To read between the lines

"The land is empty now
The pitted limestone
invaded by the sea
drowns, vanishes
waves of rust swell & billow
beating into hollow caves & burial urns
filled with the ash of bodies
cremated by the fire of bullets..."

I read war poetry of my own land
Sitting on the teak- shaded veranda
sipping the soothing king coconut
smelling the spicy home-made curries...

To feel the BB, intangible
Bombs & bullets
Burning Bodies
almost impossible to my deaf immature soul.
It is annoying
like a bumble bee 
bungee jumping inside the head
giving a headache,
because 
I only wait for the bread-vendor, who whizzes by
like the missiles on TV, 
in every day news
to buy the best bread rolls.
Can I afford to miss him?

Again, the poetry,
Oh! Beautifully written
I can surely admire.
Forsaken lands, ashes R.I.P
As they say
But,
Tamil land mines
Come to senses, at tensed periods
woken up 
By the comfortable  Colombo shoes 
of ours
To create the headings
in Daily news papers
like the Kevums & Kokis
We prepare, to celebrate
The Sinhalese New year...

Inhumanity, Ignorance or Indifference
What is more sinful?
I wonder, hurt & betrayed
Snuggling up to the pillow 
Where I have hidden 
The photo of My darling,
Shivaji...

They write, eat & sleep
I read, eat & sleep
Some, watch , eat & sleep
War is nothing but Drama
Village women discuss
Washing dirty , not linen 
but cottons
near the public wells.

The loud- speaker
of the nearby village temple
starts the daily Pirith Chanting
" Sabbé Saththa Bawanthu Sukithathatha"
The deep sounds of B & S
of Saffron Monks
become the sudden relief,
Like the Tiger balm
Amma applied on my forehead
to heal this headache...



By Jahooli Devi 



Notes :
Sabbé Saththa Bawanthu Sukithathatha" Pali term in Buddhism saying may all the living beings be happy, is chanted to bless people & spread kindness, in a daily basis in Pirith Chanting.

Sun kissed me,

When I said, No

Wind tickeld me,

When I said, No

Many moons ago

I loved you

When You said, No

   By Jahooli Devi

Toilets like lovers

             Image© Arthur Robins



Toilets like lovers

Some nice, clean, well- presented

Some horrible, dirty, disgusting

yet, you search for them 
in despair

almost everyday...

you sit there patiently

look around

vivid colours
patterned tiles
smells Jasmin

you dream,
murmur sweet melodies

forget the pains, 

Life is good & perfect

never feel like getting up

to go away.

Sometimes,
you enter

within seconds

the view of poop floating commodes

piss-smelling filthy scribbled walls

flies roaming around

make you nauseous

four walls watching fiercly

no space to move

unsafe doors, empty toilet rolls

you sweat & get panicked

impatient to run away...

You've no idea at all

until you step in
& close the door
in a hurry

You got no choice
no choice at all

but to stay

for two minutes,

for ten minutes, even more

to soothe

your desperate pains
on your way...

By Jahooli Devi

You won't find this on the top of the trees. Instead this is a house or a flat where two people who are having a love affair livetogether. Because it is a nest, it should be for people like birds, therefore they may fly away at any moment and may come again at any time too. You can't shut the doors in a nest,it is all open & when one bird is away, another bird can enter in to your love nest too! So , it is up to you to build a "Home" with gates with security codes & doors with safe locks oneday.

By : Jahooli Devi

This relationship like the climate in Europe. It changes drastically from the moment the day begins. In a chilled morning, the couple is so romantic that they are even ready to exchange their kidneys, and then sunshine comes through, they are negotiating not to exchange kidneys, and the stormy night arrives, they are ready to kill each other to have their kidneys back with loud arguments. This relationship fluctuates between Love & Hate . No one should give their opinion on this kind of relationships because they have their own unique ways of loving & fighting. You just have to sit back & watch the show.

