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The Love Song of the Prime Sevak



Let us go then, you and I,
When the country is gasping for breath
Like a patient who has been given the extreme unction;
Let us go, to Kedarnath and Badrinath,
The muttering retreats
Of restless souls who have reached their wit’s end
And comic costumes guarded by a royal retinue:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of my sincerest intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question …
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.

In the yards Pappus come and go
Talking of Sickularism.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the Mandikini,
The saffron that shrouds me as I withdraw to the cave,
Camera flashes lick up images for Twitter and Facebook,
And all other media that stand in drains.

Wait, wait, there will be time
For the yellow fog and saffron shroud to envelop you,
Rubbing their backs upon your pygmy chests;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that I choose to don;
There will be time to assault and lynch,
And time for the works of rashtra-building,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the next surgical strike.

No! I am not Prince Dynast, nor was meant to be;
Am your Prime Sevak, one that will do
To swell a rally, start a scene or two,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous –
And ready to wear the motley, at times.

I grow old … I grow old …
I shall wear the saffron closer to my 56 inch breast.

I have set yogis and sadhvis riding to thrones
I have put strategists in places that matter
We have lingered in the chambers of history too long
Now march we shall, march to the glory of our ancient civilisation
Till all human voices die on our way, and they sink.

PS. With due apology to T. S. Eliot for spoofing his Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 19, 2019 at 1:21 PM

    Dude! You've got some serious talent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 19, 2019 at 3:41 PM

      Of late, the talent is shining better thanks to our leaders.

      Delete
  2. जितेन्द्र माथुरMay 20, 2019 at 8:35 AM

    That's a perfect spoof Sir ! A genuine devotee does not need camera flashes and need not circulate (carefully posed) photographs of his 'DHYAAN'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 20, 2019 at 11:27 AM

      How degraded this man is! He has made a mockery of the Prime Seat in the country too.

      Delete

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