Imagine returning home from work in the city to discover your world had been wiped out. Your mother, the woman who tightened your school tie and licked her hand to clean your cheek. Gone. Two sisters, who you’d grown up alongside squabbling while silently admiring. Gone. Their three small children, your nephews and niece who’s eyes harbored your world. Gone. Your childhood sweetheart, the girl who undid your school tie and held your blushing cheek. Gone. Now, really, try to imagine. That’s what I tried to do, on a visit to the Sea Turtle Farm & Hatchery in Peraliya, near Hikkaduwa, here on the island of Sri Lanka. The tragedy of the Boxing Day Tsunami – the event I’d gleaned abundant information about purely from the global media – began to unfold into a friend, fronted by a glazing pair of eyes. The story of brothers Nimal and Ruwan, their compassion born from cruelty, and the admiration I’ve formed for them is the reason I’ve emptied the bag for two weeks and volunteered to walk alongside them, and a handful of nippy sea turtles. Continue reading ‘Wake with a Start’
Monthly Archive for January, 2008
For some, there’re far things better. For others, there’re far things worse. An opportunity to devour endless possibilities dressed in no-limits attraction and capped, by an infinite defining line. Characters within it’s grasp perform ignorant of each others acts, yet well aware of their own golden stage. They’re drawn in, rising effortlessly, as if the wings of childhood had fluttered once again. Cradled up to the point of elation until they gasp, as Captain Reality begins to stoke the fires of fear. They lose control, blinded by the very thing that bore them wings and led by invisible surges, they feel their senses overlapping until a sudden, solitary moment causes their gullet to open and a yard of reassuring air jars them right back, to Square One. A backpacker on the beach, or a bather in the ocean waves? For a moment there, it all seemed the same to me. Continue reading ‘I Spy With My Little Eye’
Three words. A book. No a movie. A saying! First word. Two syllables. First syllable. Laughing, laugh, pain, illness, funny, clown. Second syllable. Wee, toilet, peeing. Pee, pee? Second word. One syllable. Sounds like. Me, Mum, you. You? You, sounds like you? Third word. Sounds like. Sounds like? Sounds like? Sounds like ear! Ear? Sounds like ear? First word. First syllable. Laughing, belly laugh? Second syllable, pee. Something pee. Happy? Happy! Second word, sounds like, you. Third word, one syllable, sounds like, ear. Happy Too Be Here? Too many words? Oh yeah, three words. Happy To Steer? Happy Flu Tear? Oh oh oh… Happy New Year! Continue reading ‘Last Word, Slurp?’