By : Jahooli Devi

The basic meaning of Love child is a baby born as a result of a love affair between two people who have never been married to each other. On the other hand, if they get married, their children become just children, useless children without the beautiful adjective Love.  What do you prefer to be ? A love child or a just a Child?


By : Jahooli Devi

Love birds are actually a kind of small parrots who like to stay together always. They eat together, sleep together & are always noisy, with sounds ranging from cheerily pleasant to highly irritating.

That is why, we call some couples as Love Birds who are very much in love. These Love Bird couples are meant to be on Talkshows!

Moreover, Love Birds die quickly if the other bird dies. But, does this happen to Girls & Boys who are like Love Birds?

By : Jahooli Devi

It is a sickness that is not cured easily because you can't keep a record of the symptoms. It is a depressing feeling of needing your partner always, even when he is around. First, symptoms are sending SMS, Skype messages, emails, letters ( in an obsessive way) or whatever the telecommunication methods to stay in touch with the lover ( even when you don't have anything to tell). Then you move on to search that person everywhere perfectly knowing that perosn is not there like in random streets , inside an egg, under the bed, in the sky etc... Then, when the lover is around, you start to miss him, even when he is sitting next to you . 

Ex:

 " I miss you baby"

"What? I am here."

" Yeah, I know, but I miss you right now, too"

By : Jahooli Devi

This the most dangerous bite of all the bites! This mark appears on one's body as a result of being bitten by your partner! If he or she still has teeth, you are sure to get one of these.

No, it does not look like a mosquito bite but a red patch or a blue patch depnding on the partner you have. This may result from kissing, sucking or any kind of activity that must have involved teeth & skin.

Dogs bite us too, but it does not count here as we do not consider them as our love partners!


By : Jahooli Devi

I’ll say “I love you forever”

My heart beat so fast,

my body get all sweat,
my mouth…so dry...
I’m brave…enough,
But…I can’t say anything to you.
Darling…how can I say “I love you”?
When I’m afraid to do so...

I’m waiting and waiting,

yes... waiting till when?
Honey…I felt I already have loved you.
Yes for million years…
I want to love you another million.
No…I don’t let you go away….
Darling…come one step closer,
I’ll say “I love you forever”.  

By Manu Fernando

Just a reminder

Here,

Women are not

Dolls!

To be taken out 

From your Toybox

When you 

Want

To play.

Shut down

In dark

When you don't want

To play.

They too have

Rosy cheeks, batting lashes 

May be

That's why you misunderstood.

Here,

They are not puppets either

With strings attached

to turn left & right

Jump & dance

When you say.

Lie on the floor

looking for the

Missing strings

when you go away. 

They too are flexible

to bend if they wish

May be

That's why you misunderstood.

They are not made

But born

Like you

with flesh & bones. 

Real

less harder 

than you.

Touch your heart,

Theirs beat too.

Here,

I don't have to repeat

So, you better...

By Jahooli Devi

It is a valuable & historical document, usually manuscripted, in modern days typed  which is used to declare one's love for their partner. In this letter, you can not write anything other than love for your partner & you should always praise his or her qualities. The key word is that you always talk about the partner. 

You should not say " I love watching films" Instead you should say " I love watching films with you"

You should not say " I love beautiful flowers"  Instead you should say " Flowers remind me of you"

Write atleast one of them in your life time, and get it corrected by your language teacher before you show this.

On the other hand, the value of the Love Letter depriciates with the time, it becomes a moth eaten document that is kept along with the abandoned piles of papers in the stores after your marriage. Some environemental friendly people use these papers to wrap vegetables & fruits. We are still in the process of thinking the real utilitarian value of Love letters & Experts could not come to any conclusion.

