My Father

My Father

He was short and slender
He spoke bluntly with swears
His clothes were worn with dirt
But, he won the people's heart.

He spoke simply
He ate nimbly
His abode was dinghy
But, people had hope in him.

He had courage and grit
He led the fight against Fascists
He opposed the British imperialists
He insisted only for Burmese independence.

He had no personal enemy
He dined with people of enmity
He even took U Saw to British authority
He talked with Atlee for independence.

He was loved by the people of Burma
He was lionized by his followers
He was respected by the British colonizers
But, he was murdered by the traitors.

He was my father, short and stern
He wore old clothes and darns
He lived in a barn
But, all power trappings he shunned.

He said he would quit politics
When Burma was free from the British
He would write with ethics
He would establish a democratic Burma.

But, Alas! He was assassinated by U Saw
Why U Saw did that for his fall? Can any one tell us all?

I have lost my father, he has lost a father
You all have lost father, it's a nation's loss for ever!

Dr Maung Maung Nyo (7.6.2007)
In commemoration of Father's Day on June 17th 2007