You still had to see your kids
settle down in life.
You still had to wait for your kids
to take care of you for a change.

Your kids may be grown now
with kids of their own.
But even now, they do need you,
your presence, your love, your smile.

Why did you have to so soon
and silently leave the scene?
You had but just retired from work -
four decades of real hard work.

Didn’t  you richly deserve
to relax, to have some fun?
Play word games, solve crosswords,
take long walks, go riding a bike.

Watch movies, play carom,
listen to music,  go swimming,
sing loudly, laugh heartily,
watch cricket and tennis, eat raw mangoes…

You could also have written
a lot of blogs and verses
and gained many admirers -
as you always did with your
unsurpassed literary skills.

You could have had a whale
of a time with your grandchildren –
teaching, inspiring and motivating
them and playing  games with them
as you did with your four kids.

With so many new channels
on the television today,
you would have had a
continuous supply of
food for thought and movies, too.

You shouldn’t have left so early -
leaving us to grieve each day
and wishing hopelessly you were still here.
Daddy, you should have been here today.

Gita Ashok
29/10/2010, 11:15 a.m.