An exploration of humanity

A collection of short stories, poems and illustrations that explores the richness of nature, ravages of terror and the warmth of the human spirit, ‘Ehela Ablaze’ by Shireen Senadhira was launched on January 4.“Poetry, short stories and illustrations help the author express her emotions and share her concerns with society and this is what I have done,” Shireen said.

Giving an introduction to the book, a friend of the author, Waruna Basnayake, said that the delightful poems are largely biographical, symbolic and express the poet’s deep concern about nature, terrorism and the human spirit. The title poem ‘Ehela Ablaze’ written as a tribute to her friends, is symbolic of the resilience of ordinary folk, Mr. Basnayake said. “In this poem the author’s reflection is centred on an ehela tree that stands firm on a now forsaken garden.

The tree has stood solidly through changing times, sometimes bursting with enthusiasm. The ‘well-kept garden’ referred to in the poem symbolizes elegance, youth and happy times while the present state of the garden signifies forgotten times,” he said, explaining that the poem presents the human condition and the human spirit. “Ordinary people who enjoy the simple things in life, face challenges. Yet they have the ability to overcome these obstacles and go through like a blaze,” he said.

Through the many poems, short stories and illustrations on nature, the author paints a vivid picture of nature and expresses her feelings towards Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, landscapes flora and fauna. The poems and short stories on ‘terrorism’ are powerfully written with deep concern, highlighting human tragedies. They also give a strong message to society, which is, however abhorrent the atrocities may be, we must not turn away from them.

“The story titled ‘De Ja Vu’ expresses the plight and grief of two mothers whose daughters were victims of two bomb blasts, one in London and the other at the Central Bank in Sri Lanka. In ‘Two Lonely Children’, Shireen tells the story of two children who are the sole survivors of their family after a terror attack and ‘After the Massacre’ recalls a rural community where the lives of the innocent villagers are shattered when a claymore mine explodes in their village.

The third segment of the book explores the human spirit. In ‘Express Way’ the author tells of the courage of a grandmother in protecting her patch of nature which is about to be destroyed to build a new road.“As a young girl, Shireen had the urge to express herself and nature was always an essential part of her life,” the author's longtime friend Sriyani Basnayake said. A Vijitha Yapa publication, ‘Ehela Ablaze’ is now available at Vijitha Yapa stores at Rs. 450.