To Our Dear Departed Friend

To Our Dear Departed Friend

P K Routray

 

With grief and sigh

recall we, the day, we bade you goodbye

in your mortal remains peeping from flowers of love

amidst sacred chants for peace to your soul hovering above.

Lost were the wailings of Snehanjali, Kaushik Pallavi and Anshuman

engulfed by the piteous cries of many whom you made your own.

Bow I with bent knee at your parting deed to lessen their pain of separation

your pains drew their pity and prayer for your journey for heaven.

As practiced by you in life to bear the pain under the smile

so that the others do not suffer and make living worthwhile.

Still uncounsoled was your sweet Jalen heartbroken forever

Peeu, Pintu, Pinky Santosh Munu, and sony were drenched with tear

cursed themselves they all failing to find a talisman to save you

but your spirit your teachings, Jalen’s strength had come to their rescue.

A year has passed by

since when us, parted your immortal “I”

leaving the mortal remains to be burnt to ashes

voiding in our hearts, disembarking you from our cruises.

Your frame with simple grace and fickle face

in Seventy RENGCOLIAN edifice a critical brace

energizing your classmates to love the living

seventy years old agers to sway and swing.

Yes the Hindu philosophy tells “You exist”

but heartbroken are your classmates when they meet.

We pray Krishna to incarnate for not His universal vision

but to bring us our dear Janmejoy once at least to us in person.

His soul and the same body together

So for us “I” in Janmejoy and Janmejoy do not differ.”

Witnessed we your scalp once breaking the comb

thinning its black lush luxuriant forest, you laughed at it as old age syndrome.

Your sweet gossips since our teenage kept us captivated

a grave situation, even days before the fateful day got mitigated.

Appear again and again before me your calm composed frame

ornamented by medical gadgets waiting for Lord to claim.

Compare I vivacious doctor Janmejoy ignoring profuse bleeding

marched ahead with zeal with age and disease the will fading.

The lore to allure at the roars of the jeeps in your village

shaped your ambition to be an engineer from a very young age

Successfully you achieved the same from a premier institution

served, enriching your expertise excelling in the profession in many an organization.

Feel I propelled to write the comeback story of Khurda watch factory

with only lady employees as its MD - a managerial success story.

A novel concept, your visiting card had shown

when you started your medical organization

turning yourself to manage a medical profession being an engineer

introducing yourself not as its managing director but as managing worker.

The ozen machine from you in my room still emits ozone

but now with ozen comes out your fragrance and your overtone.

with sweet gossips and grapevines spread in the hostel, garden

enlivens my spirit to teenager’s level paling the oozing of ozen.

A few days before you bade us goodbye

my anger on you I remember with tears in eye

the way you managed to influence my vanity to kneel down.

cracking many jokes dragging my college days’ weakness to drown.

The golden jubilee of our first meeting was over

you being a pivotal thriller to us with your jokes and laughter.

Now the golden jubilee of our separation we will hold

your mortal presence we will miss but from heaven you please behold

guiding us and being present from our alma-mater to the place of parting

Pray we Lord to bless our frond’s soul, for him our hearts continue bleeding.

 

 

( N .B-Janmejoy was my classmate since 1965. Last year He succumbed to Liver cancer which was detected at the last stage.)