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.

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.

Virginity

Touched
by fingertip words
i tremble
and whisper
'it's my first time.'

A hermit and a Franciscan

Stories that end
as stories
without end
are Arabian universals,
and right here
in two worlds
that share a nation
Scheherazade is a Franciscan
with a Hermit Sultan
defying life.

Knowing

Sad swallows and lovely ravens
and the eye of the fault,
dust particle planets and eternal moments
and the heart of the flaw --
I know such secrets
and you know me.

Fairytale Song

Fairytales are children-things
neatly wrapped
and tied with a smile
fairytales ease the pain
of fairyless days
and roads that have no end
fairytales are dust-jacketed
a pick-me-up flower
and a thank-you kiss
fairytales end too soon,
that they do
that they do.