Compliment

For Mr. Nimal Gallage

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
Leo Buscaglia

Whether I was talking about myself, my school or importance
of learning English I do not remember; but I do remember I was
stuttering out something in English, circled by my peers in the group,
guided by Miss Priyadharshani, a medical student then,

when he happened to walk by us
closely watching what each member of our group was doing; he
stopped and listened as I continued my speech; when I`d wound up
my speech, he said with a smile, ‘That`s really good!’

and eyed me intently before he moved
off to the next group; my friends and our guide too congratulated me
on my success;

it was years ago that I used to be under
his tutelage; I hardly ever saw him afterwards; it didn`t even occur to me
to bid him ‘Au revoir!’ when I stopped attending their tutory; still, now I
believe his compliment must have been lying on the back of my mind or
wherever that we hold our dearest memories;

with its gentle, but pervasive influence from
somewhere within me, it must have been a great source of strength for me
to get where I`m today; let me, therefore, pay him my belated gratitude
with this little prose poem.