I sat on the beach at Kovalam
And watched as India went by;
For life comes to you
If you sit very long
Besides the Keralan Sea.
The fishermen first will catch your eye
Pushing out their boats.
Then their nets are cast out
And they swim back to the shore
Dragging the nets behind.
And the tourists join in
As they pull the nets in
Besides the Keralan sea
And the cameras click
As they pull the fish out
And they wriggle live
On the shore.
A red and white lighthouse
Surveys the scene
From its perch up on the rock
And palm trees line
The sandy beach
Besides the Keralan sea.
If it's shopping you want
There's no need to move
Besides the Keralan sea.
Sit where you are
No need to shift
The shops will come to you.
With acres of cloth
Or fruit on their heads
The sellers will come to you.
If that's not what you want
There are 'sin glasses' too
Or reading ones if you prefer.
Families come and swim fully clothed;
Saris and all in the sea.
They all have such fun
And bring gran along
As they splash and play in the sea.
Nuns will appear, with children who play
Their habits of every hue.
And the whole of the beach
Is a colourful scene
Played out in front of you.
On a darker note
There are youths who run
With abandon into the sea.
They've made themselves drunk
Have not learned to swim
And all too easily drown.
Police whistle and shout
And call the youths in
Warning of Kerala's currents
If you've not learned to swim
You shouldn't go in
And risk those dangerous tides.
If you sit long enough
Then a goat or a cow
Will wander up
And want to make friends with you.
You could get bored
On a Keralan beach
But God alone knows how.
ВИ ЧИТАЄТЕ
Second Wind
ПоезіяHighest rank #12 in Poetry Second Wind is an eclectic collection of mostly light hearted poems but often has a serious message and takes the occasional side swipe at politicians and those in power.
