A sprinkler

For Liora and Shirli
Love bursts out in thin streams
From the pores of the sprinkler.
We too are like the earth's cheek
Thirsty for the kiss of water.

From The Milk Underground by Ronny Someck

Translated from Hebrew by Robert Manaster & Hana Inbar

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The poet in a few lines sums up the profound nature of love. He compares love to thin streams burst out of a sprinkler. The couple is like 'earth' cheek' that is thirsty for the kiss of water. The poet uses commonplace metaphor of Sprinkler to draw parallel with the emotional state of lovers. The poem is noted for its economy of wards and use of metaphor. - Indeewara Thilakarathne

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Tarkovsky

I found seeping water from fountains deep
Flowing along celluloid reels and reels
Dripping my senses with humidity and moist
Human stains remained in cinema scope

Light and space; shadows and voids
Filled with water cling drop by drop
Sounds of aqueous turbulence
Made incarnation of memories

Tarkovsky you are the 'Stalker'
'Steamroller and violin' maker
Nostalgic shades of dying memories
'Sacrifice' of light for the human being

Lalindra Perera

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The poem is on the legendary filmmaker Tarkovsky. The poet eloquently expresses how the filmmaker portrayed life and its travails on celluloid reel. It is with the manipulation of light and shade and deployment of many a technique draw memoirs on the reel. The poet uses simple diction to capture the salient characteristic of the filmmaker. -Indeewara

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Kisses

In an impossible city
on a street lined with rare emotions
on forgotten clotheslines and heart-sleeves
hang incandescent smiles,
I am told;
not for all eyes, no
but those that are lipped
and are themselves lost
in oblivion. By Malinda Seneviratne

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The poet eloquently describes the kisses of lovers in a couple of lines. The poet compares 'kisses' to streets in an impossible city 'lined with rare emotions'. The emotion-charged streets are 'on forgotten clotheslines'. In an ingenious manner, the poet paints a picture of lovers fused in a reverie like passion yielding unto mounting emotions and last lost in oblivion. The poet recreates a scene of love-making in a most effective manner and the poem is noted for brevity of expression. - Indeewara

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Unfulfilments

The last page of
Ashok's novel is moving.
I turn that last page over.
I lay the book on the floor; aside.

When you say that
You can't love me all less for this world,
That to you I mean nothing,
Something that was inside of me closed eyes, slowly cried.

This can't go on; this is
Indignant and purple craving for flesh
Sweat, saliva and sufferance.
And being different inside; sporting surface indifference.

Losing out is some clichetic perfected art.
That final ambush of the impulsive heart
And a wasted hay-stack of words and justification
which, had been used with sense, may have built the nation Vihanga Perera

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The poem is universally applicable to authors of dubious standing who often marvel at churning out books upon books like hay-stack. Those pretentious authors' writing reveals beyond doubt that they have absolutely nothing upstairs.

The poet in no uncertain terms speaks of such authors who could turn the world topsy-turvy if they had used these hay-stacks of words with a sense. The poem is an indictment against the so called new literati who deceive themselves by churning out literary productions of inferior quality. The poet uses matter-of-fact language for his argument. - Indeewara

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Compassion

I appreciate your Compassion-
But I need your love-
1 need your anns-
To hold me close.
Keep me safe-
From the horrors
Of the world.
I need your guidance-
To travel the right path.
I need your strength-
Not gifts of toys, powdered milk-
clothes.
Your visits to the Orphanage-
Only leaves me sad-
Each time you leave, I cry-
1 want so much to hold your hand-
And go home with you.
I see in your eyes the love I need-
Won't you give it to me-
in place of Compassion? Punyakante Wijenaike

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In this poem, the poet portrays a picture of an orphanage where children live. Men and women of good heart visit the orphanage and give away gifts and goods to the children. Though the children appreciate their compassion, what they really need is love and warmth and the guidance to lead profitable lives.

The narration is done from a perspective of a child and the child desperately wants a home. The poet has used simple diction to drive home the message that thousands of children in orphanages need homes and foster parents. - Indeewara

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