A04 In The Class Room Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Sister Marie Therese, a nun
Held a dual role, as matron
To serve in the hospital
And Teacher in the school,

She had patience to control,
Ninety girls in the school,
But their poor response
Really tested her patience.

She asked a simple question,
On Holy Trinity in heaven,
But a girl simply stood
Speechless like a wood.

“Oh my child, Bernadette
Here you’re the oldest.
I wonder, how is that
You don’t know it? ”

To this teacher’s query,
She gave a casual reply,
'No Sister, I’m sorry.
I don’t know this Trinity.”

“Can anyone reply this? ’
For this, a girl said, “Yes,
It’s simple, He’s the Lord,
Who’s really our God.”

The teacher smiled at her,
For her incomplete answer.
Before she began to explain
Father Pomian stepped in.

He saw Bernadette first,
Taking the teacher’s test,
And extended his kindness
In all words of sweetness.

“How old are you, ” he asked,
“Past fourteen.” she replied.
Sister interrupted and said,
“She’s the oldest, yet not matured.”

“No you’re not stupid, ”
To pacify her, Father said,
“Bernadette, can you say
You were born, on what day? ”

“Father, on the seventh day,
Eighteen forty four, January,
I was born, ” She replied.
“That’s good, ” he remarked.

“Tell me, what feast
All of us celebrate
On the festival day
Before your birthday? ”

To this query of the Father
She said, “I don’t remember.”
Father said, “To make it clear
Here is a clue for your answer.”

“On the sixth January,
We celebrate that day,
As three kings from the East,
To Bethlehem paid a visit.”

“They saw the child Christ
In the stable, with many gifts
In church, didn’t you see this-
The manger and the kings? ”

“Yes, Father, I saw all those
The child, the ox and the ass
And the three kings as well, ”
The girl said with a smile.

The question session
Like this went on,
Till the bell rang to say,
It was closing the day.