Poetry by Dr. Viswanathan Venkatachalam

Heart & Beyond

Heart & Beyond is about reaching out,

Sharing knowledge and resolving doubt.

We endeavor to care beyond the call of duty,

Believe we do in service, of soul depicts the beauty.

Everyone has a right to know more about their health,

None to return feeling uncared as knowledge is wealth.

Let us look into your heartfelt medical needs and beyond,

Conditions beyond the heart that may be hiding around!

Let there not be any suffering of mind or body indeed,

From our Heart & Beyond we care for your need.

Who says not possible is a miracle?

Together we oust any obstacle.

Lessons From The Rainbow

Beautifully enchanting painted across the sky

Mesmerising colours of the rainbow over our heads so high

The colours in the sky leave messages for us doctors to know

Not just pretty but enlightening are the features of a rainbow.

Striking is the first colour we all know as violet

It says instil confidence in patients you have just met

Some may be chirpy but the others may fret

It's entirely up to us how their mind gets set.

Take inspiration from the colour indigo

Serve compassion and the pride just let go

As you do reap whatever you shall sow

Leave that ego but morale never to forego.

Next is the colour of the sky vast and blue

Never lie to your patient always stay true

Be seamless as the horizon through and through

The mind be open to all no matter who.

Nature's colour of the woods nice and green

In resolving all their problems be very keen

Motive be transparent, never be mean

The art of communication has to be seen.

The happy bright colour is the golden yellow

Be bright in the class but nice to your fellow

Respect the colleagues for all that they know

Even the meekest with performance shallow.

As vibrant and pure is the next colour orange

Reach out for the needy bearing no grudge

Noble is this Profession please keep it as such

Be the Good Samaritan to help people as much.

Last on the rainbow is the mighty colour red

A sign of danger as some have always said

Don't look at the dollars or crown on your head

Truly serve humanity until you go to bed.

No Pain No Gain

Pain is an uncomfortable feeling well known to the living,

It’s often perceived as hurtful with nothing useful to bring.

I wish to throw light on the benefits of this nociceptive stimulus,

There are times one could derive from pain some gains surplus.

Pain could be physical or even from hurt inflicted to the soul,

Except in some cases, this helps to improve our self as a whole.

The source of pain is varied, from disease, interactions or guilt,

It tests the strength of your endurance and the fortitude inbuilt!

The period of pain leads to discovery of better options and new goals,

This saga toughens the spirit unmasking futility of power money holds.

It serves as an example to value the purport of the mundane normalcy,

It helps distinguish real carers from fake, helps build faith in HIS mercy.

Lessons once learnt, the threshold of pain tolerance increases,

Indeed, to value the many ignored ways to prevent pain it teaches.

While one doesn’t ever invite pain with open arms, it remains a teacher,

Unveil the multitude of potentials in you with gratitude as the main feature.

Own The Invaluable

For every commodity in our minds we have an estimated value,

For most there is standardisation rest based on one’s own view !

People value money but even that’s decided by the ongoing trade,

The gems are valuable and expensive when by the jewellers made.

International currency is valued based on the supply and demand,

The Forex values keep changing as if by the wave of a magic wand !

The value of anything is therefore decided mainly by comparison or need,

It’s market value soars up or drops by its availability and people’s greed !

In a relativity based judgemental assignment of value, do know a fact,

The worth of everything else can change but keep your value intact.

Neither by other’s achievement nor by their opinion alter your worth,

In reading your value regardless of other’s success let there not be a dearth.

Perceive that light in your knowledge where only darkness is found,

Value your intelligence most when there’s sheer ignorance around!

Know that you are uniquely invaluable in this very materialistic world,

Rest assured that your worth is far above that of diamond or gold !

Power Of Imagination

Be curfew imposed today on every Kith and Kin,

Set free the ability to envisage and imagine !

Imagine being a bird and soar high above every worry,

Dig deep into the sand your beak each stress to bury !

Imagine being a fish to swim out of an ocean of trouble,

Imagine being in dreamland in your own happiness bubble !

Imagine a world of joy, no time where seen on a clock,

No footprints to follow, create your path as you walk !

Imagine being a flower never it’s colour to fade,

Fragrance so sublime no man could have made!

Imagine a world, spoken language being only love,

Imagine you are the messenger as the proverbial dove !

Imagine every force to create only positivity around !

Eyes to see optimism, excitement and mirth to abound!

Imagine surreal every scene around you to cherish,

A land of hope and trust where friendship can flourish !

