An Obituary

(A tribute to the iconoclastic bohemian painter S.M.Sultan aka Lal Miah. R.I.P)

A Great Spirit passed last night,
a mere mortal with no claims to immortality,
no stakes attached to survive till eternity,
nor any calculations, worked out till infinity !

A mere mortal, so that when he passed
to his Heavenly abode
so that, when we all said
this is how he was destined to go
so that, when we said
MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM
...... we did not really mean a DAMN thing !

We sobbed and wept, partook of all that welled
within our eyes and hearts
of a loss to the world...... of yet
one more, NOT of OUR kind.

So we flocked and talked only good things,
all that was fine, inane and divine
for those that die are always so cute !

Let the incense and joss sticks burn,
smelling of sweet nothing...
seething in fragrance of a new beginning
for the human heart is only selfish ?

The human kind does not cry for the one that dies
nor does it weep, for one that has gone to sleep,
it does so in despair, for a future that heals and repairs
for a TOMORROW that hold out, only as a mystery
of how predictably unpredictable, only a moment can be
in ones life... that is tied together in incessant moments
of ones profanity for the mundane !

Lest you be termed a godless being
play along dear humankind,
for our society
has a penchant for rituals,
pray along for the dead,
thanks and thrive on your living death
for condolence in empty words,
and come on the TV
write out an OBITUARY
and bore people to death
with oft repeated monologues
harp upon the lingering nostalgia
of get-togethers of friends, relatives,
enemies and progenies,
in silly ceremonies of remembrance's,
which all of you will soon forget !

Some amongst you, will ofcourse
bend twice over in tears
in an apology to the dead !!

It is easy to plead forgiveness of the dead,
one that has been humbled and unable to defend oneself.
He will respond no more,
much as you scum's of the earth
were unable to speak out,
and for a mere pittance,
you harmed, hurt and humiliated.......
reduced to a semblance
of a defeated being,
marginalised him to a recluse,
to repair,

You tried so hard to play GOD as he lived,
tried to bludgeon him to unwilling submission,
an apology to him
is a luxury, that you do not deserve ...
Forgiveness .... perhaps ?

So go, chant
your unholy prayers to your
supreme being .....
no salvation
chant your benediction of a well rehearsed sham
`EVERYBODY HAS TO GO
for you will never know
in an apology of a hypocrisy,
doubtful, you will EVER be heard ?

The Great Spirit passed,
he had no need
to shine you a LIGHT
much as he tried
on YOUR darkness……..
as he came
as he lived
as he left.

Alas a Great Spirit passed ..... last night.



Dhaka 10th October '94