එකමත් එක කලෙක
අපි
අතැඟිලි පටලා පියනැගුවෙමු මේ මග 


සුදු මල් මල් ගවුම
පිළිවෙල කර

ඔබ හිඳ  බාර් එකේ
පැද්දෙමි බයිසිකලේ හයියෙන්
හයියෙන්
මම

ඔබ ආසයි කියූයෙන්

අද මම
තනියම
පියනගමි
හෙමින්

මම දැන් වෙජිටේරියන්

මම දැන් වෙජිටේරියන්

හැම හරක් මස් කරියකම 

ඇති බව දනිම්
ගෙල සිඳී ගවයෙක්

මම දැන් කන්නේ කුනිස්සන් සම්බෝල විතරයි
ඔළු පිටින්

Arm's length from harm ...Crossing the road in Ha noi

 I did , just like  he said

for  he should know best

He was  born here

even his father was

though now dead

and buried twice

I closed my eyes and

paced my steps slow

Halfway through,  nerves gave in

that ‘s been my weakness

most times

with bright rays tapping at my eye lids

I had to

The tide of wheels

I could see

rising  at arms length

then the red light could not hold no more

it flowed through

to the  empty side of the street

I stand surrounded

Amidst wheels

Of burden

Amidst Faces

curious

The smell of burning 

petrol

I stand in the middle of the road

yet I am not here

 A chicken in a box , securely tied to the back seat .

Perhaps dinner.

Chicken  cackles

a feeling of crude reality seeps in

A girl leans forward and whispers in her lovers ear

They laugh.

A young boy sings aloud

riding with his mother

a bag of Rambutans hanging from his hand

Young men in their evening best

 peer from the timeless balcony

at the girl in the short skirt and heels

riding her scooter

I close my eyes

and proceed with my measured steps 

Boy selling sea shells

Sea shell seller, Halong bay resident,.Curious onlooker.
Halong Bay . Vietnam

Girl talk

Afternoon. After school.  In the courtyard of the ancient pagoda, they sell postcard and other nick nacks . That's the excuse atleast. Mostly they just tell stories, feel the love  and giggle .

Goodmorning Vietnam

Some captures from  a morning stroll in Hanoi

All you need is one boat

This is your captain mumbling

"Some sunsets are worth dying for”  said the captain lighting his second cigar. Life seem to stand still among the islands in the Halong bay.

“My friend , on a lonely evening like this , you just anchor your boat in the shadows . Sit back , light up a smoke and watch the angels paint the sky. "

Captain calls his black dog to stroke his head , and in one swift movement carries him and throws him to the water.

“Good  for his ticks , the sea water..” he offers an explanation.

  The dog swims back to the boat.

“ You know my friend, when it darkens up a bit , if you close your eyes and listen …You listen hard my friend …When the waning moon rises three quarter of an August sky, you could hear them sing …The mermaids .. They sing in  haunting  voices, speaking to a sailors lonely heart ..You hear them.”

“What is that you say? Does it help?”..

He ex-hails smoke in rings to the burnt sky.

”of course it does not , they are just teasing you.”

Rice fields

There is something relaxing in the way the green sways in the gentle breeze. something serene in the equally spaced paddy in the shallow water .

Longing to walk the lanes of ten thousand motor cycles (not today)

Thru the frosted pane
I see the lake
With it's right angled affection
That trap the red river's waters
Almost

Flickers along the edge
Of early arrivers
Late departures
Against the somber spread of the night

I long to walk the lanes , narrow
Dusty
Chaotic
but not today
not today

Arriving

The two laned roads, street puddles shining soaking in the light from the dim street lights. Street eateries , neon name boards. Billboards with smiling people. Yup this could be the stretch from Katunayake to Colombo. Then the driver interrupts.

"Sir we are in Hanoi"