Saturday, November 18, 2006

A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD



In the stillness of my silences
In the middle of a crowd
In the quiet of the night
In the midst of a rushed work-day
It suddenly strikes me like a searing pain
That I will never ever see you again.

You will never walk down my office stairs
With all the news you want to share
You will never again show off your brand new car
With the glowing pride of a brand new dad

You will never again call me every Sunday
Or laugh when I wish you a Happy Father’s Day
You will never again bring me childhood relics
My school notes. Some tattered photos. My old diaries

You will never again give me a loving smile
Or look over your specs with a twinkle in your eye
Never again will you try to build bridges between others and me
Mend my broken heart or strengthen relationships.

How heart-wrenchingly final are the words “Never Again”
Filled with regret. Filled with pain.
How I wish I could have you back!
How I wish I had made more of the time we had!
I wish I had told you how much you meant to me
How knowing you’re there, made me feel…

Time, they say, will heal the wound, erase the pain
But I wonder if I’ll stop missing you ever again.

(This poem was written just a few days after my dad passed away. A perceptive friend remarked that she could actually feel the tears in the poem...)

6 comments:

Selena Nunes said...

That was really, really touching. I can just imagine how very close you were to your Dad. Your poetic flair brings out the emotion of your soul.

Nahida Sunil said...

Yes Selena, dad and I had become rather close during the last few years. Soon after Sunil and I got married, he was rather cut up with me...but we made our peace a few years later. And I am so glad that we did.

Anonymous said...

I miss him so much.

Nahida Sunil said...

Yes, Nikku. I do so too. I miss him so much that I feel like bawling my heart out. May Allah rest his soul in peace

Ranjana Dasgupta said...

I bawled too. For my Dad for yours for all the souls that have passed and we will see never again

Dr Javed Rasheed said...

I really don't know but I read this just now Nahida. While standing near our great grandfathers ( Shamshul Ulema Maulana Mohammed Umar Saab ) grave in Kurnool in 2007,One Of the Hafiz Staff of Arabic College ( Founded in 1890 ) commented about the epitaph that only only a son with immense knowledge of Islam, Quran,Urdu could write such a touching and moving message on the tombstone of his beloved father. That holds good even for this touching poem on Khalabba.To me there could never be any one else like him and I don't think I will see any one like him cause I doubt if the Almighty makes such moulds any more ...One of the most touching poems that I have ever read Nahida.... Dr. Javed Rasheed