Much time has passed
That my father is no more
Three and a half decades ago
An abrupt end
A rude shock for family and friends.
Time healed,
Memories remained.
A lean man with curly hair
Center parted and gelled.
Flash of gold tooth when he smiled
Through his ‘paan’-stained teeth
A vivid image burned on our minds.
Fun and laughter were his pastime
He loved to joke and was quite bold
A favourite ‘chacha’ that he was
He did not fail to please young or old.
Uninhibited and casual in his ways
Would often cajole and tease
In general putting all at ease.
A few flashy airs
A keen sense of dress
He tried all sorts of clothing
Always carrying them off well.
He loved to shop, many a fair
Cooking was to him a flair.
Pots and pans he would clutter
Much clatter, create a flutter
to collect us all and perform.
Music, arts, sports and pets
He encouraged everything
Enthusing us at every step.
Planning, organizing
Festivals, birthdays, a picnic or trip
Such excitement would never skip.
As he would muse, a matric fail
But travelled many places,
His warmth and charm
Making him many friends.
Not one to chase money or fame
Happy to live life as it came.
I can never thank him enough
For bringing us close to life
Never preaching lessons
But living it for us himself.
Although cut unfairly short
his life seemed complete,
happy and content.
Today is my father’s eightieth birthday.
‘And in the end, It is not the years in your life that count
It is the life in your years’---Abraham Lincoln
His passing was such a shock
ReplyDeleteThat none could comprehend
So much of your lives he couldn't see
Such an early, untimely end
And yet his blessings linger still
His legacy lives on
For all of those who remember him,
He is, forever young.
Thank you Dipali.Your few lines say it all so beautifully.
ReplyDeletehe was remembered on his birthday even in london!
ReplyDelete:)
muaahhh
You know this sounds so much like my story . I was a little older perhaps but my father's going destroyed so much of my life at that time . What causes me the greatest agony is the fact that he could never see his sons in law and his grandchildren in whom he would have taken such pleasure or lived out his retired life in a n easy chair with his beloved books and his wife for company .
ReplyDeleteBTW I am a friend of Dipali's :)
@eve's lungs
ReplyDeleteI also feel the same, I wish my father had known my husband and daughters; nice knowing you, I’m also a friend of Dipali’s from our college days. Being a new blogger I need all the encouragement I can get!