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Saturday 8 August 2015

Duet

First there was the word
and the word became flesh
and the flesh
in its rise
and in its collapse
weakness that is so compelling
turned words into sighs
but even the heaviest sigh
when it dies in a caress
turns flesh into word
and the word
on whispered breath
is love.

Wednesday 5 August 2015

කන්‍යාභාවය

ඇඟිලිතුඩු වදන් 
පිරිමදිද්දී 
හිරිගඩු ස්වරයෙනි 
කොඳුරන්නේ:
"පළමු වතාවයි මේ". 

Aloysius

I don't know his name.
Aloysius in the Army,
Driver Ranji at Rivira
Ranji Aiya to younger drivers
Ranji to me.
He has up days and down days
suicidal days filled with mother's filth
many mothers of course
good days of impressions
dirty jokes
and exploits
with men and women
some armed and others disarmed
but Ranji the Brave goes meek
at mention of wife,
Tough Ranji can't take sad stories
and that's when Ranji the Baby is (re)born.
He can be stopped with a few words:
it's a smile-killing, laughter-dissolving query
one that turns clear eyes red
fractures the strident voice
cuts down manliness
forces about turn
උඹ මගේ මිනිය කරගහනවා නේද?
'Will you carry my coffin when I am dead?'
I don't know his name,
really,
a brother of a kind he is,
one,
really.

Monday 3 August 2015