Somu's Scribbling Pad: Remembering good 'ol days

Today one of my friends celebrates 5 year tenure at work. We had a small bouquet giving ceremony after barging into the conference room. In a way I was reminded of my 5 year completion a year and a half back.

In memory of all my days at work, I wrote a poem summarizing my experience and my growth ever since I started my professional life. The poem, which was forwarded to few close friends, somehow reached the hands of senior management. Surprisingly my CTO responded with a 4 line poem himself and both our works adorned the technology notice board for more than a month.

This was a poem that won me monetary reward for the first time. I still cherish those two 500 Rupee notes given to me by my Vice President. I was happy that someone at that level could appreciate talent outside the purview of work. Quite a long one it is, though I should accept it took me just 15 mins to write and for once, flow of thoughts was never a problem.

5 years, the time seems long,
a reason for me to sing this happy song,
As a trainee, started my life,
now married to work, she’s my wife.

Materials piled, all worth crores,
I started off managing that dingy store.
Looking forward to a bright career,
I kicked off dispatching and sending couriers.

Just when I was looking for a drift,
I turned technical, got into shifts,
Muthu, Madhu,Nag, Raj, Vinu my mentors,
who helped me work in the data center.

Wires, exchanges, UPS and cables,
with all of them I could write fables.
Memories of my time in Velechery,
I still cherish and will indefinitely carry.

Where I was heading I had no hint,
In 2 years I completed my NCG stint.
And one day came an organizational advice,
a change that was pleasant and extremely nice.

Just when it was time to make a mark,
I was moved to this skyscraping Tidel park,
I knew what was gonna be my work,
And that was to provide support to the network.

The one that helped me stand tall,
Was this Cisco thing called Firewall.
Then there was this implementation on PPTP,
That won me accolades, made me happy.

In what I did,I put my soul and heart,
But mistakes I made, they were my work’s part.
The NOC in Sant nagar, I isolated,
I shut Iways in Fort, glad I wasn’t hated.

Another two years just whisked past,
And my tenure in netsup didn’t last.
Then came my way that was more fun,
which was handling and managing tier1.

More now the number of problems,
And customers,too tough to pacify them.
Slowly lost my technical side,
but customers,I took them for a wonderful ride.

Too many things, too less space,
But true, there were more memorable days,
I just wish I could capture them all,
But am getting emotional,sentimental, et al.

5 years, the time seems long,
still married to work, still a happy song.
Feels overwhelming and amazingly great,
To be finally deemed a Penta-Associate.

- Writtten on 1st June, 2004