I am Kalam

When a great soul departs
He must be reborn in our hearts

When a mighty oak falls
It rises again in little mushrooms & moss

Dear Dr. Kalam,
The news of your departure
Hit me right in the core
Perhaps I took you quite for granted…

And yet, I recall you
As my favourite man of contradictions…

An aeronautic engineer,
with a look of a wild artist
A genius nuclear scientist,
and yet a great storyteller to kids
A village boy with humble beginning,
who led world’s largest democracy
An upholder of clear consciousness,
in a country crippled with corruption
A humble, earthy, common man,
whose vision can put you on the wings of fire

In midst of million potential limitations,
how could you be so limitless?
Your life challenges all my excuses to shy away,
from my own greatness

When a great star falls,
It’s dust shines on us all
Like a talisman reminding us
Of our own greatness

I will not mourn a single day
I will raise a toast…

To the Man, the Rocket, the President
To the Great Soul
To the Kalam in me, in you, in us

(from the sacred well)