My Father Poem by Basanta Lohani

When multitudes bowed down
To the whims of the mighty
You stood erect
Calm and clear
Assured of your inner strength
Born of character and nobility
A palm in the desert
Braving the dry wind and the biting cold
An image of awareness-
Father! I am proud of you.

Solitary
You stood
Inside the barbed wire enclosure of time
With confidence unparalleled
You gazed into the face of the mighty
With unblinking eyes and a proud smile
So immensely graceful-
Father! I am proud of you.

I was like a cub
To you, my Lion!
Your golden mane wiped me clean
With rough tenderness
Who shall I turn upon now
In fear and trembling
Who do I call upon now
In triumph and defeat?
You never failed me-
Father! I am proud of you.

I adore you
I worship you
I embrace you
Be my guiding star
And lead me from darkness into light
To truth and immortality
For you can do that-
Father! I am proud of you.


You have left
And the void is so frightening
It is so deep
Do I begin from where you have left?
Father, it is a race against time
Hold me in your firm grasp
And take me over the frightening gap
My faith reposes in you-
Father! I am proud of you.