Rhythmic Tranquility

I got up early in the morning and looked out into the sky,
So bright, so clear; I even saw birds flying away so high,
I gazed at the sea and bathed in its rhythmic tranquility,
The waves slowly hitting against the rocks; surely a day of excitement and activity.

Out in the distance, I see my father in his boat fishing peacefully,
Next to me my brother, slumbering with my mother, calmly and happily,
I hop out of bed and stroll slowly onto the soft, wet beach,
And wait with arms wide open for the waves to reach.

As the waves swept past me, a chill ran down my spine,
A feeling which was odd, peculiar; maybe some sort of a sign!
But I think to myself, what could happen on this beautiful clear day,
A day reserved only for fun, game and play?

My brother comes out and starts running along the coast,
Waving out to my dad in the horizon; you know my dad loves him the most,
The beach now filled with local and tourists, bathing in its beauty,
Showering themselves in its solitude, its clarity, its tranquility.

Suddenly the waves moved outwards from the shore,
Quite a distance too; too remarkable a scene to ignore,
The sand glistening like precious rocks under the blazing sun,
The fish dancing about on the once occupied shore; catching one would be heaps of fun!

The crowd enthralled by this happening, run into the shore,
Jumping, laughing, clapping and collecting fish, shells and more,
My brother wanting to join the fun, I hold his hand tight,
Something’s wrong here; what I saw next definitely was a fright.

A huge wall of water roaring towards us rapidly,
So shocking, my feet planted into the wet sand permanently,
Gazing at this magnificent force of nature, I was spell- bound,
Speechless, clueless; no words to explain it could be found.

People running about frantically; a stampede, a major commotion,
I look into my brother’s face for the final time; my body filled with emotion,
His face filled with fright and anguish, his eyes filled with tears,
I clasp his hand tighter and together recite holy hymns to free us from our fears.

I wake up later with my brother beside me in a beautiful land,
Still holding his hand, I remark at the scenic beauty; so perfect, so grand,
The air filled with music; so tranquil, so heavenly,
So full of happiness, freedom and purity.

Close by I see my mother, dressed in white, waving out to me,
My father in white too pulls out his recent catch for us to see,
Together we move out into the land laughing out happily,
For the first time in our lives; we actually felt free!

(An ode to all the victims affected by the disastrous tsunami! May all their souls rest in eternal peace!)