on destiny,
Written by a cruel monster,
Pleasures too few,
And griefs too many.

But the pen is with me,
So is the paper,
I am the magician,
Neither my past,
Not my present,
Not even my future.

©Pavitra Baxi 2021

This post is a part of #Write52. A commitment to write something worth sharing. Find out more: https://www.write52.com/

Medical translation – my journey

Posted on May 26, 2020May 26, 2020 by pavitra baxi in Published articles

In this ITI Bulletin article, I wrote about how I got into medical translation. I’m glad I picked up this specialism.

There is, of course, a sense of achievement in tackling a difficult subject, but the satisfaction of contributing to the well-being of fellow human beings is immeasurable.

Link: https://online.flowpaper.com/7c770765/ITIBulletinMarchApril2020/#page=38

Languages and Sciences

Posted on May 11, 2020June 2, 2020 by pavitra baxi in Published articles

I recently wrote an article in the ITI bulletin regarding the importance of language learning for STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) students.

Merits of language learning are often downplayed, especially for STEM students. Most of them live under this false impression that those good in science subjects cannot learn languages. This is far from true and while I admit that language learning requires time and effort, it is not necessarily an impossible feat.

Here is the link to the article: Languages and STEM

Hope you enjoy reading it.

Summers of Bengaluru

Posted on May 9, 2020 by pavitra baxi in #Write52

The weird and wonderful summers of Bengaluru: breezy mornings; stuffy mid-mornings; scorching hot afternoons; thunderously wet evenings that make way for silent and comfortable nights. A few bright blooms hang around long after the spring beauties have left; bugs aplenty and birds going full throttle at the mating game — there is never a dull moment.

Ms. Cool-Blue breeze
Plays hide and seek
Early in the morning.

Vanishing, as the sun comes up,
she leaves us with promises
she doesn’t intend to keep

The sun starts work,
at 10 am sharp
to make the air stiff and stuffy.

He peaks at noon,
To boil us bare,
And make our tempers go off too soon.

The clouds descend
As if on cue,
To save us from his wrath.

But Mr. Sun, is not someone
To give up something —
so easily, so soon.

The wind too, is livid,
At Sun’s bossiness;
He blows in and out, and all around
Upending all that comes his way.

By evening time,
The clouds decide
to take matters into their hand.

In bursts and spurts
the rain comes down
to ease us off our pain

As the clouds silence —
the sun and the wind
And the night descends

Ms. Cool-Blue breeze decides,
to make an appearance again.

This post is a part of #Write52. A commitment to write every week something worth sharing. Find out more: https://www.write52.com/

Eyes

Posted on April 5, 2020 by pavitra baxi in #Write52

Claustrophobia has a new name: the mask.

As masks become mandatory in our lives and of those around us, we need to adopt a new form of communication. Muffled words and voices mean that our eyes have to take on the additional task of talking. Since eyes are the proverbial windows to our soul, our deepest, darkest feelings and emotions are on constant display and can no longer be supported or protected by words.

I wrote a poem on this new form raw and unguarded communication.

As we cover our faces and our lives,
only thing communicating
are our eyes.

Fear, frustration,
love and lust,
are easy to decipher,
difficult to cover up.

Can’t hide behind words
and their meanings.
We are on our own,
so are our feelings.

Looking up from
our phones
we speak a different language —
A direct one,
not sophisticated.

The new normal
is changing us once again,
to be more genuine,
not to be fake.

This post is a part of #Write52. A commitment to write every week something worth sharing. Find out more: https://www.write52.com/