After Learning English

Walking with an Alsatian dog, The dog barking And the Englishman in the making After doing English Hons. And M.A. in English Literature, The undergrad not, but the postgrad On the way going, Going with and thinking of becoming An Englishman, How to be after, Into the footsteps of them, Have to an Englishman, An Englishman With the dog barking And the Indian brown sahib With the belted tiger And the barks in the bungalow Reminding him Of the English accent and stress Which the British sahib used to be with, While calling the orderlies In a broken Hindustani. The Indian mother and father of the son Looking back in astonishment, Wonder and amazement, How he could master, An Indian boy, Master Blackie, Somewhat dark And he thinking himself Cleverly and foxy As he has to be an officer, A White not, But as brown sahib To show himself, Hence the gravity, Will not talk to all, Looking sober, grave and specs-laden