Words for the Sri Lanka Tourist Office

The King Cobra slides

through our jungles,

and tucked in bushes

by the riverbanks

the grand Kabaragoya

holds court among lizards—

but if you want to swim

at Mount Lavinia, or fly kites

on Galle Face Green, or ride

horse carts in the Jaffna peninsula

of your ancestors, or bear a child

in Colombo General Hospital,

or sleep in Cinnamon Gardens

under a mango tree,

or beg in the Borella Market,

or ride for historical reasons

on patrol boats in the Bay,

or stilt-fish off Matara down South,

just remember here everywhere

there is only man burning

and woman burning

here everywhere

in shallow graves

in deep graves

floating out of salt water

washing down the sands

the dead have tongues

the dead have ears

tongues are speaking to ears

What are they saying?

Tell us, brown bear

bolting out of your cave.

Tell us, leopard

leaning on your branch.

Tell us, flamingos.

Bend your necks

and pour wine pour wine

Hoopoes, kingfishers,

cranes, have you got your messages

on the bill, are you ready

to sing? Are you going to sing?

Monsoon.

Are you going to sing?

Monsoon.

Are you going to sing?

Monsoon. Monsoon.

Copyright Credit: Indran Amirthanayagam, "Words for the Sri Lanka Tourist Office" from The Elephants of Reckoning. Copyright © 1993 by Indran Amirthanayagam. Reprinted by permission of Hanging Loose Press.

Source: The Elephants of Reckoning (Hanging Loose Press, 1993)