By : Jahooli Devi

This is not about a real Rat on scientific labs but it has some relevance. Love Rat is a Man who treats his wife or girlfriend in a cruel way specially by having sexual relationship with other women.
This Love Rat likes to taste all the cheese in the whole wide world & he does not know that there are death traps awaiting on his way!
On the other hand, We can simply put this species on the lab to analyse his day today behaviour. This is to find remedies for victimised ladies & to avoid futur disspointements. Interestingly, dictionaries don't have any records of Female Love rats!

By : Jahooli Devi

Love affair is generally a romantic & sexual relationship between two people who love each other. We can say "Jean has a love affair with Monique".

According to one dictionary meaning, it is a "secret relationship" . It means two people should love each other "secretly" to call it a Love affair! From the moment, they get married, the status of the affair dissapears, it becomes a boring wedlock.

Moreover, the term "Affair" suggests a business, commercial matter which should not be mixed with Love because we are not going to sell Love! Therefore, the term Love affair should be carefully used.

By : Jahooli Devi

Happiness fled

She passed, the young girl 
Live & quick like a bird
With a shining flower in hand
With a new poem in her lips


Perhaps, she is the One, in the world
my heart would respond
who vists my darkest nights
lighting by her gaze

But no, my youth is over 

Good Bye, my soft gleaming ray
Perfume, Young girl, Harmony 
Happiness passed away, it fled! 

By Gerad de Nerval
 

A year ago, in April , he wrote this poem by Gerard de Nerval to her when he met her for the first time. She was so sad to read it , she cried , was sad for him, but she did not tell him.

From that moment , she decided to make him happy, give him the happiness he expected , even if he did not ask for anything. She too had a broken heart , but she did not want to appear weak, melancholic . She was more than a bird, a little lively bird. She laughed aloud, she rushed to see him everywhere, she was energetic , full of life. 

She did not expect flowers from him, instead she gave him flowers , because in the poem he loved flowers which he missed desperately . Softness, the beauty of flowers . So, she picked red poppies , white daisies , small sunflowers, all wild flowers in the fields  in the spring. She did not smell them much for the fear of killing their scents. She wanted to keep the freshness of flowers, the scent of flowers, just for him. In winter, she had nothing , not even a petal. She was afraid of the whiteness on the dry fields.

Before, she never wrote love poems. She began to write love poems crazily, just for him , daring to express her deep feelings . She was not ashamed to write , her love for him .

She was not afraid of  being criticized, being judged , being ridiculed by everyone , even by him for daring to write these follies. But, she continued her poems that did not rhyme always , free verse , like her love, without rules.

She did not try to please him with false words that seemed suitable for an elegant woman. She knew he loved the elegant women, but she wanted to stay as a girl ,  naive , innocent , pure, just like in the poem.

She just wanted to see him happy at night . She did not want him sleeping all alone , isolated in the deep darkness. She stood beside him , so close as a man, to provide warmth to assure him that he is no longer alone , he can count on her forever. She wrote him bedstories to read before sleeping.She sent them constantly, every night . She was afraid of the loneliness of the night , the loneliness who  sleeps with her everynight. 

But ,she did not want to give that feeling to him,  she always made sure to wish him Good night , even if he was far away.

Perfume, she did not know what to do with it . For his birthday, she offered him a perfume, to make him happy . He did not knowthat  it was because of the poem that she offered one. She did not know if it was a good gift for a man, but she just gave it ,  wishing his  life would be perfumed. She did not write him a card for his birthday which he celebrated with his family , without her, because she thought a little card was too small for him, she could  not write everything there, her love.She did not want that happiness is over for him or his youth. She consoled him with beautiful words , beautiful sentences to restore his youth , to find his happiness seemed to be fleeing from him.She lived a year for him, to love him, to give him the smiles while hiding her own sadness. She did not want love. Or to be loved, but love, love for nothing, hopeless love , love to love.Happiness for him, as she could give. Open his heart , listen if he wants to express . Harmony, create harmony while suffering in a volcano. She thought he was happy, she was successful. She was happy for him .

This year, this April , this spring, He scolded her not to bother him anymore !

