Waves crashed on the shore,
The white sand tickled on her feet
And she stood there as long as she could,
Till blue was the only colour
She could vision.

I stood on the sandy shore
As each wave invited me to come near.
Each rose and fell.
Some with a large splash
And some soft as petals.

She saw her loved ones in the water
Playing and jumping in the blue sea.
Friendly waves touched her feet
Asking her to join them,
To play with them.
Yet, she didn't.

For fear gripped her heart
That she would submerge in them.
Far from a distance a deep bluish mighty wave arrived.
She hurried back
Though she was far from it.
Water intrigued her, intrigued me,
Especially the deeper ones.
Curious to see what do waves hide
Yet afraid to submerge in,
She and I stood there silently.

Thus, I laughed at her,
At her childish innocence
For turning down the company of waves.
Waves which take you to directions unknown,
The realm of unknown things!
Is it wise to turn down?

She chided me,
'Don't you know that these waves shall drown me to the depths of the sea?'
My past insight then replied,

'And if you don't drown,
How shall you see things hidden?
How shall you discover treasures concealed?
How shall you learn
The Wisdom Of Water?'

Small feet carried her to the sea,
Creating footprints on the sand
Which would soon wash away.
She looked the rise and fall of the waves.
Veiled were the waves in white foam
And glittered under the afternoon sun.
The dazzle too strong for her,
Blinded those small eyes
And a big wave engulfed her
And we both sunk deep and deep.

Her eyes were closed, mine opened.
Surrounding me was white light
That scattered into sparkles of blue,
Each adorning my form.
And then I heard a voice,
Soft, like a whisper.
'If not jalkanya, then who?
With whom will the waves play?'

Saw myself sway in different directions
Like a creeper swaying in a storm.
Each wave carried me away, far away.
But where? I didn't know.
I neither tried to ask
Nor find a direction.

And then came the same voice again,
More compelling and loud.
'These frisky waves lead you in unfamiliar directions.
It's you who shall choose one!
Jalkanya you are, so claim it!
Or you shall forever sway in this endless depth.'

For once I was alarmed
And tried to look out for a direction,
For some light!
I saw nothing but darkness,
Pitch black and a swirling soul!
The same voice came again
And continued,

'No need to make haste always
And neither fear the waves
For they let you see your path
And see other ways to your journey.
This period of darkness is transient
And light shall arrive soon.
You shall emerge into light!

'Play with these waves.
Sink and drown for a while,
But do not sway to their directions always.
They shall blind you in their sparkles,
Don't let yourself.
Surf over them and find the paths
You shall undertake a journey.
Jalkanya must know the waters always!'

She thrashed her hands like oars
Desperate to come up.
I knew we both would.
A soft wave hiss swept me
And I landed at the shore.
No more blue sparkles,
No more darkness.
Light! Light everywhere!

She wondered if she saw a dream.
I knew what I saw, what I heard.
She had time to awaken herself
And only then shall she know me
And herself.

This my friends is the message of water
Which I shall sing about always
As long as the waves exist
As long as I exist.
This shall be known as

'The wisdom of water!'

Jalkanya: The hindi word of 'mermaid'. However, jalkanya here refers to a girl who has a connection with water and not necessarily a mermaid.