Marathon Man | A Poem for Fauja Singh
The world’s oldest marathoner Fauja Singh, who was 114 years old, succumbed to his injuries on July 15 after he was hit by a vehicle while he was walking down a village road in Punjab's Jalandhar district.
The sight of an old turbaned man
All white from head to toe
Running across the face of the earth
Must have come as a surprise to many
An inspiration to few and a delight to all.
Fauja Singh started at 89 – running
And he never stopped on his own.
His legs never gave way.
Running was his skin
His bread and passion, his life was running.
When the honours came, he took them in his stride
For life was bigger
And there was a sincere air about the whole thing
A centenarian marathoner running across
The globe, stopping not for breath, and going on forever.
It was a shock to discover that he was mowed down finally
Not by fate, but by a SUV near his own village
On a crisp afternoon, back in the sunny fields of Punjab.
He was 114, they say, fit for a few years more.
He lives on, in the hearts of those who think
No mile is long enough.
Who carry on, even if the dark winds are blowing.
Amlanjyoti Goswami has written three books of poetry, A Different Story, River Wedding and Vital Signs, published by Poetrywala. River Wedding was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi award. Published in journals and anthologies across the world, including Poetry, The Poetry Review, Penguin Vintage, Rattle and Sahitya Akademi, he is also a Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee. He grew up in Guwahati and lives in Delhi.
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