By Jahooli Devi

How to be Happy? Happiness is...

Recently, I wrote a poem about happiness based on my life but I have described my happiness, my personal experience in the poem rather than talking about a universal happiness, a happiness that is valid for all.  

 It is true inner happiness is not a common thing to be shared, it is personal, it should come within yourself, it is a like a supreme bliss.

How to be happy is a question I hear every where.
No matter how many stories or poems we read,  the number of motivational quotes we post on social net works,  it is an individual project.

Happiness is a project you should begin from now on.  All the projects need an investment, likewise, "The Project Happiness" needs your very own personal investment. You should only have a "Rich Soul".

• Wake up everyday murmuring to yourself that you will be happy throughout the day no matter all the hardships which lie ahead of you throughout the day.  If you begin the day weakly, you will loose profits at the end of the day.

• Check your mail box as soon as you wake up, perhaps you will find an awesome mail!  You might not find the expected mail from your beloved always but smile to your self thinking he or she might still be writing that long waited mail. Do not be discouraged. Letters, Mails arrive on the right time of your life!

• Find the Happiness in Nature. There is no other happiness than living with the  nature. Since it is given free, no one notices. Have you ever collected dried-up leaves? I did, because I can see a very uncommon beauty in them, even though we just walk on them mercilessly. Many poets have written beautiful things on rainbows, flowers, sea waves of course they are all wonderful but try to find beauty in uncommon things as well. Tell me what sort of uncommon things you love?   Now, do not complain that you live in a concrete jungle, people who do not have money or time to travel can find beautiful photos of nature on internet. I tell you these simple things because everyone cannot afford to have that expensive trip to sun kissed Maldives or Green-painted Tropical forests.

• Happiness is LOVE. Now do not scream at me if you are single,  broken hearted, depressed, frustrated & complain you are not loved. It took me 25 years to figure out what LOVE is. LOVE all unconditionally, love your dear parents who gave you LIFE, love your sisters & brothers even though you can not tolerate them all the time, love your Grand parents, old people who need your conversation, love your neighbours who gossip about you.

Most importantly, love your ENEMY.  Lord Buddha said:

 It is by loving all your enemies that you win the happiness.

Once I read a poem by William Blake, titled: A poison Tree

I was angry with my friend:I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe:I told it not, my wrath did grow.

I learnt that anger should be expressed immediately because more you keep it inside you , it will fester your soul. Cleanse yourselves from unwanted hatred.

Finally,

Choose to be HAPPY, even though SADNESS is also given free, always INSIST that you need HAPPINESS.

Here is my version of happiness, I thought it is worth sharing. 

I find it everywhere, happiness, that jewel many cannot find, that many search in vain.

It's there, a coconut from Sri Lanka lying on a sad looking exotic fruit corner in the super market priced at 1 euro.

Its there, a huge box of Ceylan tea in another corner waiting majestically to be picked up by a delicate hand.

It's there, a sack full of orange Dhal found in a dangerous open air Arabian market, a place not dared by any french feet.

It's there, the smell of spices, cinnamon or curry powder, bottled up nicely,  inhaled by a thirsty nose.

Oh, the list is not over.

It's there , the scorching provincial sun, which makes me red & sweat, yet in a sweet way.

It's there, butterflies & bees who visit our flowery garden in search of me! Do they?

It's there, the so green wild grass which grow like the hair on my legs, so excited, out of control.Yes, I like them.

It's there, the calmness of sea at Niolon, the saltiness in the air, the sailing boats waiting patiently.

Oh, the list is not over.

It's there, an empty bottle of Compote d'abricots, biologique et authentique rest among the precious on my study table.

It's there, a ten digit number, which appears on the phone randomly or a short voice message well protected.

It's there, a passionate kiss by a soft spoken , rough , mysterious man with sweet pink lips, so contrasting!

It's there, finally, my life itself which I am blessed with, No where else, so stopped I searching.

By Jahooli Devi