"less polymophic" problem

[Seth Kurtzberg]

Hello list,

I don't know how to solve this problem.  Using GHC 5.04.3.

The following snippet shows the problem, as minimally as I could.

tl2 = ["123","abc","def"]

tl3 = newSTRef tl2

-- this works:
tl3unref = runST(tl3 >>= \ref -> readSTRef ref)

-- this code, the same but with a formal parameter, doesn't compile:
-- this is line 61 in the error message below
getaline rlines = runST(rlines >>= \ref -> readSTRef ref)

--ghci complains as follows:

    Inferred type is less polymorphic than expected
        Quantified type variable `s' escapes
        It is mentioned in the environment:
          rlines :: ST s (STRef s a) (bound at misstring.hs:61)
    In the first argument of `runST', namely
        `(rlines >>= (\ ref -> readSTRef ref))'
    In the definition of `getaline':
        runST (rlines >>= (\ ref -> readSTRef ref))

-- I tried the following signature for getaline:

getaline :: forall s. ST s (STRef s [[Char]]) -> [[Char]]

-- which does not change the error.  The type in the signature for
-- rlines is that displayed by ghci for tl3

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

-- 
Seth Kurtzberg
MIS Corp
480-661-1849
seth@cql.com