Poetry
Poetry from Batticaloa
Poetry from Batticaloa is a collection of Tamil poems composed by my mother, a scholar in Tamil, English, and Sanskrit. Each of her poems is followed by my English translation.
Touched by the breathtaking rural surrounds in our hometown Batticaloa, my mother wrote poetry weaving in her personal experiences, often drawing inspiration from her spiritual roots.
The poems bring to life the social inequality she saw around her – child labour, ignored beggars and vulnerable widows – issues that still prevail in Sri Lanka and across many societies today. My mother connects poetry to gender and social injustice provoking reflection on ethical responsibility, aiming to inspire change for a better world.
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Here are some of my favourite poems:
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Is the New Meaning Understood?
His body showed no sign of exposureTo the scorching noon sun.His Maker had blessed him with a special strength
Is the New Meaning Understood?
His body showed no sign of exposure
To the scorching noon sun.
His Maker had blessed him with a special strength -
The Story, Half Told
Many drops drizzled into the hole in the tree trunkRain poured, lashing down with a roarFlowing down the tree barks, like tiny rivers.
The Story, Half Told
Many drops drizzled into the hole in the tree trunk
Rain poured, lashing down with a roar
Flowing down the tree barks, like tiny rivers. -
The Colour Red
I saw it in your kungumam SivasaktiIn a rose at the end of a single long stemCrowning a rainbow, atop the colour orange
The Colour Red
I saw it in your kungumam Sivasakti
In a rose at the end of a single long stem
Crowning a rainbow, atop the colour orange
