They went away far from us
Yet they reside within all of us
Showering blessings from afar
In their world they all live at par.

Gone in ethers a bit too soon
Closer to the Sun and Moon
Leaving behind their dear ones
Now we realize their significance.

A mother that was a closest friend
A father that for the son had set a trend
A grandparent who held our hand
With them this life was a nice blend.

Teachings they gave as life lessons
We are known today as their creations
Parents and parents in law those gone
Accepting death when time had drawn.

Ancestral blessings we call upon
Remembering them at dusk and dawn
At each important step of life
Though without them life still moves on.

Missing them during festive times
And fate’s tuneless tough chimes
They played an important role for us
Our identity too they did give us.

Some say the elders visit loved ones
As birds of sorts they come to us
Others say they go and join the stars
Twinkling each night looking at us.

I say they live within each of us
Through the values that they taught us
They might be far away ancestors
A part of them shines through all of us.

A time comes every once a year
When you pay homage to a lost dear
That is a mere formality so very clear
For their memories linger often dear.

I hear my dad in his favorite song
That hums on the radio as I sing along
I smell my grandma in that mango pickle
And memories of yore doth trickle.

An aunt gone by now comes to me
As a memory when I visit her temple
And a packet of those sweet Rusks
Enliven the feel of her dainty hands.

That strong aroma of spiced rice
A flashback of that uncle comes twice
And I search for grandpa under the table
without cheating I win the game of scrabble.

Those old tattered photo albums
Bring all alive the ancestral chums
The rustic jars behind hidden shelves
Are the elders peeping out themselves.

In The Media:

http://www.theasianweekly.net/web/

Edition 315

September 2016