Sunday, April 26, 2015

This heart of mine.

The more you wound 
heart cut with love blade 
make me bleed , bleed and bleed 
leaving line , scar and scratch 
every second , every hour ,
days into months
months into years
the more strong this heart thread becomes
like trees that take deeper roots in storm
that it is never satisfied 
and does not say
'stop , now enough'.
Instead,
it takes tours from pavement -gut
to streets 
and ancient architect
extracting histories, 
laughter , word ,
ways of gaze ,
your broad smile, cheeks -puffed,
so glorious like
a dew drop sparkle.

Life is all about scoring Amma points.






Wish we all had Amma powers. Amma knows everything. Yes. Starting from what to eat. What to drink. How to wash. Everything. Basically. I, 23 now, stays home when the rest of the family goes out for their work (Only if there’s nothing for me to do out). I often gallivant . Habitually. For no reasons sometimes. Staying home alone is not easy. You get random text messages from Amma.

Once you are done with your homework, please clean the house also.
Amma

Don’t forget to put the clothes to dry.
Amma


And then you get random reminders.


Don’t open doors to anyone. Keep everything locked.
Amma

Call Aththamma again if you can.

Pick up nangi from the class at 5. Don’t forget.

Do not use the aluminum pan to fry eggs. Use the non-stick one.


What I like the most is when Amma sends blasting text messages.

What are you doing? I have been calling you several times. Call me immediately. You are just inviting trouble.

Recently I have been in the negatives for boycotting housework just for two- three days.


‘What’s wrong with you? You are all day infront of a book or else the laptop.You have enough time to talk to all the people around the world. Is this the way a girl behaves.What’s the use of  all the learning and your fancy degrees. You can’t be this being the eldest. Do some house work.Pick up nangi from classes. Be more responsible. You know how much work I have. Do NOT embarrass me. Who the hell you think you are? ‘

This took me all the way back to Jehan’s videosA few years old Jehan did  a video about Amma points , or how to win a mother’s heart. Jehan is obviously a Srilankan ingenious. He knows the kind of mother most of us have. And how to tackle them.



How much cleaning you do , that’s not enough for them. Of course you shouldn’t be boycotting  house work. Not even a day. That can make you lose amma points. You’ll definitely end up getting scolded the whole day. Which might even continue for two three days. Unless you do a bit of cleaning and make her convinced.



Compliment what she cooks. Just praising them isn’t enough .Always compare them with other aunties. Same goes to clothes. Buy what she likes. Even if you don’t like. (You can exchange them later)



Fix random things in the house. Fix her phone when something goes wrong. Help her breakthrough technology. Teach her to transfer money through phone. Or to send picture messages. You will get double points when your mother is aunty networking.

Skip parties atleast one night. Instead go for charity work. Pirith or bana. You will score more. Cook a meal that can be a super hit. She will go around praising you everywhere.

From all things, if you choose a amma approved job like Doctor , Engineer , Lawyer , you are likely to be kept at the top of the family.


If you are a boy they will always like you to marry a decent girl . A girl who doesn’t go for late night parties. Cooks well. Has a good job. Very fair and sweet. On the other hand they’ll like men who don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Who earns lot of money. Good job. (sad , but true)

Help random aunts and uncles. Go shopping with them. Send them gifts once in a while. Amma will love it!


When you go for weddings alone don’t forget to bring a piece of  cake to amma. You’ll get more amma points.


Also give her gentle advice. Tell her to be careful when driving in the rain. But don’t overdo it.  Don’t try to teach her what to do and what not to do . You will probably loose points then.

If you are living away from your mother, give her a call once a while. Ask how she is doing. Amma likes it.

And don’t come home late after hangovers. You are likely inviting war.


(Courtesy - The Nation newspaper , 25th April 2015)


Friday, April 24, 2015

Did you find the leader in you?




Do you recall being a class monitor? A prefect?  Team captain? Scout? Girl Guide?  Not every one of us would have been all these. Some might not have had the chance to lead. Some might have. But they were shy. And they gave up. Or they thought they don’t have the right qualification.


A fire breaks out at your neighbor’s. Think you were walking pass their house. It’s quite normal for you or any other passer to look what has happened. Naturally, you will get closer to the scene and ask somebody around for the details. Or else you’ll take a careful look and determine yourself as to what would have happened. We, SriLankans are fond of questions and answers. Usually. We like to know what’s happening next door. Who stole Herath’s bandakka harvest . When did Mrs.Lalitha’s big boy marry. Why did Mr. Skanda bring a Flat TV when there is another at home.  What made the fire break? It’s a cabinet of curiosities.