Imagine the times beyond captivity of this virus,

Fear and grief absolved, cheerful delight in us !

Imagine every imagination that brings you close to bliss,

Undermine not the power of imagination, give it not a miss !

Of what value is this life, if our mind could not imagine,

Create an iota of imagination, any tough battle to win !

Soldiers At War

With the Corona virus today we are at war, 

To match the intensity no other virus at par! 

We health care professionals are on the front line,

A war worse than SARS or one from the swine ! 

Our families and friends we do put at stake, 

A battle with the God of death today as we take ! 

Weapons to fight we may not have enough, 

The road ahead is daunting and extremely tough ! 

Saving other lives, we may indeed sacrifice ours soon, 

An oath once we took witnessed by the sun and moon !! 

Sing not our praises, thank us not but stay at home, 

Ring not any bells but to beach and pubs do not roam ! 

Carry we do on our shoulders the burden of stress, 

Carry not within you in ignorance a deadly virus ! 

A plea from every health worker let us win this one time, 

Stay at home and isolate, partying now is a crime !! 

Buy as much as you need but learn to share, 

Share not the virus but with empathy do care ! 

Boycott the club, stop every party, visit not a gym, 

Follow the rules, they apply to all whether her or him !! 

Care by staying away on your own with your own, 

Let us value every life and let not the sick mourn ! 

In a world dying, each one of us holds the fort, 

Let’s kill this virus, COVID19 disease to abort ! 

Ignore not the plea of this soldier at war indefinite, 

Support us from home with prayers for us to win it ! 

The Doctor Patient Affair

Every doctor is different as is every patient in practice,

The outcome of any interaction is just positivity and bliss.

Doctors go through a tough life ready to face utmost hardship,

Patients face calamities, at times signalling end of their trip !

Doctors are expected to be updated in both skills and knowledge,

Better understanding of many issues does come with our age.

Patients are expected to be transparent in their interaction,

They do expect honesty and demonstration of compassion.

Unless proven otherwise every doctor is expected to serve humanity,

An important companion in a patient’s life journey with care and empathy.

There are clear lines of demarcation that can define acts unethical,

Likewise patient’s responses need to be pleasant and logical.

Emote positivity largely and welcome a loveable peaceful atmosphere,

Encourage questions and attend to every emotional need to quell fear.

Let concern be seen in your eyes but only comfort flow when you talk,

Reinforce the feeling that you are their advocate in the health walk.

Be clear in your message, be unclear the diagnosis to define,

Encourage second opinion when you can’t see beyond the line.

What a patient expects is cheer, hope, optimism and trust,

To respect confidentiality and devote time to debrief is a must.

Do not ever hide your mistakes, honesty travels over several miles,

Your eyes may soak with empathy but feel free to give away smiles.

This clean affair gets muddled when wrong emotions come into play,

From either side impatience or arrogance wants to have its say!

I still believe in the purity and nobility of this age old clean Profession,

Never lose the zeal, work with pride but let the drive be your passion.

Let this passion be your motto, fame and money be a by-product,

Please reverse not this order or unavailable is an excuse to construct !

The Infarct Party

Today I wish to write solemn a poetry,

On the poor little coronary artery !!

With an infarction, it’s lumen totally seals,

Gosh !! The pain that the patient feels !!

In comes the cardiologist for a party,

All gadgets to make it hale and hearty!

We need to get a catheter in first,

For the clot in the artery to be burst !

In comes the wire and on it a balloon,

In saving the life, this really is a boon !!

Now the stenosis has just got to vent,

In comes to cure the majestic stent !!

With all drugs on board is served cocktail,

This is the happy ending of a cardiac tale !

The Leap Beyond Fear

Labyrinthine this life, convoluted a trip, 

Fear a byproduct, tenacious it’s very grip ! 

Placid a moment replaced by skepticism, 

Scorching as fall the rays of pessimism. 

Time it is to oust fear with immense faith, 

In showers of tranquility the soul to bathe. 

Look beyond angst, decide to take the leap,

In poignant regret, heart tends to weep. 

Trust in self that remains indebted to God, 

Far goes fear as HIS kindness we applaud.

Unreal is fear, sequel of demons of past, 

Surreal is faith, a strength forever to last. 

Towering be a mountain of encumbrance, 

Faith be the parachute for deliverance. 

Effects of fear on the soul so despicable, 

Serene the hand of faith, a truth inexorable.

Think not twice abandoning irrational fear, 

Blink not in despair, Lord Almighty is here. 

