The breathless seashore
Sunshine and incessant crashing,
Screaming and raging wind scratching my ears,
And the tumble on boulders, the thunderous breakers-
My little pumping life beaten to a pulp,
My silvery eyes wet in dismay.
What more could the sea bring?-
Life and death;
The gaping jaws of a shark, lifeless;
The hovering gulls as the net dragged home,
The hungry, sweated eyes of the man in wait;
And the splashing of the wondrous child,
The yells of young girls, their bulging sex,
The cautious father, the gay husband,
The shy wife, the intruding stares...
The sun slopes, the water darkens,
And the soothing balm of evening.
Nightfall, and restaurants,
The smart ushers, the honking cars,
Ice-cream cups, and clanking bars,
Tottering steps and my first vodka.
I head back, I sleep,
And the morning clears all dew.
Adieu.
-30/5/2001, Calcutta-63