We have never really talked,
But I think I can,
Knowing I am the son of the same soil that anointed you,
And I come from the same city you started it all,
Before I say something I would like to touch your feet,
Pay my respects
I don't know where to start from,
Probably, in school they taught your lessons,
I didn't know back then it was a blessing,
Instead I made fun of you,
disfiguring your picture in the textbook,
Now I think, How could I?
I hope you can forgive me
And you said "hate the sin, not the sinner",
But it was 2nd October and didn't miss your movie,
It feels so nostalgic to me,
My grandfather once saw you,
He used to tell me stories about you,
How a nation was saved,
And the struggles you braved,
They say your thoughts are obsolete,
But not for me,
What you have instilled in me is priceless,
Beyond caste, color and race,
I wish I could tell you face to face,
From shaking the empire to your fasting,
Time in prison to the Salt March,
I wish I could take a part,
Shaking the foundations,
To making us a proud nation,
Bringing to us that moment of Salvation,
From Indigo to salt to cotton,
You fought them,
To millions under starvation,
Making us think from a common man's point of view,
It was you,
From self reliance,
To defiance,
You did it,
And all that without use of force,
I wished you could have stayed longer,
Bless some of the lost souls,
Left some of us on crossroads,
And they say Jesus told us what to do,
You taught us how to do it,
Forgive me, younger me was stupid,
You paved the way for King Jr. and Mandela to aspire,
And many others feel inspired,
But the sad part is that,
Against you they still conspire.
Living free,
Not knowing you did it for us,
How a thin barely clothed man could do wonders,
You taught us to stand for injustice,
You don't need a Nobel Prize, the only true ambassador of peace,
And the loyalists still follow,
Your word is never leaving,
Words are not enough,
But I feel your sorrow,
You made me believe,
Anything is possible
If you stay focused and work for it,
There's so much more to learn,
Nothing but gain knowledge,
And I try to pay homage,
Statues around the world,
Left us true word
The legacy lives on,
No matter how much I say
It will not be enough
Nobody can fill your shoes
Even if they try to,
The world calls you Mahatma, I call you Bapu*