Ode To Sachin

by Madathil Rajendran Nair

A banner in a remote village of Kerala
Greets the worthy son of Maharashtra
Fluttering in the mountain breeze
His smile excels the morning sunshine

A teenage fan of Sachin
In that tribal hinterland
Had hung the banner aloft
On swaying tree tops
As the hero of her heart
Was all set to begin
His last test innings
In far-off Mumbai miles across

Her love for the star was evident
In the manner the passing winds
Fondled his gleaming visage
No doubt what connected the fan
And Sachin across miles of the land
Was the breeze that flowed unseen
The breath of the Nation
A profound Indianness
Born out of centuries
Of lovely cultural co-existence

Whether he scored a ton
Or a lesser yet precious seventy four
Sachin once again proved
He could bind the Nation
Keep it spell-bound
Together in a fondly clasp
A feat not a single soul
Of our land can these days
Dare claim to perform
Be he a leader or a saint

Faith, age, language
Or region had no place
In this adhesive embrace
Which the magic of Sachin spun
As the Nation listened to his farewell address
With bated breath, thumping heart
And overflowing eyes

They would replay the speech again and again
Be together and shed tears
For days and days to come
So their India will sure endure
Held together by an eternal bond

Sachin, you batted in days
When the game got commercialized
By money-makers who reduced
The number of overs to suit their whims
Flouted discipline and rules
Made pawns out of batsmen
Who hit left and right to spin their tons
Like buffaloes let lose in muddy ponds

You stood the tide
Never pawned your artistry
Immaculate form and grace
Dedication and punctuality
In a manner resolute
Acclaimed internationally
Played the game with the demeanor
Of great Englishmen of yore
Least swayed by the luring machinations
Of the greedy who indulged
In match-fixing deals
And got embroiled in politics and scandals
Involving women, loot and wine

You proved yourself
A great son of India
Akin to the Mahatma
A role-model for the new generation
A beacon that should now
Show the way and lead them ahead
To their destiny in togetherness

The Nation roars in unison
Sachin can’t retire and leave
He is the fittest person to lead
Having his mettle doubtlessly proved

The mantle of the Nation
Has fallen on your shoulders
The mandate has never been so clear
So pick the new bat of our love, Sir
Autograph it in the shining ink
Of your courage, truthfulness
Deep wisdom and composure
Get into the Indian crease and hit
Sixes into our skies and beyond

Please do proud
Of the great land of the Ganges
We are out on the grounds
Holding the tricolor
Under the vast Indian skies
To run with you our torch-bearer
And celebrate your triumphs
The breeze and winds will follow
As we together make our morrow
Breathing India in unison

17-Nov-2013

More By : Madathil Rajendran Nair

Views: 1531 Comments: 8

Comments on this Poem

Great Work!

Priya Unnikrishnan
25-Nov-2013 08:24 AM

Beautiful Tribute To the
Ever Shining Star

Ramdas Menon
20-Nov-2013 03:10 AM

Nair sir balle.... balle....

Mohammed anwar
19-Nov-2013 23:23 PM

An excellent tribute to a Great Son of India, hero of over 120 crores, role-model of millions of young; Indian cricket is 'before Sachin and after Sachin'. Sachin, the whole world will miss you. Rajanji, keep on writing.

R.C.Nair
19-Nov-2013 05:45 AM

A superb dedication to a great Ratna of our Bharat! Thanks for sharing this excellently written tribute, nairji.

Padmaja Iyengar
18-Nov-2013 09:11 AM

Very timely and superb! It reads like an over of six sixes! I am outside the stadium looking for the ball!
- Rian

Rian John
18-Nov-2013 08:31 AM

Chetta

Good one on Sachin, with a nation looking upto him to take up the next mantle. Simple and inspiring.

Venu

Venu
18-Nov-2013 07:41 AM

great dedication to Sachin!!

Rupradha
18-Nov-2013 06:46 AM