I, your truly, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam,

President of India until 25th July when I bid salaam,

Sit musing on my five wonderful years of presidency,

And on the ineffable charm of being India’s rashtrapati.

First, let me tell you how it saddens, worries and hurts me

To see our sweet Pratibhatai being treated so very shabbily,

To witness the gentle lady being cruelly hauled over coals,

Have media scanners examine her relatives and bank rolls,

To be faulted on speeches and what she does in her leisure,

Is to subject the poor soul to hard and relentless pressure.

See, you may agree with her on the Mughals, or disagree,

Personally, I’d have been careful not to tangle with history.

However, the lady has her views and who am I to demur?

Only problem of course is that worrying public murmur.

I personally would have liked to spare the lady the trauma,

I speak this from my heart, since I’m not given to drama.

That’s why I subtly indicated that Abdul Kalam is willing,

If victory was made certain, I could throw my hat in the ring.

It hurt me, the cynical response from some to this selfless offer,

The insinuations were rough; the snide comments, rougher.

See, not being scientists these commentators don’t get it,

See, they really need to study closely the two-stage rocket.

If our country’s to ride on wings of fire, achieve its mission,

It’d need a president with an ignited mind and 2020 vision.

Presidency like two-stage rockets has two consecutive fuel stages,

The launch stage is about plotting trajectories, correcting images.

The second phase is about touching base, achieving the right fusion,

Getting the correct propellants and achieving the perfect frisson.

Children just love me and lisp my poems at school assembly,

To grown-ups I talk about PURA and the knowledge society.

They call me ‘People’s President’ and send loving SMSs.

So what if sour political pusses poke fun of my tresses?

It is my frank opinion that such individuals should be sent,

Away in a gas-propelled rocket till their spleen is spent.

So what if some ‘experts’ believe I’m not political enough?

See, great men don’t need to boast or strut their stuff.

But people know that I’ve ignited the power of the country,

Sent out messages of rising India to the whole of humanity.

Five years in office are nothing when agendas are millennial,

One needs a decade at least to achieve the really celestial.

So it’s with sadness I bid farewell to my role as Rashtrapati,

I’d have liked to have orbited a bit longer around this prithvi.