An Initiation to Wisdom

An Initiation to Wisdom

 

 

Wish all parents

the best of their infants

to be the world beater

with health and wealth to prosper.

Dreamt, my parent the same

when to this earth's crust I came.

Nourishing and nurturing me to their best

to see me tower over the rest.

Fancied at me they

at infancy, I should learn while in play

I should learn faster.

Age should be no barrier.

Comes, with knowledge, the wisdom

from education, the knowledge comes.

To make me wise at an early age

they tried to educate me from the infancy stage

Attempts they made earnest

propitiating God to keep me blest.

Absorbed I

whatever caught my eye

elders’ deeds

incident that breeds

fun at infant’s hearts

copying he starts.

may it be acceptable or not

rectified on growing wise thought.

My infancy, hazily I remember

the study arena of my cousin's brother

poured his inkpot

causing commotion a lot

colored, I, his books many

and also made me look funny

then my embarrassed cry

seeing my brother's red-eye

my brother’s bitter anger

the burst of loud laughter.

Books were bought for me

with fancy pictures to see

in no time tore them, I

with giggles and glee.

slates I broke chalks chewed I

to get a feel thus was my try.

When I was around an age of three

my auntie took charge of teaching me.

With plenty of lozenges and effort, a lot

complying with my moody demand on the spot

Stayed with her many hours a day

as none came to stand in my way

on my whims, there I used to play

to mom’s shouts heed I had not to pay.

on her stretched leg, sat I often

changing my position as per my fun.

listening to stories from her lips

giving me a lot of moral tips.

Stories on animals birds human beings,

vanquished enemies and victorious kings

Enjoyed them I the most.

in it my miseries of woes get lost

I stopped crying listening to her

those turned my tears to laughter.

Without colorful pictures

an emperor or colored creatures

or a bird or a tree or a fruit as a figure

or else the page I saw never.

Attempted she

to teach me

how to write

holding my grip right

with a chalk within fingers

moved it over circular figures.

They were three in number

Cited we Brahma Vishnu and Maheswar.

Laer I knew they are the forms of the creator

the maker, the sustainer, and the dissolver

Repeated, she, this, till I independently did it

to her jovial announcement giving me credit.

Then in my mother tongue on every letter

repeated, she, the handheld work on the figure.

Months, it must have taken her with hard labor

to teach me these, commanding my gratitude forever

Seen I had my brother’s teachers

their frowns on their brother’s failures

I had for them my own fear

Cried, I loudly with a tear

when a teacher came to teach me

with lots of funny talks, him, I could see.

One to ten and multiplication table

difficult letters for me and were awful

Some of my playmates thus inculcated in my skull

that number and words to read, me, it would buckle.

this fear, with determination I could overcome

or else I would have stayed at class’s bottom.

With a lot of temptations of toys to play

battered was the exchange for me to pay

to read for certain hours a day and memorize some

to my tutor with smiles I should welcome.

The village school my grandma eulogized

putting in my brain it is a place, prized

during her evening tales, very often

my heart and longings for it that had won,

that from them, ghosts ghouls stay away

those who go to school to read and play,

in school, many friends will be there to play

The teachers are good, many toys, give, they.

over school, she built in me a good impression

contrary to my playmates who had taken admission

some, some days told in school he had time nice.

Not to go to school some give their advice

as teachers get angry if at home tasks you fail

then on teacher’s canes, they have their woeful tale.

My auntie, to me, during her deliberations

give on the school encouraging inspiration

to go to the school to study higher

the Lord of learning will fulfill my desire.

By that time I had listened to many stories

centering around the Lord and His boons’ glories.

In my heart’s abyss peeped a desire for a boon

to vanquish evil spirits and reach the uncle -moon.

Many such temptations behind

to go to school interest I could find.

with a new dress pants and shirt

I went to school with Dad looking smart

saluted there the teachers lying prostrate

as per the advice of Dad as a mark of respect.

At a furtive glance around

many friends older I found

overjoyed to find friends and an arena, vast

to play and gossip that would day-long last.

Forgot I my impression a teacher in person

with the cane in hand red eyes and never softens.

Teachers patted me and praised me to my joy

advising me to read well and be a good boy.

Carried I, a bag with slate chalk and a mat

made of palm leaves over which students sat.

the school had four classes from nursery to class, three

one-hour play breaks students danced with glee.

On a big board, black teachers write

following him we write on slates and cite.

Home tasks are given to memorize overnight

in the school in verbatim, we have to cite.

Saw I o my horror students coming late

or those at home tasks stay irate

hold their ears and sand on one leg

or kneel down on the floor, excuses they beg.

The breaks gave us heavenly pleasure

from off-co-curricular topics, we forget never.

My school had mud walls roofs of straw

in the mango grove, our playing field was raw.

with barren fields and dry mango leaves falling on it

on the mango trees birds squirrels monkeys sit.

Pity I, KG, and the Nursery kids' current

comparing my position, then to the present.

played, we with nature live and vibrant

a bird or a monkey on the school roof, the site pleasant

searching for a cuckoo hiding in the foliage of a tree

whose sound we used to listen with glee.

Now robotic play makes everything artificial

kids are bereft of anything and everything natural.

compare, they, cars, they travel to and fro

compare the school buildings where they go.

.

P K Routray

in the service of the Lord