The Beach
The Beach


The ball hit me on the head
Startled, I glanced up
The heat had lulled me into a catnap
An apologetic young man
Charmingly winked,
'Off duty.'
Calangute,
That crowded haven,
Beach of life.
Bathers yelling in glee
Sprawling on the silky sand
Deck chairs in rows
Thrashing waves
High-pitched laughter
Strains of music from the shacks.
I sat up and watched the beach ball game
Soldiers on a break
Laughing and lunging,
Lunging and laughing.
Such joy around everywhere
A deep, deep peace
Smiling faces, excited voices
People from everywhere,
Remote places of the world.
Shacks serving multifarious dishes,
Drinks with sensuous names.
All tranquil, all happy
No network needed
No dire news to disturb
The law of the sea here,
Where the sand seduces,
Surf scintillates
And birds set the pace.
Beach life! Where the religion is peace!
Where one bares down to essentials
For no armour is needed.
Where soldiers can relax
And forget the horrors,
The formidable call of duty.
Where a game means fun,
And defeat celebrated with a drink.
I see the young faces,
Joyous, full of life
Soaking in the peaceful life
The slow gait
The fancy spread of delectable dishes
The pure air
And the rhythmic sounds of the waves.
Why only on the beach?
Why doesn't this same peace remain everywhere?
Why can't people leave prejudice, pride, power,
Hatred, conspiracy
And exist in harmony?
Why do they forget their origins here
And remember only that they're on the beach?
What makes them forget the strife, the animosity
And recall only the good life?
Maybe the answer is in the sea.
That great, rolling mass of water,
That phenomenon of nature
Rendering man powerless,
A minuscule creature
Who cannot even gauge its sheer depth,
The vastness of life it contains
The magical harmony with which it continues its journey through eternity.
Maybe it makes man realize his petty problems
And gives him a sense of wisdom,
Of the greatness of creation and the universe,
And reminds him of his real place in the scheme of life.
Maybe, at least momentarily,
He focuses on enjoying
What he's got.
Maybe, if life was all beach..
Maybe!