IST ( Independent Stipulated Time)

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*Disclaimer: As I write this, I’m guilty of many of these time-related habits too. This poem is a playful reflection on how we all dance with time, often stretching it beyond its limits—me included!


Our relationship with time,  
Elusive and profound,  
Holds historic significance.  
The well-known,  
Indian Stretchable Time (IST)!

 "We'll meet in five," we promise,  
But is it seconds, minutes, or hours?  
One can never be sure.  
Perhaps next time, consider multiples of five.

"Man, I must be on time for the presentation tomorrow,"  
We grumble,  
Yet end up late,  
Blaming the traffic.

"Don't waste time," we advise our children,  
Yet forget to mention  
Valuing others' time too.

Waiting is the customary pastime here,  
Be it minutes or hours,  
It's not a concern.  
That's our way of life.  
With ample time to just  
Wait, wait, and wait.

We get upset when we are asked to wait,  
Yet we have no problem  
In making others wait.  
"Have some patience,"  
We would comment.  
Sounding like the wise.

Ironically,  
People have a lot of time,  
Yet we complain,  
No one seems to have any time.

"Have you considered time management?"  
You'd ask.  
"Where do we have the time for all that, my love?"  
We would whine.

"Alone time," "Me time" is important,  
We would preach.  
Yet we find  
The after-hours are the only hours in reach.

Thus,  
Like zombies, we stay up,  
Catching up on lost time  
In the celestial glow of the gadgets,  
Till the end of time.  
Ushering in an unwarranted  
Change of lifestyle  
With time.

On the brighter side,  
Maybe we have learned  
To savor every moment,  
Not letting it glide by too quickly,  
Adding more life and meaning to it.  
We live where time stands still.  
No rush, no hurry whatsoever.

Lol!  
That audacity though!

And then there's the glory of the last minute!

We are a population thriving at the last minute:  

Last-minute changes,  
Last-minute inclusions,  
Last-minute revisions,  
Last-minute decisions,  
Last-minute arrivals,  
Last-minute announcements.

Oh!

We've jinxed the last minute, my dear!

Meaning I might even consider deleting this poem instead of posting it  
At the last minute.

Those 60 seconds, my darling,  
Are gold,  
Priceless!  
And truly magical!

The impact they can bring is phenomenal,  
Turning things upside down.  
A decision of fate or destiny  
One is doomed or deemed  
All in a minute.

So, never underestimate the importance  
Of that last minute!  
Never ever!

And don't you wait  
Until the last minute  
To realize the true value of time,  
Time lost,  
Time begone,  
Time long forgotten  
And  
Overly exploited.

The Ever-elusive IST.


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