Ruskin Bond

The moment he smiles at you
there is no escaping the aura
his memory as ruddy
as his complexion

the wrinkles on his hands
each a testament
of his lifelong affair
with the hills and the slopes
every furrow in his cheeks
a timekeeper for the Himalayas

His eyes shine
and the calmness of his soul
reflected in the soft voice
in which he greets all visitors

he smiles into
his cup of coffee
and I sense he senses
a tale brewing

he the oracle
of childhood longings
heartbreaks and more

the old man of Landour !!