Point One Poem by Asit Kumar Sanyal

I joined as an Act apprentice
In Naval Dockyard Mumbai in 1975
Completed three years of training
In my final exam
I got 74.9 percent marks.

75 percent marks awards journeyman
Means one year special training
And on its successful completion
Naval Dockyard offers higher job
But I slipped it.

My OIC Commander J Soares
made my marks 75 approx
And sent to General Manager
for approval
He turned down.

OIC took appointment
Sent me to GM
to request for special consideration
for journeyman
that he rejected.

I met him
He said, I require 75 but you scored 74.9
There is a gap of point one
Sorry, my hands are tight
I can't make you journeyman.

I came back, vowed …
In future I will not leave any stone unturned
To build my carrier
And I will kill point one for ever
I will be a successful man.

From that day I tried my level best
But I could not
point one played with me
hide and seek
It chased me till the last day of my service.