Make your post retirement life meaningful

Make your post retirement  life meaningful

By

P.R.Ramachander

(This is what  I have learnt  , when I became old)

The  day you  retire   you do   not become  an old person,

Though the process  of getting old starts   at birth when you cry,

It  stops   only  on  the day   when you     become  silent,

And all   others   around   you cry   aloud  .

Take   out an  old photograph   of your   own,

And see  how pretty you were  ,  with your forehead

Covered  with hanging   very pretty  black  hair  ,

And  again now see that  the sun light  reflects  from your vacant head.

Where from have   these  lines   have  appeared on your face  in the mirror

You did  not notice  them  on mirror,  when you   were  studying in the college ,

Or during marriage and  on the days   when you    were   happily ,

Carrying   your    baby  on  your   shoulders .Is this mirror lying  now ?

Why  does  the progression of    time   taking   revenge  on you so badly?

Why   did   you    keep on  working  for   some one else  ,

From year to  another year  and why   did   that  power ,

That pride  which was in you   go away ?Why are  others not respecting you now?

Now when you come back from office  even your dog does not care for you,

Though even earlier     you were daily becoming more   and more  old  ,

Suddenly    after  this retirement   day , you   feel very old  ,

And so   your  present  old age is not to  the body but to  your mind.

If  you  wish this can be removed by trying to  do  a different  type of work,

For  different type of  people   , group  and for a  different purpose ,

May be  you cannot demand salary   and may be  your work may  not be  for money,

May  be what they give  you may  now   be love   , recognition  and respect.

Maha periyava  the stellar   sage   once told  , do not ever think,

You are old  retired person ,   for if you   really   want  you can become,

Wish giving trees that  convert make this drab    world  in to heaven.

By utilising   the power that God has given you    to improve   this world.

Those   who work in office  can do work   for society  after office hours ,

But the   retired   people  with a young mind can do it all the time,

BY the time of retirement   , your responsibilities    towards  ,

Your son and daughter   would have  been over  .

If   you  unnecessarily   drag   the  responsibility   of  your  grand children,

There would be   no end  to  your responsibilities  and duties,

And it is felt   that  after  retirement   you  should   develop  ,

Wisdom and detachment   and help the society  to better itself.

It  is time to  start   thinking   of the ways   to attain  salvation ,

And you should restart   doing  prayers   that  you had left off,

Saying  that  you are  busy  and even after   doing  them properly ,

You will still   have lots  of time   to utilise   for helping others  known and unknown.

If you like reading   and learning  it is also   time to learn and teach others,

And You also could   freely teach about   the  work of the job you did ,

And coach children to appear   before   various   tests  and exams,

And if you are  getting sufficient pension   , you can also  feed poor  students and old people

 Though your body gets   aged  by adopting   these  methods  ,

You can maintain   your mind young by becoming useful to others.