NaPoWriMo Day 15:

Today’s prompt asks you to think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then to write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit.

Here’s my humble attempt at praising my Dad’s habit 🙂

Poem: Proud to be my dad’s daughter

Humility, commitment, focus, gratitude

Hard work, discipline, compassion are a few

I inherited and imbibed a lot of traits from my parents

But above all was their habit of offering daily prayers

–

Everyday, when Sun hadn’t even dressed up to sheen

My dad would be up in the wee hours as a routine

No exercise, no walk, no news, no talk

A quick hot bath and praying he would be seen

–

He’s no priest, no padre nor a preacher

But an ardent follower of Sikhism, a true believer,

Rainfall, hailstorm, illness or late night,

Nothing could ever prevent him from his prayer forthright

–

“Did you say your daily prayers?” he would often check with us

His way of ensuring, we followed his footsteps

Probably the reason, he adorned me with such a name,

Which means “a prayer”, the only way to sustain

–

I believe in God, His presence I feel beside me

I offer my prayers; I know He’s watching over me

But to follow a routine of early morning offerings

I’m too far from that; I’m still wandering

–

A tiny drop of the ocean, I feel in front of my dad,

As for more than fifty years, he’s obeyed this routine

Mesmerized I am, with his level of commitment

Truly blessed I feel, to have him as a parent!

–

©Vandana Bhasin

15.04.2021

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