Daddy!!! As you walk with us,

Every day, every moment,

Still holding our hands,

Now not so gentle, now not so delicate,

I take a pause, to reflect over the years gone by,

To revisit some pages from the book of my life,

And in the withering yellow bunch,

Find a sparkling white one that stands out,

Crisp as new, still fragrant, still fresh……..

The page bears a name,

Your name, Daddy!!!

And today, I want to write an ode,

An ode for you, Daddy!!!

Because, even when…….

The subcontinent was brutally partitioned,

And the flow of our immense potential was dammed,

By the cataclysmic, unforgiving events of history;

You confronted the vicious adversities that came our way,

With equanimity, taking the side of dharma and selfless karma,

To transcend the valley of deprivation, misery and pessimism,

And chart a path of honor and pride, responsibility and piety.

Because, even when…..

Lesser mortals burnt in their personal hell of revenge, jealousy and hatred,

Their evil passions fueled by religion, region, language, greed,

Spreading violence, death & destruction-as in the pogrom of Delhi-1984,

You were a beacon of empathy and forgiveness, peace and brotherhood,

Your beatific visage- an aura of grace, spirituality & inner peace,

Having conquered the turmoil, tribulations & failings of our species.

Because, even when….

The fools basked in the limelight of their ephemeral extravagance,

Boosted by a pretentious display of everything fake,

Your muted and humble wisdom,

Simple style, as pristine as a child’s laughter,

With your selfless devotion & empathy towards all,

Stood firm, to be remembered, & cherished, forever.

Because, even when…..

Others got carried away in the transience of material happiness,

Only to grieve its loss, when it’s gone,

Like a shallow desert stream subsumed by the sands,

Your depth was akin to that of an ancient lake,

That absorbs the tremors,

Providing enduring stability to the boat anchored on its shores.

Daddy, when the day comes,

And my heartbeat falters and life ebbs,

As is bound to happen one day,

The gasps of my last breath will have your name etched on them,

& when my body is relieved of this unsustainable burden of life,

My soul will reach out to you, to guide me to moksha,

As only you can take me there…….

When this treacherous soul is liberated from the cycle of evil and temptation,

I will celebrate the freedom thus attained, only with you…….

An ode to a saint. My father.