Seven little words

Painstankingly, she copied the
seven words written on the
blackboard.
She had to learnt to spell 'The
Days of the Week.
Every evening, she sat at the
kitchen table,
studying the seven words -
while her mother cooked dinner.
Often, she closed her eyes - or,
covered the words with her
palms
- and spelt each word aloud.
'Wednesday' proved difficult,
but she persevered.
It was Friday afternoon. She ran
to her mother - patiently waiting
at the schoolgate - and hugged
her. "Mummy", she called out
joyously.
"I got seven out of seven for
spelling."

– Noeline Azariah

The truth

"Now, count to ten.
Use your fingers
on both hands".
I told the children.
One stood up and said.
"Teacher, I can count
only to seven!
I looked at his hands.
My eyes refused to see
the truth.
No, he had not made a
mistake.
He has only seven!
If not for war,
he could count to ten.

– D. A.Nilu

Tell me

For me it's those seven lovely grey
sisters sitting on my garden wall
Preening each other and twittering
and chatting.
Of all that they've seen thro' the day
Grandfathers, grandmothers taking
children to school
Teenage school boys playing the fool
Mothers and fathers cuddling their
young ones
Working girls hurrying along
laughing and chatting
Some envious. Some admiring
'Are there accessories matching
Tell me, O tell me, tell me birdies do
All that you're chatting and chatting
about - come on -

– Pearline L. Withana

Forgive

I did not want to forgive -
I shudder at that terrible episode -
My beloved uncle,
Soft spoken, learned, handsome
And so young -
Stabbed seven times on the spine
By some maniac.
"Hang him! "Kill him" - my heart shouted
But -
My uncle on his deathbed
Had whispered That he should be forgiven.
What?
For seven stabs
He adhered to his Master's
Seventy times seven?

– Priscilla Pereira

Salutation

She walked in a trance.
Her feet did not carry her
to the burial ground.
Her friends and relatives at both sides,
urged and dragged her,
along the funeral procession.
She never shed a single tear;
nor did she talk,
about the untimely death,
of her beloved.
The soldiers clad in
ceremonial outfits
fired the cannon balls,
in salutation,
to their slain brother.
She counted them silently.
One to seven
and started crying.

– Anushka Jayasuriya.

Saga

Myths of seven so irresistible
World recognized symbol of luck,
Numerologically seven is favourable
For mankind.

Unforgettable seven wonders of yore,
Seven deadly sins, seven seas, seven sisters,
Shakespeare's seven stages of men noteworthy
Seven musical notes honoured universally.
Prince Siddharta stepped on seven lotuses after
birth,

Buddha's 'Sathsathiya' at foot of Bodhi tree,
Mahamaya passed away on seventh day
A Buddha's mother survived only seven days.
Seven necklaces the Kandyan Bride's attire traditional,
Seven coloured rainbow, ages conventional
Seven day ritual at the sacred Bodhi tree
Invokes blessings, makes you serene.
Numerous untold tales of 'seven' remain hidden....

– Kumari Kumarasinghe Tennakoon