Papa

What to say about a man

Who lives his life so well

Always doing the right thing

Believing in show, not just tell

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60 years, such rich ones, spent 

In thought-through considered deeds

Even in the face of trouble

Staying content was always the creed

Never could anyone guess (except Mom)

By the look upon your face

..the weight or worry bearing down

No sign of distress, not even a trace

No one learns by being taught

It's the environment you have around

We are today who we are

Largely coz you dug us that ground

For example, even the eccentricities:

Loud sneezes & anywhere-bhojpuri speech

They made us more comfortable with ourselves

While the intention was not to teach

Love for family, near & dear ones

Is what we imbibed from you

It's something that will carry on

Down the generations through

"Simple living and high thinking"

Again a legacy we earned

Having our priorities right

Chasing ideas not things, we learnt

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While we do not speak that often

Not even close to what we should

I know that in my life, my father's been

a major reason for all that's good