By the West Wind
On that gloomy day
by the west wind
from a kite
they came down a dame
who told was
to make us tame
‘Perfectly fine in every way’
she said ‘bout herself
At glance,
I believed she needed help
Took us home
for a bath
full of magic
and some dance
with the days
we know the woman,
like a book
that wasn’t the cover
A woman full of might
beauty and kind
taught us that
there’s no else where
to go,
except high up to the sky
Her name was Poppins
Yes! by far the best
we have met
‘Today or Never’
that’s her motto for the best
Anything can happen
she said,
everything is possible
even the impossible.
So this lady
wouldn’t make us bang-a-bonk
next to Thames
or sit lazy on the couch
and to vargle
in front of her
oh boy! that’s a no.
With her
we laughed all day
we sang all day
went on ventures
were simple was never complex
along which
‘nothing’
turned to anything
and everything.
she showed us to
let the past take
a bow,
as forever, is now.
for when you dream,
you’ll find
all that’s
lost is found.
Seeing us happy
made her happy
we loved her very
that she was never a “nanny”
Yet Again
on some day
a west wind blew
with a different sense
For Mary Poppins
took climb,
As,
Nothing is gone
forever
just only out of place.
Words - Charuni Nayanathara
****
The Sparrow
Over the fields of greenery I fly
In amber and turquoise and sleek blue sky
In rain, in sunshine and over the zenith
The marvels of natural I see there, beneath
In full spread I let my wings snail
Over the plains, through valleys and gales
Tiny and soft, like a virgin’s veil
The streams roam by, in mountain trails.
In mauve, white, scarlet and yellow
The trees are in bloom in winding willows
At times it’s bright and times its gray
A theatre of art, the sky is, I may say.
The swaying corn fields shining in gold
Maks my wings weak, flutter and fold
I dare not dive, and my hunger I hold
For, beauties do fade away soon, I am told.
Words - Janakie Deegahawathura
****
Shattered Dream
We shall be arriving in
Bandaranaike International Airport
In Sri Lanka, in just a few minutes
The accent less, Sri Lankan stewardess voice
In the microphone overhead, sounded twice
Please fasten your seat belts; was heard once
The UAE flight started its descent towards the runway
The flourish greenery shining with dew drops clearly visible
From my window seat, giving me an overwhelming delight
My heart filled with enormous joy; Oh! home sweet home
An hour or so aftermath, I cleared the baggage counter
I was bewildered; My husband was not to be seen at the exit
There were no phones then; He wouldn’t have received my letter
By and large, a sudden sad feeling did linger in my mind
The inevitable desire to be with my beloved husband again
To cuddle my pet son and offer warmth to my darling daughter
The harmony envisaged in the reunion as birds of a feather
Reigned supreme during the bee line made home in the taxi
It took two hours for the taxi to reach our quaint village
My aged mother came with tears falling and hugged me
No sign of either my husband or my adolescent daughter
My son cuddled me as if displaying the desired warmth
The anticipated new house was nowhere in the vicinity
A half completed foundation of a structure was only there
No sooner had I noticed the real situation at hand clearly
Than It made me topsy-turvy; with cascade of tears falling
The hard earned dirhams; the enormous money sent
Had been ruined mercilessly, lock stock and barrel
My husband had vanished with another village dame
The apple of my eye had eloped with a drug addict
Oh! The vividly cherished dream shattered to pieces
Words - S.S.J. Fernando
****
After cancer! Hopes….
Wrapped up and shrank the lumps with love! - And mercy ! On them by palliative caring
Endured! ‘after-effects’, while thinking — Future recovery, during the period of treating
Scattered-wishers as ‘different brooks’--Cascaded and broke! While single water falling
Though recollected! Again - Ran and nourished as ‘fresh-stream’ rolling
We have seen a verdure! - In the sky of Western
Among the new creeper’s shadows of - The expectation
While the dusk was stepping - Gradually on that eastern
The’ thousand- hopes’ which were imprisoned; - Secretly smiled and reawaken
Will dawn on tomorrow - By same sun glittering
We too will be arisen - With that sun together with laughing
No! Any other prevailing - Or growing henceforth developing
Assuring the disappearance! - In future such’ hidden-flaws’ without prevailing
Instead of frustration! ’Hidden - new expectations ‘are reborn in the heart.
Shooting, prevailing with flowering - Fructifying! On same date
We! As you are human! Who lumping - Humanity on such date
Promises! We will be stepped on! - With you on that particular date.
Words - Merril A. Perera