A Lion’s Shadow – Delhi Poetry Slam

A Lion’s Shadow

By Trevor Pinto

A radio, a rosary, and a stainless-steel tumbler,
his constant company in an empty room.
Time was like a distant relative, cold,
as he spent his days in solitude.
Was it a prison? Did he feel at home?
Isn’t it a crime to ask a caged bird about freedom?

Stray sunlight snuck through the broken tile,
reflecting on the white-washed wall,
offering a glimpse of a man who once stood tall.
The dim light illuminated a face of calm;
a slight tremor of the fingers reflected troubled times,
mirroring the man who wore patience as his uniform.

Like the fading yellow and orange of the sunset sky,
the grey hair of the wise and his commanding voice
could get the work done. People sought advice.
Now, he sat alone, a lion past his prime,
stooped, occasionally nodding with a smile,
reminiscing about the times he felt alive.

I revere him; I strive to imitate his greatness, but I fail.
The law of the universe allows only one to be like him.
I wish I could be half as decent a man as he was,
a saviour to many; he led even when he was blind.
To him, every day, I pray.
My dad.


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