La Galaxia de Estrellas

This is what my friend Ashwin wrote for a poetry writing competition. The time alloted was 60 minutes.

TOPIC: A prisoner is abandoned in the middle of a sparsely inhabited desert. He sees a falcon in the sky flying towards the North. He follows its motion...

On my back, I lay, heat penetrating through skin
Scorching sun, burning sand and blinding light, which to torture seemed akin.
Motionless, as if in a stupor, spreadeagled across, abandoned and bare,
To rise and walk, enduring the Satanic rage of the Sun, would I dare?

A slave - now, prisoner by War,
Atrocities on me have left many a scar,
Scars that evidently will fade not until death,
But, too stolid and stunned have I become to fume or fret.

It was, then, that I felt passing over me the shadow of a Falcon,
Regal wings spread wide - it had the appearance of a beacon.
I followed it with my eyes and then, on my legs as it flew towards the North,
With an enkindled flame I walked, overshadowing the solar wrath.

Sweat running down sinews, I traversed the sands, bearing binding rope burns with which I was scarred,
Then, realisation dawned that I was only human - with the passage of time, senses seemed to retard.
On the threshold of losing all hope for survival, manifested before me an oasis,
In the Land of no Man, the body of blue seemed like heavenly bliss.

Was it only a Mirage - false like people in life where the virtual seemed so real?
Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, I advanced upon it with a new-born zeal.

Was this where I was destined to find my road to freedom - only Time would tell.
Would the last sound I hear be that of pleasant music or that of a Knell?

The tragedy here is that he did not win a prize for this!!!!!!! I can only imagine how good the judge was in poetry.

The answer is obvious. Its a NO with a few million N's and more than a few million O's. Its a Wednesday morning here. I woke up at around 9:30 (which is way before schedule!!), had my cup of coffee and when I took my newspaper I saw this....

The following is an extract from DECCAN CHRONICLE, the daily which I subscribe here...

FORMER SKIPPER COMMITS SUICIDE

Chennai, July 18: Former Indian football team captain V.P. Sathyan committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train at Pallavaram station here on Tuesday morning.
Sathyan who had played more than 80 matches for the country in a career spanning 15 years since 1985 captained the national team in 10. Sathyan, 41, is survived by his wife Anitha and 10-year-old daughter Athira.
The former Kerala Police defender also played for Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan. He was the coach of Indian Bank from 1996 and was responsible for his team’s promotion to National Football League’s premier division in 2003. He was also an assistant to national coach Stephen Constantine for a brief while.
In a suicide note addressed to his wife Anitha, Sathyan said,

I had lost my dignity, which I gained during my playing days. My dire financial state forced me to take this extreme act. Please forgive me.

^[1]
In another letter written to the media, Sathyan had pleaded not to make his death a big issue.

You have always supported me. I am grateful for that

he added. Sathyan had also written notes for his friends as well.
According to railway sources, Sathyan came to Guindy station from his residence on Tuesday morning and instead of going towards Beach station to reach his office, he boarded a train in the opposite direction and alighted at Pallavaram.

He was reading a newspaper for more than an hour on the platform. At around 11.30 am, he suddenly jumped in front of a train. His act was so sudden that nobody could prevent him from doing so. He was killed on the spot

the sources added.
The suicide of former Indian football team captain V.P. Sathyan in Chennai on Tuesday morning was greeted with shock across the country. The burly defender, who donned India colours over a 15-year career stepped in front of a local train here, leaving the football fraternity in shock. Players and administrators found it difficult to come to terms with the passing away of a passionate football lover.
All India Football Federation secretary Alberto Colaco, said:

I was stunned to hear the news. Memories of his playing days came flooding back to my mind. What a defender he was! Since his days as a player was long over, I would say I have lost an esteemed colleague in the administration.

^[2]
For former teammate and Indian Bank colleague Syed Sabir Pasha, the news was a grievous blow.

I’ve lost my mentor. I can’t believe that he is no more. I called up around 20 people to confirm the horrible news. Sathyan was a hard-working footballer and a professional to the core. Indian Bank is poorer without his leadership skills.

Said K. Sankar, an international referee and Indian Bank employee:

Sathyan and I travelled together to attend the Vision Asia Programme in New Delhi 20 days ago. We have lost a great football lover and an extraordinary human being. I still can’t believe that he’s not with us.

Recalled Tamil Nadu Football Association president C.R. Viswaanathan:

Sathyan came to the international fold at a South Zone trial in Chennai two decades ago. With his impeccable discipline on and off the pitch, he was a great role model for youngsters. His spectacular 40-yard strike against South Korea in a Merdeka Cup match in 1986 is still fresh in my memory.

The late V.P.Sathyan with his students

I was so surprised to read the above article especially quotes marked [1] and [2]. Is this going to be the fate of all the Indian Football Players. Will their life only last as long as their career does?? If it is so, then how do you expect youngsters to play football with a love for the game instead of the fear of their post-career situation. If this situation remains then India will not even have a National Football Team.