Owe I

Owe I

 

Search you. I, up in the sky

being aware, heaven is there nearby

and you are there now in Lord's abode,

salute,I with bent knee head bowed

Behind horizons around, I gaze

searching  you with memories ablaze,

beyond the bottom of the ocean, a search, perceive I

where with Lord you may be blessed to lie,

around me whatever, whomsoever I see

in it, your presence in causal form appears to me

Eh, Bhagi! Feel you I but fail I in my search in every way

to find you with a naughty smile eloquent with foul words to say

laden in a lighter way the enlightened wisdom

that has been lightening up our drooping system.

since our teenage student's days

till this old age and departing phase

With a bleeding heart and wounded emotion, I sigh

grieved in silence through nonstop tears in my eye.

My search for you in my wakeup, dream, and sleep state

 will never cease  and will never abate

till I find you in person

to convey my gratitude and beg your pardon.

Bhagi! Accept my gratitude due in this life

for mitigating my tribulations and strife

by your service and guidance to me

that on reflection I always see.

Search I you in person to convey

my heartfelt gratitude and pray

to pardon my omissions and commissions

committed as classmates and friends of the same positions.

seize I shall our meet and never allow to let it go

to repeat all these six decades show.

I search you to share our thoughts and gossip galore

as our routine exchanges since teens you, being at fore

to get rejuvenated and to release the old age tensions

arresting psycho-physical disorders through such sessions

On initiation of my service careers

me your smiling services did steer

that pushed me well  ahead

my gratitude to you is yet not said

though you accommodated me

rendered aids that you could foresee

During my career on my request for your assistance

be it official or personal you went to any distance.

Thoughts wink in me to know your unknown story

your travel present and future plan and past history

your flourishing hotel industry at a pivotal place

handing over to a builder your residential space

as to me, you are a classmate and a friend unique

on a dear friend classmate, I wanted to write and speak

HeyBbhagi! Reminisce I our first meeting at our Alma-matter

A well-dressed well-groomed mufassil boy appearing smarter

Fresh from a parlor trimming a teenager’s mustache

to show off muscularity to impress that anything he can thrash

Inputs many behind the showoff of this Gagjati boy

now I recall, with the then teenager’s nefarious joy

Further reinforced by your teenaged fancied love stories

encompassing lasses and fair sex - classmates to crown the glories

fancied fabricated maybe your claim, appearing too tall

but a large audience of classmates to applaud, you could haul

Whether true or false to me it did not matter

as I left it to verify at a date, later.  

your talent personality can earn the same

taking the age factor, present state you, none can blame.

your innovative goolies in hostels

your self–composed sermons and gospels

your sessional were excellent and unique

your art had hardly any critique.

right from the first year in the hostel, four

on your laurels from all, applauses started to pour.

your scripts for the class to enact on the stage

had its own depth then beyond our age

As a student outstanding with all-around excellence

a genius was hidden in you with none to beat your elegance

True, I have seen your art, craft, and literary talent

your charismatic oratory, fictional talent, and bravery gallant.

In the very first year won you with a thumping majority

but terminated, you, your political journey tasting bitterness in it.

your sincere offer and oft-repeated persuasion

to stay with you at your cost for a month-long duration

to both of us, your classmates Gopal and me each

enjoying in your son’s luxury resort at Goa beach

just a few days before you sighed last wounded us deep

our delayed decision on friendly  lapses now strips us of our sleep

an opportunity for life to stay with you with teen ager craze

got lost, lost at this age to reminisce the deeds of the golden days

attempting to repeat some with you as usual being an impetus

to your composition and lyrics Gopal;’s tunes would have been wondrous

Thank you Bhagi thank you for your offer from our heart’s core

unpardonable negligence owe we your usual abuses galore

without retaliation matching  usually your filthy tongue

but with love and adoration to you that remained unsung.

A thought of tomorrow to be on par with today

cost us too much with heavy hearts in unison, we say

With tears recollect pals of executive committee NITRA 70

they mete at your residence with your hospitality

never ever imagined to be the last with you

 being one among us so soon you will bid adieu.

Twenty of us together you at the center being the host

the teenage get-together, to others we boast.

You succeeded both in your success and failure

your smile revealing the story behind, you being your savior

The earliest promotion in service career from among us all

 volunteer retirement from a PSU job a decision not small

jumping to the private sector and then to hotel management

the challenge to succeed was undertaken willfully not by accident.

Your partial revelation to me on your future calculation.

eight luxury apartments from the builder at a prime location

with the fat amount collected and kept in the bank

for your future safety, no need for the dole, none to thank.

Man proposes but disposes of it, the Lord

you left us with an unfulfilled dream, not on your own accord

your family tree spreading smilingly worldwide

must be appealing to your ancestors giving them joy and pride

scoring over your classmates makes and peers all

it, your Gadajati background could not stall

Initiated you with a lovely European daughter-in-law

your future generation will expand it to our awe.

pray we all your classmates from hearts’ abyss

for your family tree's health happiness and bliss.

Pray we all in unison, supreme Lord

to keep you in peace with Him at His Heavenly abode..

Pardon also me in my disarrayed thoughts

you deserve epics to be revealed but these are small dots.

 

P K Routray

in the service of the Lord

 

(Bhagirathi Sahoo my classmate in engineering since 1965 and continued to remain in close contact. I lost him on 6^th Feb 2023 when I was not well. This is composed in the spirit of a classmate in his honor)