The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree

There was once a man, quite old was he,

He spent his day under a Banyan tree.

Men would come, and men would go

Up to twilight, from the cock’s crow.

They came from all walks of life,

Seemingly struck by mental strife.

When they left, they left with a smile;

No wonder he had people waiting in a file.

And I wonder, “So knowledgeable is he,

The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree?”

And where would he spend the night in?

For he didn’t seem to have any next of kin.

Back then, I was new to the city,

And so, all this was quite the mystery.

I asked around, and answers I got,

Which were contrary to what I thought.

And I mused, “What a fool he must be,

The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree?”

As he was an imbecile, he was thrown

Out to the streets, by his very own.

The rest of it is an urban lore,

Bottom line being, he found a door

That fed him well, and made him gain

In health, only to get back on the streets again.

And I ask myself, “What do people see,

In The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree?”

Atop a pedestal, he sat on a bed,

And so, I couldn’t listen to what he said.

But, I wanted to see what pulled such a crowd

Which made the whole street buzz aloud.

After pushing, pulling, a minor tussle

And two hours of being asked to hustle,

I got to where he was, eventually,

To meet The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree.

“All my life, Sir, what have I done?”

“You have done a good job, my son.”

So, I told myself, “This man, here,

He must be a great seer.”

And then, I realized, for whatever I said,

“You’ve done a good job, son; go ahead.”

Looking back:- Irrespective of the crowd there,

The locals never did seem to care.

So, let me give you some advice for free,

Don’t fall for The Man Who Sits Under The Banyan Tree.

Abhinau Kumar V of XI - A