togetherness and giving
sharing and forgiving
new clothes and freshness
holidays and holidaying
the solemn and carefree
overflowing gladness
and burying of inconsequentiality
this Avurudda
the true New Year of the nation
is a solidarity marker
where auspicious
is wrought of oneness
a one-moment match-strike
a one-moment partaking
one-moment anointing
from Devundara to Peduru Thuduwa
across random boundaries
and fantasy line,
it’s a Sinhala thing, a Tamil thing
but not forbidden to anyone else
either in observation of receipt
of kindness and gift,
it is the annual renewal
of nation and citizenship
affirmation of history
and heritage
the foundation
of all our tomorrows.
[Inspired by the photography of Rukshan Abeywansha, and published in THE NATION, April 14, 2013]
