Innocence galore
As a Lad of ten
Attended a Class
All of a Sudden
In Another School Near by
Till my dad could know
Where is his Lad
In that Ramanuja School?

Missing for a week
Happy was I at Natesa School in that Town?
I told my dad
Cause the Teacher at Ramanuja
Beat me badly for Maths
And Natesa is Kinder too
Under that Breeze of the Banyan Tree!

My son you must know
Discipline does you good at this age
As Maths Genius Ramanuja too
Got thro his Beatings in the School!

As a Boy of Fifteen
I meddled with a Pen
Forbidden for me at that age
As Pencil was a Mightier Sword
And spilled that ink
On Papers so precious
Got those Slaps so painful even this day
Son you must know
Stealing is bigger a crime than failing in Maths!

As a man of Twenty
Proud Was I, half baked Engineer, Already
Happily was I Playing the Cards
Missing the Midterm Exams with friends
Saw my dad, the intruder, in the Hostel we stay,
Standing Helpless in Dismay and Sad,
His face did express the anguish so Deep,
Son I cannot beat you or Scold
Behold “You are on Your Own Now”
Tho’ the betting you do
Is costing My Purse!

Responsible I wanted to become One day
Earning my First Monthly Pay
Sending that small sum
To my wonderful Guru and Father
And Sad I was before that month did Pass
Came the News My dad is Dead!

Many in the Town wherein he lived
Wept in Agony of Genuine Grief
As he Taught a few Thousands for years
Made a few Hundreds to Peak
In their Professions with Dignity and Honour
From far and Near of this remotest Town.

Tears rolled in my cheeks too
Cause
Others would say He was really Great
As a son tho’ I was yet to realise
How Truly Noble indeed was he
As why else I thought
Even the Rajah of that Town
Held on to the Teacher he loved till the very end
As a Pall bearer of all, shedding all pomp!

Years rolled by
And my sweet Daughters are proud
That their dad was strict but kind
That they could
Make their Dreams come true
In Music and Studies anyone would envy
and walk with Pride with
Scholarships to adorn
Not from ordinary Schools of what I only know
But from Princeton and Harvard,
Redeeming the Dreams my dad always had!

Yet in my heart
I miss my dad
So much so
That What’s the use
You Son on this earth
If you couldn’t
Give him a Deserving meal of meaning
Out of your own money you earned!

Men may come
Men may Go
Few will only
Experience this unique
Bondage so fine
Of the Dead being Live
Live for ever
Millions of years
With you
For ever and forever!