PAPA KEHTE HAIN

“The heights by great men reached and kept,

were not attained by sudden flight,

but they while their companions slept,

were toiling upwards in the night ”

   by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This was one of the most influential saying, my father raised us with, among several others... this poem is dedicated to my father as his regular use of proverbs and idioms has greatly shaped my mind and stayed with me for all the 55 years that I have lived till date and will continue to inspire me till I live...

‘Time and tide wait for no man’, my father would tell me repeatedly,

It had a profound effect on my way of being, influencing me completely.

Another favourite quote of his was ‘haste makes waste’, I remember vividly,

Which I certainly cannot help recall, whenever I perform any task hurriedly.

Keeping my head on my shoulders and feet planted firmly on the ground,

He has taught me by teaching me that ‘pride hath a fall ’many times around.

 His words, ‘Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise’

Helped me acquire discipline, making me love to wake up much before sunrise.

A profound and powerful proverb he quoted was ‘Deep rivers flow in silence’,

This one too had a huge impact on me, giving me the much required balance.

The one that I just can’t help recalling each and every wakeful night and day,

Is ‘coming events cast their shadows before’, keeping me ever alert, I must say.

  

As time flew by, I captured the true essence of his valuable words gradually,

And each added experience etched these proverbs in my mind ever so deeply.

These valuable sayings and many more, that my father  gifted me in my childhood,

Have helped me evolve as a person and have also prepared me for my motherhood.

I am really fortunate to have a father who was also my teacher, mentor and guide,

I have always strived to follow his teachings and tried to spread them far and wide.

This poem speaks volumes of my gratitude towards him and so I shall always strive,

 To pass on this priceless legacy to my grand children to keep all his teachings alive.