The lotus feet of the guru
Who taught the first lisping
Stuttering baby rhyme
Little Miss Muffet
To the sagacious aura of bliss
Wafting across eternity
The Anhad Naad sounds of divinity
Reverberating in the firmament
It’s the teacher who is king
Lighting lamps on the clay walls
Of endless questing minds
Bowing in reverence to all
Who shaped my putty
Each living day
For all my teachers in class and out of it
The lotus feet of the guru
Who taught the first lisping
Stuttering baby rhyme
Little Miss Muffet
To the sagacious aura of bliss
Wafting across eternity
The Anhad Naad sounds of divinity
Reverberating in the firmament
It’s the teacher who is king
Lighting lamps on the clay walls
Of endless questing minds
Bowing in reverence to all
Who shaped my putty
Each living day
“A teacher affects eternity;he can never tell where his influence stops.”
HB Adams .
I firmly believe in the potent power that a teacher wields over the minds and choices of his students.His whole persona along with his subtle,nuanced suggestions that are reflected in his own lifestyle, leave a deep embossing and etching on the future of his followers. In unknown ways,the classroom is always alive in our present thought processes. Blessed are those who learnt at the feet of stalwarts, as we did.I am honoured and puffed up with genuine pride to name some of the luminous stars who are still moulding my thoughts.
I bow in silent adoration to late Ms Caroline John who rapped us on the knuckles to din some sense as well as to correct Hindi spellings.Her stern countenance and strictness kept us on our toes while her golden heart kept us out of harm’s way. I also salute your crisp cotton sarees and perfectly coiffured hair dear ‘miss’ Caroline John., for you taught discipline even by your impeccable turn out. The school excursions with you were memorable to say the least.
I must talk now of the lady who left an indelible mark on my heart and mind, as she zoomed in on her two-wheeler with a sun hat and a baby girl, riding pillion.The unbelievable, Parmindar Irvine,who cast a spell with her, infectious laughter and brilliant personality.She, who taught us to enunciate words with the right emphasis, who explained how a vowel had to be bitten or rolled; who showed us the wonders of Shakespeare as she guided our elocution classes. Poetry came alive;drama with her was magical, as one play acted characters created by Sheridan and Oscar Wilde.I can’t ever say enough about the imprint,her yellow high heeled sandals, left on my gaping eyes. Salutations madame Parmindar Irvine.
This is also a great day to thank all the bevy of brains who remain gurus by allowing us “to light our candles from the brilliant fire of their infernos. Sir Surendra Pravesh Singh thank you for being a part of our journey of life.
I revere madame Jayashree Roy for her patient reading of my essays in high school . Her cute smile lit up my heart if she nodded in praise. Thank you miss.
What a teacher writes on the blackboards of life can never be erased.The humans mentioned here remain in my life due to the magical web of the internet , but those who remain in my heart are remembered with the same humility too.
International Beat Poet Laureate India 2023 -2024,Caesar Vallejo award for literary excellence by UHE,Lily Swarn, internationally acclaimed,multilingual poet, novelist, essayist, columnist, gold medalist, university colour holder, radio show host, Peace and Humanity ambassador.
She has over 70 international and national awards including Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi award and her poetry is translated into 21 languages.
Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi recently awarded her”The Best Book of the Year Award (2023) ” for her book of English Poetry,The Divine Dialect of Flowers.
Lily Swarn can be reached at sukhish83@gmail.com
