Page 67 - Gems III.cdr

Father

Around the corner, nearby a street-end,
I came across once, one of my father's friends,

Bent and grey, now withered with age,
Looking no less, like an wise old sage,

His eyes grew moist, on seeing me,
I stood still, as gnarled hands embraced me,

His voice came slow, and strangely quiet,
'For a moment there, I was taken aback quite, '

'You so look now, like your father, my son,
But yet like him, there never was one,

He was of, but a different mettle,
Twenty-four carat, pure gold metal,

Rich in spirit, a vibrant soul,
A real man, all and whole,

Honesty his calling, sincerity his nature,
At every juncture, he just grew in stature,

His work remained worship,
Under duress, under every hardship,

A family man, a devoted son,
A loving father, if there ever was one,

A dutiful brother, a brother-like friend,
To us, he was truly Godsend,

He was our ideal, of how a man should be,
A true inspiration, we all still agree,

If you need know, the true measure of that man,
Try and emulate, if you can,

Simple, sober, he was truly great,
My dear friend, and your father late.'

@Prakash Nagarajan

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