Aditi in a Dream at Wollongong-A poem for my Daughter

that evening jogging on the beach along my friends
miles and miles away from home
i was alone

the sea was rolling and unrolling its carpet
of blue and grey with what was a white border of foam
rolling and unrolling it endlessly- or so it seemed

a score of seagulls on the shore
flapped their wings starch-white
some picking morsels from the sand

jogging on the beach that evening
miles and miles away from home
i ran into a dream

a little challenged girl in knickers and sportshirt
was carried by the waves to shore and
as she stepped on the beach i held her hand

she walked with me her puny feet
at every step battling with the sand
her head swayed sideward with the breeze

she clapped her hands now and then
seemingly happy walking the beach
amid the gulls and sea and me

and i was happy too
that evening jogging on the beach...
till the shout of friends behind woke me up
... ... ...
alone in my room that night i felt disturbed
sleep was long in coming.... waking up
at morn i learnt - my TV had been on whole night !