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CLOTHES
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Comments,
criticism or food for thought?
Write into: Mirror Magazine, C/o The Sunday Times,
No. 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 2
Little angel
A mess
unbearable,
I get angry.
The door, windows, always closed.
But inside,
Everything opened, ajar!
Books, files, boxes, pens, drawers,
Linen box, bags, what more?
Even the tall large closet!
I peep reluctantly -
No fresh air
No sunlight
Fan turning fast, lights on.
A bed not made up,
Perhaps for weeks
I can't walk inside
Without knocking on something.
Unbelievable.
My daughter!
I, neat and tidy,
Can never bear anyone sitting on my bed.
To see her on my neat bed
Sleeping like an angel
Cuddled in my blanket
How can I get angry?
Pearl Weerasinghe
A
mother weeps
(This poem is dedicated to Samantha who died after clashes
at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura)
I still recall the very day
You came into my life
As fragrant as a little jasmine.
When I saw you,
I was thrilled.
I felt the whole world
Was in my hands;
I was pleased to see you
Grow up day by day
Like a tiny plant.
But,
It was chopped
By unknown beasts
In an unexpected moment.
My heart never believes
That you are no more
I hear your foot steps
I hear your loving voice.
But,
Reality strikes me;
You are taken forever,
Happiness plundered from me...
Leaving endless tears.
Anjali Silva
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
The new school
When
I was in grade nine,
I had to kiss good-bye
To the school I adored.
Walls of grey took the place
Of the familiar, lovely white
New faces, all cold and haughty
Stared till I was away from sight.
Kind and firm teachers I found
But I had not a friend around.
In vain I tried to fit in
I didn't seem to be the right thing
With nobody to talk to
To my books, I turned for rescue.
Even when it was time for fun
I felt I was an unwanted one
Silent, needy, no sense of humour
Were the many impressions I won.
A pang of hurt and loneliness
Kept stabbing at my heart
When memories of my former school
Kept flooding into my head
Special times, my friends' dear faces
Brought hot tears into my eyes.
A year or two passed by
When one term it was time
For new students to come join
All smiling faces, friendly, amiable
Made the school atmosphere
Loving, fun filled and more alive
Alleviating loneliness and gloom.
- Ruma Naleem
Be a bit more
cheerful
Sri Lankans
are said to be a very hospitable bunch of people - right? Then how
come I can't remember the last time I saw a smiling face amidst
the crowds of Colombo? (Just for the record, I have a very good
memory when it comes to faces). But when I was in Wellington, New
Zealand, the place was swamped with smiling faces. It was like a
whole new world. Each time I stepped into a store, a sales person
would go, "Helloooooo, how are you doing todaaaay? 'Tis such
a pretty day isn't it? Oooh I adore that purse..." etc. I would
only have to chip in a word or two. Believe me, Kiwis love to chat!
After some time, I get the feeling that I've known the person all
my life. Pretty much the same thing happens when you go to any public
place. Everyone is so nice - like they have all come right out of
a proper etiquette school.
Some people
may say that they are not genuine but to me, they are plain nice.
Even if they are just acting, they're pretty good at it. Did you
know that there we have to thank the driver and say 'bye bye' every
time we get out of a bus? Even if the bus is huge and we are getting
down from the back, we have to shout our farewells at the top of
our voices. It isn't a rule but I call it courtesy. Just imagine
how it would be if someone had the nerve to do it in Sri Lanka.
The guys inside the bus would have a fit. But I think it's a very
nice thing to do. Unfortunately, I'm not gutsy enough to do that
and I hate travelling by bus here. Surely you know why!
But I think
it would be pretty good if we Sri Lankans took some time to smile
or have a little chat with a stranger once in a while. Shop assistants
should be taught to smile genuinely when a customer appears and
they should quit saying "Can I help you ma'am?" and try
out something new for a change. Saying "cheers!" or something
of the sort when a customer expresses his/her gratitude isn't such
a Herculean task, is it? And "have a good day," in the
end would top it up perfectly. Those rules should apply to any conversation.
What I'm trying
to say is that being nice does not cost a dime. So why not be nice
and happy. If Kiwis can do it, so can we!.
Whizperin Wind.
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