Welcome to
Dr. Malaiperumans Website

I'll tell you a tale of David
Of children he had his fair quota
The one we know best is 80 today
And he was born in Palamcottah

He had big brothers, Annan and Davy
young Isaac and little wee Ted
and five sisters in addition
all of whom were very well bred

There were Elsie, Mary, Eva, and Mercy
And Kitty who we never met.
They kept horses, and donkeys, and chickens
Because Davy wanted to become a vet.

Our dad was called Swartz and for a reason
(Although in fact he was really quite brown)
And so to express his disapproval
he burnt the chicken house down.

His dad said You'll pay for this sonny
Such things will not do in this place!
Why don't you study medicine like your brothers
And take a nice wife like Aunty Grace?

No thanks replied Swartz with all candour,
I'm into matters more philosophical,
So I'm off to America shortly
If you could spare me a dime or a nickel?

You're nuts said his pop in amazement,
In India philosophy and religion abound,
Americans come here for our knowledge,
You've got it the wrong way around!

But Apa said Swartz in all earnest
I really do feel like a change,
so if you can't finance me,
a scholarship I shall arrange.

So off to America he travelled
to the University of Chicago,
Where he sought to become a doctor,
like the immortal Dr Zhivago.

Now Swartz was rather an extrovert
And he didn't much care for his name.
So he looked up the name of his grandad
And Swartz David Malaiperuman he became.

Despite the difficulties he succeeded
And was awarded his Phd,
and chatted up Marjorie Luetscher,
And invited her over for tea.

She was so impressed with his brewing
And the mystical side of this thesis
that off to the east she sailed with him
And there she became his 'Mrs'.

Upon his return home to India
Swartz was greeted at the port
By Mr McClelland from the Y
who offered him a job at the Fort.

Now let it be said of his courage
The war proved he had great gut
For when the Japs bombed Madras harbour
He brazenly stood by the hut.

When the war was ended and over
The Y sent out their apostle
to London to build a landmark,
The YMCA Indian Student Hostel.

H5>Poem written by John Malaiperuman