Lt. Col. A.K. ‘Sam’ Sharma

This is about Capt Bharat Sinh, Sena Medal. He who had to leave the army after loosing most of his fingers & toes to frostbite as he was returning from the conquest of Sesar Kangri mountain in the Himalayas.

The lofty mountain

And the snow;

The howling a winds, hard to breathe;

I conquered all

without a fall

Crevasses and icefall.

Elation and hallucinations.

Homeward bound,

don’t know this ground

Blizzard and night fall,

no track, no sound.

My nose hurts, don’t feel the thumb,

the fingers are there

the tips are numb,

And the snow layer

on my face remains.

Freezing cold and the height,

Frost bite;

and gangrene

No! not me

why, I’m only just through with the teens.

Evacuation,

Hospitalization.

Top surgeons and

portly matrons

lop of my fingers

one by one.

Mama, please come

and tell me

how it feels

to caress

a female breast?

I’m sorry! don’t cry

But, please do; some one,

I’m only twenty one

Years old

And young