Poems from a Leaders' Mentor

I have heard about this mentor(Dr. GK Jayaram), but haven't heard his lectures till today.

Today(06,Apr 2014) I heard his poems(that too in Kannada) rather than lectures about leadership at Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore.

There was an event held to release Dr. GK Jayaram's book containing his poems in Kannada called "Munjaavina MaathugaLu"(Speakings of the Morning). At the age of 73 he has written his first book of poems! Guess no age is too late to start writing poems!

The book was released by his friend NR Narayana Murthy witnessed by another of his friend named "Vijay Mahajan" who has made his name as social entrepreneur .

Noted Kannada professors A R Mitra and Krishnayya (who studied together in Mysore) commented on the book highlighting the significance of the poems in the book. They urged him to continue writing and also urged NRN to write in Kannada to share their wealth of experiences in their field. They were surprised that Dr. Jayaram staying in US for more than three decades communicating most part of his life mostly in English had the urge to write poems in Kannada in his old age! They saw the influence of the famed journalist of Kannada -(late) Y.N.Krishnamurthy (who was his friend) in the way wit & rhymes mixed in his poems.

NRN did talk about his friendship with Dr. Jayaram starting from his early days in his career and acknowledged his help being his mentor for long. NRN also said that after Dr. Jayaram's stint as director of Leadership Institute, he had wished to make greater impact in India by training people involved in Politics and plunged into it!

Came to know that Dr. Jayaram's mother tongue for namesake is  - Mysore Iyengar Tamil, but born/brought up in a village near Bhadravati close to Shimoga (so practically Kannada is his mother tongue, he says). The literature readings during his early student life (being only in Kannada) has resulted in his love for writing poems in Kannada he says. Being a global citizen, having seen & mentored varieties of people, the richness in his experience has resulted  in arriving at new insights from his old memories in his poems.

Giving below a poem of his (from the book, which I have attempted to translate into English, apologising with author for my poor quality and not seeked his prior permission since it's promotional in nature).

_______________________________

I was born the day you were

"Mother,Why do you celebrate the day I was born?
 What's so special of my birth?"

Mother held my hand and showed the lamp
"My dear, look at the lamp
since long it's waiting to be lit
can you light it?"

Baby lit the lamp, the light spreads
"You were born that day, that moment
You lit my lamp,
my life glowed the day you were born"

"Mother, when  were you born?"

"The day you were born"

"Mother, am I your lamp? am I your light?"

"You are my lamp, your are my light
from that day to now, and from now - for ever"

"O  my dear mother
How long  is that 'ever'?
Even after that  'ever', you will be my mother"