An ode to the Mahatma

An ode to the Mahatma I love

There lived a man who was beyond one
He was one of the best to be born under this sun
His back was bent and his skin was wrinkled ...
He looked wizened and crinkled

But his heart was pure unalloyed gold
And he was so not when he was old
As a boy he felt for truth and was honest
Hardworking sincere and and earnest
He went to become a lawyer amongst the white
A brown one in South Africa is never right
And here he fought for the oppressed
With no weapons but the repressed
Love to all was his strength
And for this he would go to any lengths
He discarded western dress and style
And dressed in common Indian style
After African success he went around India in a train
For he wanted to see his country in sun and rain
He saw the hearths and homes of his country men
He poured love to them and never in vain
they loved him their Bapu humble and full of humour
a man of truth and one never for rumour
India under British yoke for a century and more
A nation which had suffered and was sore
Bapu felt the nation’s soul
He knew he had to play his karmic role
He had a tough task and an uphill path
To unite minds split by religion caste and wrath
He had to fight the mighty British
And not by using a sword and its swish
He moved in silence to spread his word of love
He went in hunger and made his vows
He went unarmed to where hatred swells
Into dens where animals in human forms dwells
He brought together men of different faith
Earning love and at times their wraths
And the day he won freedom for his India bit by bit
He was a sad man to see it like a beheaded sheep all split
Men killed men raped women and became devils
As the British left the country for the animals
The great soul prayed and moved amongst the violent
He spoke the word of love to many tyrant
He foresaw mans greed to loot and maim
And he knew free India too could be the same
And then one fine morning he was shot
Dead like a flower crushed like rot
Killed by the one he loved
He reaped what he never sowed
Did we deserve this man amongst our midst?
Did we know his greatness in his tryst?
Do we realize his message of love even today
As our leaders go about in an orgy of greed all day
Today let us be silent for a moment
And think of this great soul and lament
This Parramathma who was born in this blessed land
The land he tried to transform with his love
An ode to the Mahatma I love
Harimohan