Ode To Sachin Poem by Madathil Rajendran Nair

Ode To Sachin

Rating: 5.0


A banner in a remote village of Kerala
Greets the worthy son of Maharashtra
Fluttering in the mountain breeze
His smile excels the morning sunshine

A teenage fan of Sachin
In that tribal hinterland
Had hung the banner aloft
On swaying tree tops
As the hero of her heart
Was all set to begin
His last test innings
In far-off Mumbai miles across

Her love for the star was evident
In the manner the passing winds
Fondled his gleaming visage
No doubt what connected the fan
And Sachin across miles of the land
Was the breeze that flowed unseen
The breath of the Nation
A profound Indianness
Born out of centuries
Of lovely cultural co-existence

Whether he scored a ton
Or a lesser yet precious seventy four
Sachin once again proved
He could bind the Nation
Keep it spell-bound
Together in a fondly clasp
A feat not a single soul
Of our land can these days
Dare claim to perform
Be he a leader or a saint

Faith, age, language
Or region had no place
In this adhesive embrace
Which the magic of Sachin spun
As the Nation listened to his farewell address
With bated breath, thumping heart
And overflowing eyes

They would replay the speech again and again
Be together and shed tears
For days and days to come
So their India will sure endure
Held together by an eternal bond

Sachin, you batted in days
When the game got commercialized
By money-makers who reduced
The number of overs to suit their whims
Flouted discipline and rules
Made pawns out of batsmen
Who hit left and right to spin their tons
Like buffaloes let lose in muddy ponds

You stood the tide
Never pawned your artistry
Immaculate form and grace
Dedication and punctuality
In a manner resolute
Acclaimed internationally
Played the game with the demeanor
Of great Englishmen of yore
Least swayed by the luring machinations
Of the greedy who indulged
In match-fixing deals
And got embroiled in politics and scandals
Involving women, loot and wine

You proved yourself
A great son of India
Akin to the Mahatma
A role-model for the new generation
A beacon that should now
Show the way and lead them ahead
To their destiny in togetherness

The Nation roars in unison
Sachin can’t retire and leave
He is the fittest person to lead
Having his mettle doubtlessly proved

The mantle of the Nation
Has fallen on your shoulders
The mandate has never been so clear
So pick the new bat of our love, Sir
Autograph it in the shining ink
Of your courage, truthfulness
Deep wisdom and composure
Get into the Indian crease and hit
Sixes into our skies and beyond

Please do proud
Of the great land of the Ganges
We are out on the grounds
Holding the tricolor
Under the vast Indian skies
To run with you our torch-bearer
And celebrate your triumphs
The breeze and winds will follow
As we together make our morrow
Breathing India in unison

Ode To Sachin
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
A reader thought my poem yesterday 'Cricket Of The Stars' was rather deprecatory of the great game and the teams involved. So, here is one on one of the greatest cricketers of India penned November 2013 when he retired from test cricket. I am a lover of the game.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Edmund Strolis 10 September 2016

Not knowing the politics of any land foreign to my own. I do not presume to know as so many foolishly pretend to understand the heart of a nation. That being said I have been given a wonderful opportunity by reading your poem to glimpse the longing for decency, heroism, unity, hope and tradition amid this world that wishes to defile all things. The similarities for those of us who love baseball and the link to our past to your passion for cricket is understood so very well. Just last night I watched my Boston Red Sox on television playing Toronto in Canada and behind the plate in the first row sat a family clearly of Indian nationality. Beautiful mother and daughter, stoic father and dedicated son. My Red Sox won the day 13-3 and yet they cheered and never left early. They exuded a certain dignity, noble features and a civilized air that is so perfect for the good-nature of honest baseball. When American football and basketball have become ridiculous displays of egotistical players and the commercialism has ruined these sports for me baseball becomes even more decent and without corruption. The people within baseball take it all so serious and any change made is met with resistance from players and fans alike. You say that you are a lover of the game of cricket. I hope that despite the things that you so wonderfully penned about your nation's game being meddled with that the game still brings you delight and tense excitement, pride and wonderful camaraderie as well as national unity. When our commercial culture invades every aspect of our lives we need these moments under blue skies to cheer and escape to a better place and rub shoulders with fine people that share our love of the game and what our country should stand for....................thank you so very much for this wonderful poem and education!

1 0 Reply

Fans for him continue to bat Long after he has left the pitch And it is no big deal at that The way the game he did enrich....... Great tribute to Sachin by you Sir....Keep your pen busy

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Valsa George 08 March 2015

Sachin Tendulkar has carved out for himself a niche as a cricketer and he will continue to remain a great name among the stars of his clan! Not that he has won several centuries and has been a cricket icon but he remains firmly footed on the ground, never getting bloated by his enviable achievements that make him special! His ideology, his commitment to his vocation as a cricketer, his humility and the impeccable nobility of his character..... all these make him adorable! You have paid a wonderful tribute to this great Indian! Enjoyed much! Top marks!

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Jaishree Nair 08 March 2015

A. Tribute to the great man .beautifully penned.enjoyed reading.and you have the skill of shuffling the words to make reading enthralling. Do keep writing. Thank you

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Rajesh Thankappan 08 March 2015

A befitting tribute to the little master who enthralled and captivated the nation through his humility and sublime mastery over his batsmanship. He undoubtedly is the role model of many a youngster and their budding dreams.

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