Premier’s Poson day dream

by Basil Fernando
[June 27, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian]

Look, he said, this wonderful country
Where no murder ever happens
How uncivilized are
All those other lands !

Cutting of an arm to get the gold bangles
from a travelling woman
Cutting a finger to get a ring
Kidnapping a three year old
To demand a ransom

Rape of Doti’s daughter by a court officer
At Kulutara
Murder in every corner
A body a bag at a road side
Never happened in his ultra-civilized dream land.