A SPARK
A moment arrives in life, stays,
Watershed, confidence displays,
Shining glory for Nation, Alma Mater,
Dream of youth swinging remote,
After a decade n graduation in the state,
Watch often my Institute in a picture,
Wanted to touch the sacred soil,
Missed graduation, I must join,
Seven years as an engineer working,
Desperate to be master in degree,
Loved to become an expert in computers,
Electronics, telecommunication cap,
Graduated with honors flying color,
Thirst for growing digital age intense,
Wanted to learn with technology,
Artificial intelligence programming,
That day I got a master's degree well,
Alma Mater proud place of the nation,
Two-room hostel cooking my food,
Meditating first in life for two hours,
Resolved to excel most competitive,
Must get a grade; of A plus in certificate,
Missed convocation, collected after,
Stood before Gokhale Hall in silence,
A year and half of my life stayed alone,
From dusk to dawn, I was awake my fight,
Went, in front of the Institute,
Looked lovingly at my Alma Mater,
With warm tears, I kissed in air,
Read dedicated to service of the nation,
Promised to serve my state Orissa,
Worked for computerization of state,
Service for two decades, I noticed,
India entered to digital age beyond,
I once more visited Gokhale Hostel,
Watched my room no 101 a minute,
Last time in life, moved to the canteen,
My hunting place in between classes,
A cup of tea n India King smoking,
It was empty, closed, sat under a tree,
Smoked favorite cigarette, thinking,
My state is poor, wishes flourished,
I could not know an hour passed,
It is my last visit to my Alma Mater,
Suddenly heart choked with emotion,
I was crying, lonely, prayed dearly,
Another life after another, I wished,
Never believed in rebirth but thought,
What will be Institute after a century?
My teachers, my batch mates, missing,
Will, there be computer science a topic,
If humanoids crowd the campus,
Neelachal express speeding for home,
Orissa was my home, workplace,
For a lifetime I served, to die here,
It was a daily routine to be in the capital,
It was the working life of an engineer,
Worked, but I learned much more,
To learn in life, not in books, more,
The Alma Mater gave a spark of life,
The fire never extinguished in me.
@ Bijayananda Mishra
