For Author Khushwant Singh Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Just like the mariner of Coleridge’s
The Rime of The Ancient Mariner,
Holding the hand of the wedding guest,
The writer kept telling the tales of life,
Art and philosophy
And the listener
Like the silent listeners
Of Walter de la Mare
Hearing,
Saying it not.

Just like the Martha of Walter de la Mare,
The protagonist kept saying the stories
And the children hearing
In the hazel glen,
Such the spell and incantation
Of his write-ups and columns,
Even the presidents and prime ministers
Could not turn over
His good words
Regaling and recreating,
Making a self-criticism of.

His laughing stock was unfathomable,
His ready wit and humour,
Hearty laughs and lively jokes,
Funny ideas and remarks
Even used to entertain
The man under criticism
And the taker,
Always making a self-criticism of his
To understand himself best.

Satiric, ironic, humorous, witty and sarcastic,
Trendy, controversial, epigrammatic and ironical,
He used to caricature and joke with,
Used to take,
I mean drink,
Not cold drinks,
But something hot-hot
To warm up
And used to write too
To regale and entertain it all.

An epitome of eat, drink and be merry,
Deriving from Charvak,
Take the loan, but take clarified butter,
He used to hold a healthy view for a healthy living,
One from Lahore, he came to India,
Read in Delhi and London,
Practiced as a lawyer in Lahore,
Settled permanently in Delhi,
Worked in All India Radio,
Edited the Illustrated Weekly of India
And the Yojana
And worked a s a journalist,
Had been a Rajya Sabha member
And a recipient of awards from the Govt. of India.

During the Operation Blue Star, he showed his
Undaunted courage to speak,
To turn down the offers of coveted prizes
And in the aftermath of Indira’s assassination,
He resisted and protested against
The atrocities on the Sikhs,
The ire vented out foolishly,
Fought a case with Menaka
As for his book,
A writer so controversial and daring,
Representing the Punjab and its robust culture,
Hale and hearty viewpoint and outlook,
Upholding that in its true spirit.