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Friday 30 March 2012

Nangi*



She was tiny
that’s my first memory of her:
tiny,
and over time
she grew smaller and smaller
not by the distancing of time
or continental shifts
tinier
for reasons of proximity
order of birth
tiny enough to command
pandered to, she was
indulged
but perhaps feared
I could hold her hand
or hold her in my palm
but maybe
that’s what she wanted me to think
she holds me too
in a heart-palm
made of mother
and friend,
but she’s tiny
this sister of mine.

*Upon reading the draft of her second novel and being utterly moved.

23 comments :

  1. so lovely…. she is amazing !

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  2. And that is how I write and live - in the palm of my brother's hand. Safe.

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  3. how sweet it is even to read....brother and sister love timeless..goes beyond life...

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  4. So touching...loved her first book. Looking forward to the next.

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  5. Dr. Kolitha Lelwala31 March 2012 at 15:25

    Lovely poem Malinda.

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  6. Peter Casie Chetty31 March 2012 at 19:09

    That is a really nice poem. A loving brother! I wish I could tell my sisters how much I appreciate the in a poem like this!

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  7. Lovely! I wish I had my own sister!!

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  8. Dear Mr. Seneviratne,

    This is certainly a lovely poem. The photograph says more about the bond that you two are maintaining.

    lovely day sir!

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  9. This poem is a tribute to all the sisters and brothers across all the continents.

    actually this is a reminder of a 'never changing truth' about my 'nangi' that is 'her heart - palm' is so huge than her akka's.

    every woman is a sister of someone and every man is a brother of some one .... it is good if we all can try to think that way.

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  10. I wish i had a brother like you...
    MAy your love as siblings forever grow stronger and stronger..

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  11. Hey Malinda, you can fool some people sometimes, but not everybody all the time.

    Your so-called "elegant" poetry CANNOT cover the fact that you were are Mahinda Rajapaksa stooge. We all saw saw how you went to the supermarket (කඩේ) for the dictator මැදමුලන ගන් කබරයා before Jan 8.

    Now you are slowly trying slither your way into යහපාලනය. We will not be fooled Malinda.

    What is your true feelings towards යහපාලනය?? Is it better or worse than your dictator Maraa's පවුල් පාලනය?

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  12. so-called 'elegant'..who calls it 'elegant'? you? :)

    stooge? come on, can't you find anything worse? as for your accusations...BORING....and that's because you are ill-informed, not very well read and plain dumb.

    Yahapaalanaya: same old, same old...but wait, WORSE because they promised change (for the better). They've failed on all counts. Vada-bari-paalanaya would be a better descriptive, right?

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  13. Ok Malinda, I will accept that you are Sri Lanka's "John Keats", if you do one thing: Write an "ode" praising your "master" Mahinda Rajapaksa.

    Think you can do that??? :)

    Personally I find it shocking that somebody who went to Harvard of all places, can become a lackey to somebody as uncouth as Madamulana Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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  14. Wow, Harvard & Cornell both???

    How can somebody who studied at Harvard & Cornell associate with MR, Gota & their ilk??

    Do you personally know people like Mervyn Silva???

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  15. Rohantha...The only individual I consider 'Master' (and that's a poor word) is Siddhartha Gauthama. I don't give blank cheques to anyone. Who is YOUR master/mistress, would you please let us know?

    Do lackeys consistently critique both individual and policy?

    Since you make a lot of noise, Rohantha, can you please substantiate your claims?

    If not, let me conclude that you are dumb and/or lazy.

    Cheers

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  16. To "critique" means to just analyse or evaluate.

    Brave, courageous, IMPARTIAL journalists on the other hand, CRITICIZE.

    Victor Ivan is a great example of this type brave, impartial journalist.

    So exactly when have you ever CRITICIZED Mahinda Rajapaksa during HIS tenure as the president?? Can you point us to some web links??

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  17. Victor Ivan? :) You want me to take you seriously after that comment?

    I can't do your homework for you or educate you, sorry. I believe I was the only one who objected to the 18th Amendment in as many as 5 different newspapers, including the Daily News...just one example. Have also written about Mervin's antics, his sons antics, Duminda, Corruption etc etc etc... I did not go lick Ranil's behind and if that's what's making you call me names....be my guest. Not in a popularity contest. And as for you, thanks for the entertainment. :)

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  18. Ok ok got it. Check this out: http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2010/9/60274_space.html

    The last paragraph says it all: "Democracy died on September 8, 2010, we are told. I think those who make this claim have been blind for 32 years."

    So, although you SEEM TO object to it, you ACTUALLY deep inside, SUPPORT it don't you Malinda? :)

    That is why I said "You can't fool everybody all the time" Malinda.

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  19. No...I don't go overboard. I will not wish-away context. Your issue, I feel, is that I didn't fall at the feet of a person or persons or party or parties you think are/were 'better'. Sorry, taking issue with MR and what he did does not necessarily mean I would wish to side with jokers like Ranil (for example)....but the same token, attacking the MS-RW regime does not necessarily mean I support MR. Hardly!

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  20. So you've moved from Anon to Rohantha. That's good...but that's still a far cry from revealing who you are. Scared? ;)

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  21. Why are you laughing at VICTOR IVAN Malinda?? Isn't he Sri Lanka's top investigative journalist??

    So, who is your top SL journalist then?

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  22. I think Victor is a good investigative journalist...maybe even the best we have. His role in the Lenin Ratnayake case deserves much applause. But he is hardly the honorable, decent, clean individual that some people would like to think.

    http://malindawords.blogspot.com/2015/12/transparency-blurred-in-integrity-awards.html

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  23. Top journalist? Hard to say. I admire Kasun Pussawella. He's intelligent, brave and skilled. he's young and sometimes slips in his commentary....but still! Namini Wijedasa too.

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