The Tomorrow Man | Teen Ink

The Tomorrow Man

July 11, 2024
By PraneshwarE BRONZE, Dubai, Other
PraneshwarE BRONZE, Dubai, Other
1 article 1 photo 0 comments

Here comes the Tomorrow Man,
Building his castle out of sand.
On the unforgiving shore,
Saying, “Oh, I want some more.”


“Is Daddy ever coming home?” cried the son.
Of all replies, the mom had none.
The man had left his home months before,
Saying, “Oh, I want some more.”


In a hut, the man was born.
From that day, the race was on.
Very many hats the young man wore,
Saying, “Oh, I want some more.”


From day to night to day, he ran,
On plains and hills and rock and sand.
To build a bigger house, he swore.
Saying, “Oh, I want some more.”


He was successful in his quest.
But at home, his father he had left.
Growing old, his breath slowed.
Out of his hands, his time flowed.


“Some more time!” the father cried,
To see his son before he died.
But his son was on the shore,
In his quest for some more.


All he had wanted, he had got.
But as for time, he had not.
Old and alone, the father passed.
Not seeing his son, he breathed his last.


Through hail and storm and drought and flood,
The Tomorrow Man spilled sweat and blood,
Building his castle brick by brick,
Until fate played its trick.


His current house was cozy and fine.
A year it had taken for him to design.
His wife and children called it home,
But the man had left in search of foam.


The beach was the biggest area he could find,
To build the majestic castle he had in mind.
He spent days and weeks digging the sand,
Sculpting each sand brick with his hand.


He built his castle high and wide,
To make it resistant to flood and slide.
As the castle slowly grew,
He could see his dreams come true.


A score of years had gone by,
When the castle stood wide and high.
The man let out a colossal sigh,
And in joy, he wanted to fly.


The castle was grander than the Tower of Babel.
To accommodate a million men, it was able.
It had a thousand windows and a hundred doors,
And possibly ten scores of floors.


On cloud nine, the man rejoiced.
His accomplishment, he loudly voiced.
Wanting to go back home, he slept.
About his happy family, he dreamt.


The night was unusual and strange.
The sleeping man didn’t feel the change.
The earth shook as the night wind blew,
And the sea receded out of view.


Then, with a sudden blast of sound,
A wall of water struck the ornate sand mound,
The scores of floors came thundering down,
As the sea took away all that it found.


Struck by the sound, the man woke up,
To see his dreams all broke up.
All that remained of the great sand mound,
Were a few sand bricks on the ground.


The Tomorrow Man goggled at the scene,
Old, alone, worn, and lean.
Overcome with pain and grief,
He fell on his knees in disbelief.


From behind, reached out a palm,
With a manner that was cool and calm.
The man looked back with a quick turn,
To see no one but his son.


“Oh, my son, what have I done?”
The prodigal man cried to his son.
“For score years, was I gone,
From the time that you were born,”


“To build this sandy, illusive mound,
That the sea today has drowned.
But I did it all for you,
Did you have any clue?”


“Until now, I didn’t know you.
But today, my wish has come true,”
With a smile, the son said,
Lovingly patting his father’s head.


“I’ve never lived for a single day
That lies ahead of today.
I’ve spent my time like a thrift,
For, every new day is a gift.”


“Oh, my son, I was unaware
Of this art of living that you share
With me. I would that I could turn back time,
Back to the days of my prime,”


“To be with you and my wife,
And avoid these years of struggle and strife,”
Cried the man on his knees
As his son heard his pleas.


“Running behind tomorrow
Has brought me suffering and sorrow.
I promise to you, my son, on this day,
That I will live for today.”


On that day, the Tomorrow Man swore,
That his greed will seek no more.
The Tomorrow Man was no more, for that day
Marked the birth of the Man of Today.


The author's comments:

This poem was written just before my graduation from school. During this time, I was experiencing a myriad of emotions. Excitement for what lies ahead of me after school and the independence that I'd finally be experiencing. But this hope for independence also brought with it a lot of fear and uncertainty. What would my approach toward life be? What is the philosophy I'd adhere to as an independent individual? What is the lifestyle I'd have to adopt in order to live a fulfilling life with no regrets? All these questions led to this narrative titled 'The Tomorrow Man.'

 

Being a huge admirer of the simplistic charm of Mary Howitt's poems (especially 'The Spider and the Fly') and her effectiveness in conveying important messages with the most straightforward form, I decided to structure this narrative as a ballad with a very simple AABB rhyme scheme to make its lyrics as memorable as I could.


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