Candle in the
Night
Good-bye Mother
May you ever grow in our hearts
As you lie, eyes closed
Hands on beads in prayer
Your white sari
With three bands of blue
Clinging to your furrowed face
And tired frame
As you lie in State
Willing to be carried home
And returned to dusk
To become not just a part
But a Legend
Of a city
You loved with all your heart
You lived your life, Mother
Like a candle in the night
Through the bustles and gutters
Through years, seasons & showers
Carrying not just light
But warmth and hope
To the sick and the burdened
The abandoned and the orphaned
The dying and the destitute
The very scum of the mean street
That they may be touched
And loved
Even for a fleeting moment
Cleaning their leprous sores
Their ant-infested wounds
To die ultimately
But die in peace and dignity
Good-bye, Mother
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name
Inspire us, awaken us
From high above
That we too may do our bit
On the stinking slum
And the darkest pit
By Walter Menezes
Quepem, Goa
This tribute, to Mother Teresa, is based on Elton
John?s "Candle in the Wind"
