Arts
The promise of a young poet
Proud moment: Janek de Silva with his mother Sepali at the launch of his book
“A rose?
The symbol of Love; a mockery of the life
sustaining blood that flows within,
wilts and dies within a few days.
Money wasted on a few seconds of
Surprise, Revelation and Jubilation
stemming from the gift of a rose bud,
taken without the blessing of its mother plant and given to a loved one,
even if they don’t know that they are loved…”
While one might think these sentiments were penned by someone who is considered to be ‘old and wise’, they were, in fact, written by 17-year-old Janek de Silva. Janek, who recently completed his secondary education at the British School of Colombo, launched his collection of poems last week at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of Strategic Studies.
At the age of 17, Janek seems to have gained many experiences in life. He has begun a non profit organisation- Ocean Intact- to help reduce pollution, has volunteered at Embark and the Foundation of Goodness and together with his family help fund a water purification system for a school in Mahawilachchiya. All this apart from his regular school activities like Model United Nations (MUN) and debating. The insights he has gained from these experiences seem to have made their way into the book either as entire poems about said experiences, such as ‘Struggle’ which speaks of the lack of water in Mahawilachchiya, or musings which reflect his own experiences. Janek will begin reading for his degree in Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley later this year.
Engrossed: A section of the audience. Pix by Ishanka Sunimal
The book comprises 37 poems in three sections, namely – cloudy skies, rainy days and sunshine. The poems cover topics ranging from environmental pollution to more philosophical musings on the meaning of life, and many things in between. The title of the book, Private Promises, itself hints at both the meaning behind the poems and the values of the author. “The more private you hold your promises, the better they become,” he writes, indicating that he prefers quiet, deep internal change to more external and showy.
At the launch we learnt more about the book through the speakers. “In year 9, we started our journey by learning how to spell,” said his English teacher Mahum Kidwai, who also compered the event. We later learnt that she was his inspiration to take a greater interest in English – his favourite subjects in school were Maths, Physics and Chemistry, he says. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mahum later explained that while Janek did write poems before she met him, his grammar wasn’t always up to scratch. She said she felt it was because he had many thoughts in his head and he was impatient to write them, with little regard for grammar and spelling. “In year 9, which is when I had the privilege of meeting him, he wanted to save the fish – save aquarium life. Then he wanted to save his poems, and he began writing them down. He now wants to save the world, and I am more than confident that one day – maybe in 15 years from now, he’ll manage to accomplish that as well,” she said.
Professor Arjuna Parakrama of the University of Peradeniya, who also helped with the book, analyzed and commented on the poems. “There is a delicacy of thought and feeling that belies his youth and promises much for this future Lankan poet,” he said. He commented on Janek’s fine tuned sentiments and clear values. For example, in the poem “Sword” Prof. Parakrama said the lines, “We neglect the one thing that makes us human: our need to express,” make a claim which is both minimalist and controversial. “It would indeed be a pity if he loses his creativity to the practicalities of Engineering,” he said.
Insights into Janek’s poetry: Prof Arjuna Parakrama speaking at the launch
Janek’s friend Avantha Jayasinghe in lighter vein touched on Janek’s “numerous character flaws”. There is a time and place for everything – but the time for Hawaiian shirts is never (it seems Janek’s dress code can be a tad too casual), he quipped and gave other funny examples of Janek’s personality, explaining how he played 8 ball pool before an important debate while the others were extremely nervous and preparing feverishly. “You have achieved something that most people just dream about - there are a lot of people who try this, stop halfway and give up, but you have been successful,” he said, adding that he is sure Janek will achieve much more in the future.
Janek commenting on his work said the book was written over the past two years. He said the loose sentence structure of poetry made it easier for him to express himself. While many know him as a carefree person, he says there are those who are closest to him who know that he has a much more serious side, with some even calling him an ‘old soul’ – something he is always happy to hear. “I appreciate it because I feel more mature and it gives me an appreciation for myself as being a little bit more than your average teenager because I’ve put effort into looking at things differently and understanding people and I feel that does give credit to the ‘old soul’ kind of name.”
“Private Promises” priced at Rs. 1200 is available at Chapter and Verse – 40/1A, Joseph Lane, Colombo. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to charity.