Teachers' Day Greetings

If the people remember me as a good teacher,  that will be the greatest honour for me

Abdul Kalamji

Kalam speaks to his spirit!

(My pictorial poem as a tribute to the great man on the occasion of Teachers' Day)

               O my spirit, stop nowhere! 

                Sea shores soared your ambition  

               Struggle kindled  your vision     

                 Mosques and temples tempered your mission.

O my spirit, stop nowhere!

Quran and Gita mingled in your veena

Music and mantra embedded in your tantra

Spirituality guided your Science.

O my spirit, stop nowhere!

You rose like a  missile

Agni was not a mere name

it was your nation’s fame.

O my spirit, stop nowhere

You saw rise and rise, you saw fall and fall

Success has many fathers, feather  them

Failures are orphans, father them.

O my spirit, stop nowhere!

Earth shook under your feet

It was atom power

Compassion shook your heart

Was it ‘atma’  power?

O my spirit, stop nowhere!

Elevation to power, not for ever

Ignite minds, fire wings

Sow dreams

Man goes, but his mission continues!

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Notes: 
1) Agni is the name of the missile designed by Kalamji

              2) ‘You saw fall and fall’ refers to a Kalamji designed  satellite that failed during 1979.

              3) ‘Earth shook under my feet’….these were  his words when he carried Pokhran -1998

                       Nuclear explosion.

              4) Ignited Minds & Wings of Fire are two books authored by him.

5) 4th item (down-right) of the last picture is the last moment of Kalamji when he collapsed addressing students at Shillong on his last day.

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I am happy to present you the pictorial poem I have composed as tribute to the great man on the occasion of Teachers' Day. 
Your comments are most welcome.

Lakshminarayana K

Manipal Academy of Banking

Bengaluru