R.B.K.varma
Ref: The news item: Can you spell pococurante .in TOI dated 31-5-2003
The news about the Indian boy winning the spelling contest has inspired me to write the following lines.
Spelling Contest
There are many contests in America
For children and also for musclemen
For money , for fame and for superiority
An immigrant boy, an Indian boy
Entered the fray with her tender head
His head full of English words
An army marshaled by the boy commander
The English professor looked at him
A condescending look , the look of the Eagle
Read out the words with a native pride
A sense of pride for a moment
The boy with a confident smile
Laid bare the structure of the words
With the swiftness of a surgeon
The Eagle challenged the tender bird
With a torrent of words, short and long
The tender bird took them all with a smile
The learned Eagle with the eagle eye
Read out the last word POCOCURANTE,
The boy shot back P-O-C-O-C-U-R-A-N-T-T-E
With a brilliant smile on his face
The tender bird took it all with a smile
The graying Professor of English
The Eagle with a twinkle in his eyes
Wiped his thick , misty spectacles
Flew down from his perch
To sit down near the tender bird
The boy looked at him with reverence
And touched his feet , bending down
The exhausted uncle Eagle looked at him
Patted the boy on his back with a smile
And went to sleep with a peaceful smile.
Thank you
r.b.kvarma
.