Prepare with a smile to take the plunge, 

A leap of faith beyond fear and revenge.

Just A Little

Little a poem on effects of matters so little,

Little is often enough for results not subtle.

Little needed is patience for endurance,

Little push to exercise for weight balance.

Just a little love turns that frown to a smile,

Just a little care is reassurance for a while.

Ample is little a fallacy to burn a bridge,

Re-bond with arbitration just a smudge.

With efforts little listen to thy conscience,

With kindness little any day to commence.

Just a little empathy boosts humanity,

Just a little humility restrains vanity ! 

Not little is that little trust on each other,

Not little is little time with ageing mother.

A little negativity can tear a world apart,

A little encouragement lifts mopey a heart.

Just little a trigger that down flow tears,

Just little a faith to fight our greatest fears.

Even little be hope on a path so unclear,

Even little be gratitude for a friend dear. 

Far from little is effect of a little prayer,

Far from little a blessing from up there.

Little is our focus on little ways to connect, 

Little be an attempt big a wrong to correct.

The Right Time

As come challenges for survival from a deadly virus, 

Realise we must time it is for reflection within us ! 

Regret not being secluded from the outside world, 

Rejoice that read we can from the epistle of our heart of gold ! 

Panic not that death is advancing with its deadly claws ! 

Settle down to meditate and now correct all our flaws ! 

Time it is to reflect and open the folders within, 

Folders of failures of the past we couldn’t win. 

Open the folder of hatred and start to browse, 

Remove antipathy that we built like a penthouse ! 

Unfold the layers of guilt that we could not bring out, 

Forgive ourselves and repent without any doubt ! 

Look in the corner for that complex of inferiority, 

Discard it and with it dispel any sense of self pity ! 

Look behind to realise there were no demons chasing, 

It was all just imagination in our minds we were raising ! 

With none around, life was never meant to be a race, 

It was sweet a dream we had to build at our own pace ! 

Look down to realise none we had to ever defeat, 

All we needed was to keep on ground our feet ! 

Throw the glance ahead to the green grass and flowers, 

Nature has always supported us with her divine powers ! 

Look up to the sky that tells us to reach for the infinite, 

Never had celing for love and compassion to set things right ! 

Open our hands now to know we never held anything, 

The control was about the mind be a pauper or King ! 

Now look inwards again and feel the change sublime! 

Add a prayer and listen as to reflect now is the right time ! 

Kindly Be Kind

In a life priceless every moment to turn just timeless,

What would I not do to have an ocean of kindness !

Kindness is such a gift that even the poorest can treasure,

The weakest be strong but the richest be denied of this pleasure !

Kindness is a measure of quality, quantity aimed infinite,

Quality of our existence, existence being uplifted by it !

A kind word or a gesture, even a thought can make the change,

Change for better such that even the stars will re-arrange!

Kindness is in the vision that accepts many an imperfection,

Imperfect a world becomes perfect, kindness be your selection!

May Kindness be on our tongue, brain to feed this language,

If Kindness be in every heart, will any war any country wage?

Earned with efforts many, for some a gift at birth,

Kindness be ample, of heaven on earth be no dearth!

Each moment focus be on kind an attitude to develop,

An attitude that says never on humanity to give up !

Be kind on your journey up the ladder of success,

A ladder to allow angels have special an access !

As one fills empty a pond with water to build a temple,

Fill the heart with kindness, of altruism be an example ! 

Kindly be kind, a sentiment not even the devil will regret!

Let in the fragrance of kindness, be of acrimony no threat !

Kindness is Godliness, the God an atheist will believe,

Kindness be our mark in this world before we leave!

Interventional Cardiologist

What does it feel to function as an interventional cardiologist ?

Treating angina, heart attacks, hypertension, heart failure and rhythm twist.

People with debilitating angina such that they can't walk,

Or feeling helplessly breathless and can't even talk!!

Ailing hearts with worsening symptoms and mind in despair,

Hoping against hope all their problems can have their repair.

Loving elderly hearts wanting to see their grandchildren

Young patients wondering what happens next and when?

Heart disease can affect all ages and gender being no bar,

Leaves lot of uncertainty in minds whether life goes that far.

I feel privileged as the chosen one to attend to an ailing heart,

With empathy give solace and let them have a fresh kick start.

Medicines of course help and interventions do certainly cure,

Can we ever replace caring attitude in this profession so pure.

Treat with respect the individual, attack disease with skills,

Uplift patients' morale and arrest this disease that kills.

