To Appa - With Love

 

    He has turned sixty-one,

    Appa, my dear one.

    Oh, those years of fun,

    I spent as a young ‘un.

Ups and downs, is his life story

Of sad old days and days of glory

The tension filled days, when he’s high strung,

And wintry noons, snoozing under the sun.

Supreme Court – he entered in ’52,

    While working, he did Law too.

    To my Ma in ’61, he said “I do.”

   And as expected his family grew.

And to them were born, me and my sis,

We grew up, in total bliss,

He gave us all, a love so true.

I still wonder, how time just flew.

Now he’s just about settling down.

Generally happy, with an occasional frown.

For grandchildren now, his love has grown,

Now they are, his golden crown.

About my dad, I do gloat,

Now I sit back and write this note,

Sending his love, is his loving son.

 To his father, his Appa – the only one.

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Written in August 1992 for my father’s 61st birthday. I could not send him any gifts from Kashmir so I sent this handwritten poem in a formal letterhead.