In Memory of Uncle Ben

Today I heard, Uncle Ben is gone,

The traveller with a neat white haircut of last snows,

The gentleman of great culture, a man of words.

Loved and respected by people across cultures,

beyond words, for Uncle Ben was no mere uncle.

He was like a giant tree, shading the whole family,

The tall central pillar, a profusion of leaves of wisdom,

He was our roots, and he seemed eternal as every other giant tree.

I still do not believe that your bursts of laughter are forever gone,

It seems any time soon you will come to paint in a loud voice,

the vivid recollections of the old days,

Quoting a French poet, singing a north-Indian Ghazal,

You relished life and life smiled back at you.

You have walked the earth of the writers which inspired your thoughts,

You have been through the deserts and ice storms of the world and of life,

And always came out as the laughing giant,

You have been the best teacher, the wisest of guides,

An epitome of greatness of heart and mind,

No one outruns the Reaper, but a life like Uncle Ben’s never fades,

Every single recollection is our heritage,

If a Valhalla of braves exists, may we meet again my dear Great-Uncle

In Memory of my loved and esteemed great-uncle, Ben Ramsahye.

7-Aug-2007 12:44 PM