I do not regret the iPad I bought in August last year. Neither do I regret the good money paid for a gadget that accompanies me nearly everywhere because of its versatility - a repository for my books, magazines and newspapers; movies to watch where I feel most comfortable; accessing the wealth of the world wide web anywhere, anytime; applications which serve a functional purpose; a teacher's tool in the classroom. However, I am disappointed for having surrendered so completely to its multifarious seductions.

Today, I took a step towards weaning myself off such a manifest magnetic pull. The simple act of pulling out a Moleskine notebook and pencil was enough to leave the iPad staring blankly at me,  its black screen blacking out the temptations that lay behind it. Within minutes of me staring blankly into nothingness, fingers which had grown accustomed to tapping at a keyboard were instead rediscovering the pleasure of scribbling down ideas on lined paper.

The skeleton of a poem that lay undisturbed for many months twitched slightly back to life.