Father's Day

He taught us to work hard and be counted We may have been delinquent yet patience he mounted He was strict with us and with himself as well We were bit scared but it made discipline in us dwell As we grew up, he chiseled our rough angles And always warned us of impending tangles He himself was not fortunate to have gone to college But was wise to grasp progress went with knowledge Dislocated from native land, he had to struggle to raise family Fate was also unkind as he lost his life partner fairly early Not a loser, lone he waged his battles hard Protected us children like a rock boulevard One by one we all settled well and wanted to take our turn Alas, it was not to be, as he did not accept the favor return Old, he still works hard and goes about his daily chores Wishes to be independent, our request to help he ignores Hard times have perhaps taken a toll on his softer self Pray to lord he finds peace and happiness in his shelf We respect him from our hearts for all his cares for us Why he does not take our help is still a mystery for us I have learnt, dear father, now that I am myself a father of two Lots of patience is essential to raise a family without much ado Your virtues of industry and self-respect I try to pass down Complementing firmness with touch of love that we all yearn We do not underestimate the values of the times you had faced Between father and his progeny, paternal love remains glazed. We respect your solitude and your intent to do it your own way I want to say you are in our hearts and shall always hold sway