I know there may be occasions where I fail,

I may not salvage a few of them really frail.

I am just the instrument sent for service by the good Lord,

Let Him keep our Profession noble and away from all fraud.

Chin Up And Don’t Give Up

The world's a lovely place despite some shortcomings,

We do need to chin up and not give up in any of our innings.

People take us for granted and expect the best out of us,

Just chin up and don't give up, do not yield to stress.

The world is a stage and everyone is a born actor,

Just chin up and don't give up, keep up your character.

However lowly you are made to feel by other's domination,

Just chin up and don't give up, they'll alight at the next station.

Work place politics may shake your confidence,

Chin up and don't give up, step up your prayers intense.

The road may be bumpy and the ride most unpleasant.

Chin up and don't give up, don't let your soul have any dent.

There will be negative people always condescending,

Chin up don't give up, the rains will stop to let in the spring.

The ladder of success is less crowded right at the top,

Chin up and don't give up, climb upwards and not stop.

Even when others point out your weakness and complain,

Chin up and don't give up, never let your efforts go in vain.

When others desert you in your pursuit of righteousness,

Chin up and don't give up don't settle for anything less.

What if you find only storms ahead and the future quite bleak?

Chin up and don't give up, God will carry you when you feel meek.

During difficult times when you feel quite under the weather,

Chin up and don't give up, HE will send the bird of the same feather.

This life is worth living, you have to always put up a brave front,

Always chin up and don't give up, treasure comes only after the hunt.

Wellness From Sadness

Stray away not from the tone of sadness, 

A reality undeniable by even His Highness ! 

Grief is other side of the coin all and sundry perceive, 

Enhances the value of joy thereafter you receive ! 

A feeling that initiates need to yearn for solace, 

A quest for a kind soul or of parents just their face ! 

It is sadness that brings to light a caring friend, 

They who go out of their way for dolor to end ! 

Sadness is the trigger for many a poet to write, 

Sadness not to linger when your pet is in sight !! 

Coloured in gloom have emerged colours of a painter, 

From anguish came out best selling novels of many a writer ! 

On sadness thrives the practice of every shrink ! 

Sadness reminds you life can be lost in a blink ! 

Sad a thought paves way for strong a prayer, 

Sadness helps usher in real strength to dare ! 

It is in sad a tune that every fine emotion does unravel, 

Music is complete, present when is every tune at to marvel ! 

Stray away not from the dull colours of sadness, 

Drive away fear of sadness to embrace wellness !

Friendship

There's more to friendship than words can describe,

There's more healing in it than a doctor can prescribe.

Friendship is not about meeting or talking every day,

Nor is it about agreeing with each other in every way.

It's about the love, trust and faith, I call it a spark,

For that is what keeps the glow on when it is dark.

Friendship is knowing when words may help or rather hurt,

It's what separates friend from one who throws dirt.

A friend stays in the heart forever igniting the spark,

Whether he lives in Australia, India or even Denmark.

The day you let in mistrust, envy or any evil doubt,

You lose the spark and the friendship would burn out.

Celebrate this relationship and let the spark just glow on,

It is blessed by the Lord, even when the body is gone.

The Tree

One amazing creation of nature that has inspired me is the tree,

Today I wish to express my thoughts on this through my poetry.

The tree amazingly is one of the longest living creations of the universe,

People wonder whether it enjoys outliving others or suffers it as a curse !

I see commonality in us, strikingly unique that certainly deserve a mention,

Standing upright, limbs sprouting from the trunk, the crown seeks attention!

Yet no chores to attend to, cleaning, office, shopping or laundry,

It stands in one spot, watching the variation around in all and sundry.

It offers shelter to a tired soul anytime regardless of changes around,

It’s an emblem of patience, strength and endurance firm on ground.

It searches for stability from just within spreading deep with its roots,

Through It’s leaves we breathe oxygen and it feeds us all with its fruits !

It adapts to changes around by subtle change in appearance,

Never bothers at all to complain about any misery even once !

It observes unkindness and unpleasantness but keeps itself dissociated,

It listens to the breeze and with the sunlight its positivity is associated.

It’s branches ramify in the pattern that our bronchi divide,

Talk to the plants and trees, they listen, in them you feel pride.

It personifies spirituality in various traditions all across the world,

Trees attract the quality of mindfulness, not to ignore them as old.

The next time you see a tree, solid and hugely sprawled across,

Stop, admire, feel the synergy, gain wisdom, of words feel at loss !