By: Debleena Majumdar

“Beautiful scenery isn’t it?”
A voice interrupted my thoughts.
It could not have been more perfect.
The waves rose in perfect rhythm,
Crashing safely just off my hammock
A lone crone nodded a gentle hello,
It could not have been more perfect.
The Sun, the sand, the sea, the pen,
Perfect privacy at the perfect price.

“They say this is where
It happened. A perfect day.
The sun winking at the merry waves
Till they lashed out in untold fury.”
The voice behind me droned on.
I kept writing. The voice would stop.
“She too was writing that day.
When the cries grew louder,
Do you think she just wrote?”

The perfect day clouded
In front of my eyes
“My turn! Coming!”
Tiny barefeet steps
Pottering on the sand
An upturned bucket,
An unfinished sandcastle,
Footprints disappearing, a voice
That would never disappear.

“Beautiful scenery, isn’t it?
I was jolted back to
The perfect day.
Choking back.
Choking back,
Unspoken words,
That were waiting to get
Washed away,
By a tsunami of unshed tears.