THE TALE OF MR. HITLER

   

         

                                                                       

                                                            

                             ( I )

            

He is better known as Hitler than by his name

A rigid strict taskmaster, he earned much fame;

He maintained time as precise as a clock

He is too bold and defiant as a solid rock

To keep his dignity, he did not smile

Dressed in brown coat with tie in style

Not a moment of leisure did he permit

He did not tolerate any humor or wit

He earned name as a man of merit and grit

A terror and terrific scourge he seemed to lazy staff;

He treated them with scorn as worthless chaff;

No pitiful excuses did he entertain

He spurned them away with royal disdain;

No political pressure made him yield

He ruled his domain like Achilles in the field;

Though he moved in career like a rolling stone

He never lost his mettle or felt helpless lone;                     

Well-versed in rules and procedures due

He bluntly refused any deviations new;

Ever dedicated to his office routine

He maintained his office tidy and clean;

                         ( I I )

In spite of his firm stringent attitude

At heart he is not so unkind and crude;

To save his staff he strove as far as he could

To set right their flaws by their side he stood

He never acted foul or hit below their belt

In his bosom a lot of concern for them he felt

He reprimanded them with stinging style

He curbed their greedy acts with suppressed smile

He estimated his office prestige and name with care

Negligence and laxity, he did not spare;

                     ( I I I )

Yet power like riches at one place will not stay

One has to vacate one’s chair on one day;

Same thing happened to our officer wise

He has to retire from his seat—no surprise;

And once he left his esteemed seat

None greeted him; none came to meet;

Like a fish out of water he felt alone

He felt neglected like a wayside stone;

And yet to get his post-service gains

The fruits of his long career he had to strain

From pillar to post he moved many a time

So many hurdles without reason or rhyme

Came in his way his patience to test;

No more is he the lord, but a casual guest;

A wandering ex-officer hanging around

No sympathy or support he has found;

Like an old king he felt his kingdom lost

A ranting Lear caught in the stormy blast;

The place where he did reign like a mighty king

Now he limps like a bird with broken wing;

No stringent command could he roar

None bowed before him and opened the door;

With a sense of shame and gloom and sweating brow

He waited long with dragging steps too slow;

No more his powers can he exercise

His present feeble state he did realize;

He can’t impose his rigid rules and laws

He had to bear with others’ whims and flaws;

He had to satisfy their wishes and needs;

Who would defend him and defy their lawless deeds?

He had to move alone to get his pending dues

He had to find a way through puzzling clues.

                  *********************

       15th March, 2021                 Somaseshu Gutala

 Ref : Achilles in the field - A brave Greek warrior in Trojan war.

 Ranting Lear --- A legendary British king who was cheated

 by his flattering daughters and lost his kingdom.