A handful of popcorn

Into the Kandy Lake
emptied I
of three bottles of gin
two and a half
the rest
for me

You, lake
must get drunk
this day

For then
can we talk

Of that moment
when for the first time
a handful of popcorn
onto your waves
she tossed.

[Translation of Ruwan Bandujeewa's poem පොරි අහුරක් (pori ahurak) in 'මීළඟ මීවිත' (The Next Wine)]

The worlds up above

Not all mountains from landmass rise

not all canopied trees have root
not all crowds scream in anger
not all embraces are made for parting
not all splashes produce foam
not all unions yield harvests to cheer
not all clouds have silver lining
not all earth is earth-made for the earthy
not all skies ready for rain and rain dance.




[Inspired by the photography of Chandana Wijesinghe]

Two Houses

The once splendid and admired
with laughter creeping up the walls
love ornamenting table and shelf
hope as fresh as paint
fade, mould and crumble
but she in her perishability
gathers and grows
in accumulation or discard
in the other, more enduring.




[Inspired by the line drawings of Gamini Abeykoon]