Illiad dismantled

How can I ever say Thank You
For the gem of a friend I found in you?
Yes it's true, that I searched and I found,
But it was you who crafted the crown.
It was made of glittering love,
Pearls of patience studded above,
Artifacts of your brotherly love,
Guarded my heart from arrows of love.
Soothed wounds caused by a Cupid's growl,
You wouldn't let a tear, fall down from above!
When both enemies-hear break and death,
Invaded my heart,making a pact;
Like lonely Hector,who had no fault,
With an Achillies of hurt you fought back bold.
But in my book of Illiad, Hector won,
You calmed the fears, healed the wounds.
Yet how can I leave like Helen of Troy,
Knowing you are to fight with myths that destroy?
But let's re-write the epic we've seen,
Now Hector would find Achillies' heel............... G.C. Priyangwada Perera

Heavily drawn from classical allusions, the poem tries to inverse some of the legends. The title is appropriate though the message encoded is almost philosophical. The poet is able to convey it in a lucid manner. - Indeewara Thilakarathne

My darling mother! My own!

I still hear your foot- steps, on the gravel path,
Moving softly and efficiently,
Carrying me for a nice bath!
Your sweet face, looking down at me tenderly!
With love and kindness depicted on it sweetly!

How can I ever forget your kindness, patience and love?
The way you tackled problems,
With a strong hand
In a very calm way
Even though you are not near me,
I should do the same,
My darling mother, my own!

My darling mother! My own!
Looking back at the years gone by,
With my eyes closed.
You loom up in front of me,
With your sweet smile,
You were so kind, so gentle and loving,
In a very special way.
You were my guardian angel,
Who always protected and loved me.
You taught me everything,
Every bit in detail.
Love, kindness, patience and faithfulness.

You gave me courage to live,
You made our home a heaven,
With full of laughter and happiness!
An everlasting joy prevailing.
But now our heaven's empty,
'Cause my angel's in heaven.
I can't go on living without you,
Without your noble, kind, presence.
Please take me away with you,
My dearest, darling, mother, my own! Helma Kamalasuriya

The poet recalls the fond and cherished memories of her mother who had departed from the world. The mother was kind and patient but firm in her decisions. She had been an object lesson who taught qualities of an ideal mother through her life. When she was alive, her presence was felt in every nook and corner of the house. However, now her absence is strongly felt. The poet has used straightforward matter-of- fact language to convey the idea of profound grief at the departure of her mother. - Indeewara

Memories and the truth

Am I sad, why should I?
Am I happy, why should I?
Am I angry, why should I?
Am I cool, why should I?
If I am sad, I regret the role I played in my life,
If I am happy, I am content with every wrong turn I took in my life,
If I am angry, I abhor every relationship I was linked to in my life,
If I am cool, I tolerate all the injustice that I faced in my life;
Am I sorry, why should I?
Am I pleased, why should I?
Am I brave, why should I?
Am I afraid, why should I?
If I am sorry, I misjudge my beliefs,
If I am pleased, I am comfortable with my mistakes,
If I am brave, I would freely admit my failures,
If I am afraid, I am a coward to meet everybody's indubitable fate;
If I am true to myself, I am neither sad nor happy,
If I am true to you, I am neither angry nor cool,
If I am true to them, I am neither sorry nor pleased,
If I am true to all, I am neither brave nor am I afraid;
I see no angels beckoning me,
I see no evil spirits making signs at me,
All I see is a bunch of faces with concerns and smirks,
As I lay swaying between the living and the dead. Inoka Makalanda

The poem is a philosophical note enunciating the importance of being oneself and belief in self. The equanimity is a rare quality that one has to struggle to cultivate. What is important is to stand amidst the tempests of life. However, this is not to be construed as 'swaying between living and the dead'. Instead it is being aware of what happens around you. Indeewara Thilakarathne.