Like a breath of fresh air
You wafted through these tortuous, labyrinthine ways
Like an ardent flame
You taught it was still possible
To hold out, dispelling the darkness around
And to live larger than Life
In your unassuming anonymity.
Your presence
Invigorated, energized us
With its warmth, tenderness, gentility.
Your undimmed eyes,
Radiant with seasoned wisdom
Of a life well-lived,
Set hearts aglow
As imperceptibly, softly
As the serenity of your gentle spirit
Lavishing its richness
With such reckless ease_
A munificence perfected with humility_
For those blessed to have known you.
And I, too, have been blessed
To have learnt and grown
Under the shade of your gentle guidance,
Your measured, sincere advice
Every step of the way.
Blessed to have basked in the comfort
Of your presence;
To have listened, received, shared and cherished
Those moments_ too soon gone, for I had only scratched the surface
Of the unfathomable riches that were your humble self.
Hameisha deir karr deta hun mein!
Bravely, you battled your last, your toughest battle
Tangled up in cords, tubes, pipes, machines
To prolong what you had gracefully concluded,
With our puerile tricks we struggled
But, comfortable in the knowledge, you
Readied yourself to tread the Beyond.
You had always been a resilient fighter
In your quiet ways,
Winning over life’s wily ways
With your conviction, integrity, honesty
That was uncompromising, unconditional.
And at the end of the Long Day’s Journey
Towards Restful Night,
You were wearied
Of this abyss of men’s follies,
The child’s play of poor players
Strutting and fretting their hours upon the Stage.
You sought the Happier Place
Leaving with your very being
The unwritten message
To be deciphered by those still caught up.
Your presence exuded
The Peace, the contentment of a life lived well, lived light.
And you had made Peace with Death,
Yearning for the Lifting of the Veil
That you had longed for, all those years.
And now the Veil has fallen
And you are on the other side!
And when you were gone,
I did not mourn,
For Love is a stubborn thing,
Unrelenting, unyielding.
It clings, like those memories
Of beautiful times spent in your company,
The soothing voice, the deep, tell-tale eyes
Full of the riches you gathered
Walking life’s steep ways,
The precious pearls you passed on
For safekeeping.
I just felt the weight of an enormous Trust
To guard an immeasurable Treasure
And strive to live up
To an edifying legacy.
It’s a tall order you left for me,
But I take heart
Watching the solitary, distinct paths
Traced by your footsteps in the sands_
Adventurous, daring, unwavering
On the Road Less Travelled_
It has made all the difference, in the end.
You wafted through these tortuous, labyrinthine ways
Like an ardent flame
You taught it was still possible
To hold out, dispelling the darkness around
And to live larger than Life
In your unassuming anonymity.
Your presence
Invigorated, energized us
With its warmth, tenderness, gentility.
Your undimmed eyes,
Radiant with seasoned wisdom
Of a life well-lived,
Set hearts aglow
As imperceptibly, softly
As the serenity of your gentle spirit
Lavishing its richness
With such reckless ease_
A munificence perfected with humility_
For those blessed to have known you.
And I, too, have been blessed
To have learnt and grown
Under the shade of your gentle guidance,
Your measured, sincere advice
Every step of the way.
Blessed to have basked in the comfort
Of your presence;
To have listened, received, shared and cherished
Those moments_ too soon gone, for I had only scratched the surface
Of the unfathomable riches that were your humble self.
Hameisha deir karr deta hun mein!
Bravely, you battled your last, your toughest battle
Tangled up in cords, tubes, pipes, machines
To prolong what you had gracefully concluded,
With our puerile tricks we struggled
But, comfortable in the knowledge, you
Readied yourself to tread the Beyond.
You had always been a resilient fighter
In your quiet ways,
Winning over life’s wily ways
With your conviction, integrity, honesty
That was uncompromising, unconditional.
And at the end of the Long Day’s Journey
Towards Restful Night,
You were wearied
Of this abyss of men’s follies,
The child’s play of poor players
Strutting and fretting their hours upon the Stage.
You sought the Happier Place
Leaving with your very being
The unwritten message
To be deciphered by those still caught up.
Your presence exuded
The Peace, the contentment of a life lived well, lived light.
And you had made Peace with Death,
Yearning for the Lifting of the Veil
That you had longed for, all those years.
And now the Veil has fallen
And you are on the other side!
And when you were gone,
I did not mourn,
For Love is a stubborn thing,
Unrelenting, unyielding.
It clings, like those memories
Of beautiful times spent in your company,
The soothing voice, the deep, tell-tale eyes
Full of the riches you gathered
Walking life’s steep ways,
The precious pearls you passed on
For safekeeping.
I just felt the weight of an enormous Trust
To guard an immeasurable Treasure
And strive to live up
To an edifying legacy.
It’s a tall order you left for me,
But I take heart
Watching the solitary, distinct paths
Traced by your footsteps in the sands_
Adventurous, daring, unwavering
On the Road Less Travelled_
It has made all the difference, in the end.
