The lotus feet of the guru

Who taught the first lisping

Stuttering baby rhyme

Little Miss Muffet

To the sagacious aura of bliss

Wafting across eternity

The Anhad Naad sounds of divinity

Reverberating in the firmament

It’s the teacher who is king

Lighting lamps on the clay walls

Of endless questing minds

Bowing in reverence to all

Who shaped my putty

Each living day

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops: H.B. Adams. I firmly believe in the profound power that a teacher wields over the minds and choices of their students. A teacher’s entire persona, along with their subtle and nuanced suggestions, reflected in their own lifestyle, leaves a deep imprint on the future of their followers. In unknown ways, the classroom is always alive in our present thought processes. Blessed are those who learned at the feet of stalwarts, as we did. I am honoured and filled with genuine pride to name some of the luminous stars who continue to shape my thoughts.

I bow in silent adoration to the late Ms Caroline John, who rapped us on the knuckles to instill sense as well as to correct Hindi spellings. Her stern countenance and strictness kept us on our toes, while her golden heart kept us out of harm’s way. I also salute her crisp cotton sarees and perfectly coiffed hair, for she taught discipline even by her impeccable turnout. The school excursions with her were memorable, to say the least.

I must now speak of the lady who left an indelible mark on my heart and mind as she zoomed in on her two-wheeler, with a sun hat and a baby girl riding pillion—the unbelievable Parmindar Irvine. She cast a spell with her infectious laughter and brilliant personality. She taught us to enunciate words with the right emphasis, explained how a vowel had to be bitten or rolled, and showed us the wonders of Shakespeare as she guided our elocution classes. Poetry came alive, and drama with her was magical as we play-acted characters created by Sheridan and Oscar Wilde. I can never say enough about the impact her yellow high-heeled sandals left on my gaping eyes. Salutations, Madame Parmindar Irvine.

This is also a great day to thank the bevy of brains who remain gurus by allowing us “to light our candles from the brilliant fire of their infernos.” Sir Surendra Pravesh Singh, thank you for being a part of our journey of life.

I revere Madame Jayashree Roy for her patient reading of my essays in high school. Her cute smile lit up my heart whenever she nodded in praise. Thank you, Miss.

What a teacher writes on the blackboards of life can never be erased. The humans mentioned here remain in my life due to the magical web of the internet, but those who remain in my heart are remembered with the same humility too.

Lily Swarn, International Beat Poet Laureate for India in 2023-2024 and recipient of Caesar Vallejo Award for literary excellence by UHE, is an internationally acclaimed, multilingual poet, novelist, essayist, columnist, gold medalist, university colour holder, radio show host, and Peace and Humanity ambassador. She and has over 70 international and national awards including the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi award. Her poetry is translated into 21 languages.

By Lily Swarn

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Lily Swarn