Leave away these questions. Think of how you are going to help cease the fire. Are you going to count votes? Who’ll get the water buckets?  Who will bring the sand? No. You’ll certainly not. By the time you count people to do them the fire may spread more. And you will be gone too. Instead ,you willingly look for water and sand. In the meantime, you will command others to get the needed stuff. And those who flock around will help. Gradually. If it’s getting worse, you may call the nearest fire brigade. You take risks as you please. You are now an autocratic leader.


Here’s something different. Imagine you and your classmates are planning a trip. You cannot command others about what to do and where to go. Rather you suggest places. Go for votes. Get the places numbered. Decide the place that has received the highest votes. And that will be the destination.This is democracy at its best. No conflicts. Remember, you can’t do things your way when you work with teams. You got to know what others like. Their needs.  Their  wants. What they don’t like. This is called democratic leadership.

.
Yes. The way you lead differs from one moment to another. You can’t be only democratic. Or always autocratic. You need both. You decide what suits the best when time comes.


pic courtesy :www.entrearchitect.com
A few days old, around 8.00 in the morning a friend said we are all leaders. He said it well. And he said it best. I think. Your leadership decisions don’t affect the boardroom always. But sure they will help for the future of the world. Someday. Take simple things. A day that  your mother  was sick and you had to do the cleaning and dishes. When you and your sister/brother were alone home and you had take care of each other. A day you planned and prepared a meal for the family. Or when you helped a person who had met with an accident in road , at a sporting event or whatnot. You know that nobody is around you to tell what to do . You plan . And do the has to be done things. Many of the messages we have received about leadership are easy, ‘I’ll tell you what to do , and you do it. Or else ‘because my mother / father says so , that’s why’ may even slip through our lips. A leader doesn’t rise along. Leaders be one with another. Leaders don’t affect people in large always. They affect one at a time. Leadership isn’t about having followers. A leader is someone who makes an impact. He or she is the one who makes a change. Responsible. Patient. Willingly helping.


In several years you will be a doctor. A teacher. Musician. Editor. Journalist. Many things.  But learning leadership doesn’t take you to degrees and diplomas.  It is all about day to day activities. How you do things. How well you plan. How  well you will find resources at a given short time.


Let’s not forget 8.00 in the morning. We are all leaders. No doubt in it. For now, think how you’re going to plan the next holiday trip or a way you can help another.



(Published in The Nation Newspaper on 2nd May 2015)

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Poetrying.


He 's a poem
and I'm poetrying him
in more than a foot note
it is not less than an end note
with words that don't exit
line- free and sorrow -cut
and too sweet 
even sweeter than his eyes , heart and thought.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Light Bending


This wave and grain
In line and perspective 
collected from earth’s core
to gravity’s effect
and lessened on light
bent and traversed,
is memory –made
a history squandered,
a love gone waste
of a mad man’s conquest,
so fickle
but adept.

They come in color
not those of a painter’s color palette
But of thorn- road,
wound and longevity
or ripple laughter and teardrop
that is said in the book of life.

And Everything
in this world
in the end
is a scramble
once amalgamated
and scattered
like light bent
past the refractive index
and dimension-freeing.


Inspired by Ushan Gunasekera's photography

Saturday, April 4, 2015

These kaneru blooms , on the other side of the debokkawa

ඔය දෙබොක්කාවට එහයින් 
එක යායට
බිමට නැමී ඇති 
කනේරු මල් 
පිපේවිද 
ඉරාගෙන අහස් ගැබ 
ඉරු එලිය 
එබෙන්ටත් කලින් 
හෙටත් 
අද වාගේම ?


වැව , නුඹට මතකද 
ගිය අමාවක අඳුර 
නුවර වැව හොවාගෙන 
වැඩිය සීතල සුළඟ ?


ඒ සුළඟ වඩීවිද 
ආයෙමත් 
පුරපසට ?

අඩුමතරමින් 
ඊළඟ අමාවකට?

නිදි නැතිව 
බැලුම්ගල 
එන එන සෙනගට 
සොඳුරු ඝන අරණ 
පෙන්නමින් 
මුමුණන හීන් වැව් දිය 
ඉඳීවිද
මේ වගේ 
දෙතොලඟ සිරවුන 
මතක පද අහුලමින් 
ආයෙමත් 
හමුවන දිනක් තුරු ?



These kaneru blooms
kissing the soil
in fields 
on the other side of the debokkawa,
will they blossom tomorrow 
before sun breaks
through mountain
tearing the sky
like they did today?

You , lake
do you remember
the last amawaka
when a cold breeze swept 
nestling the nuwara wewa?


Will that cold breeze pounce,
pounce again
on a full moon poya?

Or,
in least
another amawaka?


Balumgala,
wide awake
enthralling climbers
in green wood beauty.
And 
will the thin ripple water
remain the same
collecting memory word
of those that are lipped
and are lost in oblivion
until another reunion?