New like freshly tailored
to his measurements,
I gently caress his
well-ironed light grey safari suit.
Taking me back to my childhood
I haven’t reconnected in a long time.
The ‘musafari‘ of this suit
is a fascinating tale in itself.
6 pm sharp, the dhobi
would ring the doorbell,
dadaji‘s ironed suit in his hands.
The pungent aromas of
his collection of varied ittar
have wrapped his safari,
preserving his poised, gentleman-like personality.
His safari reminds me
of his low-salaried job.
Countable notes of thousands
became a treasure of gold,
40 years of loyalty and hard work
bestowed in the hands of Sethji
was what that safari taught.
Crisply ironed, barring no crease
The ‘man of his word’ wore it
Like a respectable shield.
Dadaji has left us
But his teachings are like his ittar
Wrapping us to follow
His principles and words of wisdom.
Esha Lohia writes poetry and runs her own blog page, https://thebluebirdpost.wordpress.com/. Her interest lies in reading manga and books, watching anime and occasionally sketching.