When Father Passes Away Poem by Bharati Nayak
When Father Passes Away
Father's Day has come
I look at your cot
Lying vacant.
The house you built with toil
Family you raised with love
Are left behind.
Mangoes are still hanging
from branches
The coconut trees are standing
The garden still wears its usual green.
But- - -who will take us to the garden
To show the flowers and fruits?
Who will encourage us
To clean the garden of weeds?
The hibiscus and white roses are in blooms
The squirrelsqueaks
The crow caws
Are they missing you?
How all of a sudden
The scenery changes!
You are not seated
On your favorite chair
A blankness occupies the house
You are missed
You are missed, dear father.
No, I am not crying
As I know
You are still there
In your absence.
The values you transplanted in us
Are like roots
From which grow new roots and new trees
Yes Father, we are new trees
Growing from your root.
A man who loved his family and his garden. The imagery of roots is so perfect and a lovely tribute to him. In your grief think of the many happy times your shared with your father. It is a poem that moved me greatly as I lost my wife nearly two years ago after nearly 50 years of a very happy marriage.
this poem appears in a book of poems, Poetry and Friendship, co-authred by Bharati and Daniel Brick. : )
'But- - -who will take us to the garden To show the flowers and fruits? ' Take yourselves, along with good memories of Father.
Thank you Bri Edwards for appreciating the poem and your valuable comments.
Yes Father, we are new trees Growing from your root. Such a touching poem!
Thank you Akhtar Jawadji for kindly reading my poems and giving your valuable comments.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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6/19/2025 10:22:21 PM # 1.0.0
Hi Bharathi, Very emotional write...... It is twenty years since I lost my father. But as you write, he is still with us, so I feel... But A blankness occupies the house, whenever we think of him.. And ....... we are new trees Growing from your roots Great experience reading this poem. Profound expression...100
Thank you Unnikrishnan E.S. for your kind words.