Belonging
The island belongs
to centipede, rat,
butterfly,
lots of species
each with
their own habitats,
and supervising
all arable
and fallow land
the president king.
Minorities
may enjoy
clean living
in freshly cleared
forest patches,
welfare villages
with amenities
such as latrines
and tents,
gated communities.
June 28, 2009

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Beautiful work! The irony in the contrast between free nature and unfree humanity is powerful. “President king”–good one!
I’m becoming quite a fan of Amirthanayam’s poetry.
1.Simple and stunning – soon he will gain Nobel Prize.
2.One on trawler nets please.
Indran Amirthanayagam, seriously ? minority may live only in those places you mentioned? – Either you have never been to sri lanka and met the majority of the people here, or you are one of those people who sensationalise things to suit your own agenda.
Beautiful piece of work.