Ode to My Grandfather

Ah Kong,
Long will I miss your voice calling me to breakfast,
The moments in your favourite pau shop will I always treasure,
Your hushed prayer before each reunion dinner,
Your pearls of wisdom to all who cared to lend an ear,
These I carry in my heart.
My eyes are heavy with sorrow,
Yet my soul rejoices, for today, you are in paradise.
Memories may fade, but your legacy remains.
You led a simple life, shorn of luxury.
Though the winds of strife, poverty, and hardship huffed and puffed on the door of your fortitude,
Your house never came down.
You weathered the storms of life's darkest days,
You negotiated the pitfalls and avoided temptation at a time when a lesser man would have fallen.
All this, you did, with masterful aplomb.
Your grit, perseverance and self sacrifice meant that you'd always bear the pain of a battered stomach.
But this suffering was your cross to carry, so that none of us would have to suffer the hunger that you felt for most days of your life.
Education was the bedrock on which your family was built.
A vision misplaced, ahead of its time.
Prudence and thrift were your life's pillars.
Never one to back down from life's tempest, you negotiated each swell with hard work and an iron will.
Although your mind gave way before your body,
Before your memories grew dim and the rug of life was pulled from beneath your feet,
Before the curtains were drawn for one final hurrah,
You prayed,..
"God, please take care of my family".

Written in loving memory of Lim Tang Too,my grandfather.
Born on April 9th 1921 and passed away on May 8th 2008