An ode to my father: A poem by Bina Pillai

Dad,
I can feel you watching us from above,
Here is something I want you to know,
You are special, divine and full of love,
You were my guide and my best friend too!
You worked so hard to reach heights,
And made us all proud.
You came from an educated background,
A real hero in a crowd!
You taught us to be genuine and frank,
And that happiness is not bought from a bank,
I have never seen you crib or worry,
In love with life and never in a hurry!
You have invested so much time in us,
And placed our needs ahead of yours,
You loved adventure, treks, and trails,
That taught us life skills, opened our eyes!
Compassion is what I learned from you,
To help strangers without a cue,
To hold the hand, that needs help,
Even if someone misunderstands!
The friends you had, no one had,
I saw you help them genuinely.
They stood by you through thick and thin,
And you passed on the joy, evidently!
The respect you had for every woman around,
Holding yourself and others, in high regard,
Gave us great lessons in life, when you said
“Love and respect should go hand in hand!”
You had the time and patience to listen,
To any stories, we wanted to share,
Today these are the reasons,
I miss your profound love and care!

You are someone I respect and admire,
I secretly wished to be like you
I don’t know whether I have succeeded
But my daughter says I’m “You”!
Love you, dad, for all that you gave,
Every day we think of you and rave,
It makes me proud today,
That you left behind a legacy,
My wonderful son, just like you!
Thank you, dad!