An autobiographical poem by Kavita where she talks about her father, Nissim Ezekiel – exclusively for Different Truths.

(After the late poet Nissim Ezekiel’s poem ‘I Met a Man Once’)

I was born to a man
Who could not drive a car
Typed with two fingers
Never learned to use a computer,
(His critics got him for this one).
Not knowing what he wanted in a clothing store
Needing advice on colour, style and type.
Rejoiced when he discovered the secret to boiling an egg
Simply because he thought
there was a secret to it.
Was lost when it came to banking
How many zeros are in one thousand, ten thousand?
Where to sign the cheque?
Worldly affairs were beyond him
His feet firmly planted in the air.
 
I knew this man intimately,
A gentleman, a kind man, a simple man
Eyes that twinkled like stars on a clear night,
Magnanimous with money and time
Faithful mentor to young poets,
Who could not bear to watch a child crying
Or a prostitute being beaten up
Who didn’t have many shirts
But would give the shirt off his back
To anyone in need or not in need.
 
Yet, he knew how to write a poem
With words that could
Shimmer the moonlight
Make the sunshine brighter
Ripple the water, sparkle the stars
Tell stories that rocked your world with laughter
Praise God for his gifts and admit his failures.
 
I know that man well
For he was my father
I have his flaws
In my genes
And perhaps a little
From his gift of words.
The daily fragrance of his poems
Sweetens my heart with tenderness.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca

In a career spanning over four decades, Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca has taught English in Indian colleges, AP English in an International School in India, and French and Spanish in private schools in Canada. Her poems are featured in various journals and anthologies, including the Journal of Indian Literature published by the Sahitya Akademi and the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English. Kavita has authored two collections of poetry.