Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

Kalam is no more A sage has passed away A saint of action who lived his words A human god who trod among human forms Grace descended upon us from the heavens When the usually warring politicians Like a flash in a pan Chose an angel to adorn The tallest chair of the nation Kalam, forgive my calling you so Without the usual titles of respect Because you were so very much with us Unlike most heads of states And moved among us as simple As an amused kid in a park A smile always perched on its face You were truly Grace personified And rode political storms Misrepresented religions Intrigues and machinations Remained aloof and untouched Like a lotus leaf in a murky pond Keeping always the good of the nation in mind That was a great feat For a great writer and architect Of a nation’s nuclear, defence and space dreams To escape getting enmeshed In the trappings of luring power The nation should have made you Its president for life But, alas, that was not to be Opportunism and political chicanery Can’t afford angels in office When hell is what they design Kalam, you proved unique and exemplary Raised the status of your august office to the skies In a manner even your esteemed Predecessors would have envied You have now flown away Flapping your wings Like the eagle of one of your sayings Above the clouds Untouched by the rains Indians one and a quarter billion Prostrate here under a darkening sky Beseech you: “Kalam, come back again Help us show the world What being secular means Breaking an atom for peace Being the king and yet remain a kid A love-soaked human to the hilt That even gods would envy”