Kandy Tooth Temple Poem by Onareen Ferdinand

Dear Onareen, Please note this comment got directed to another poem of yours. Let me apologize at the beginning too. I did check for any reply thoughts from you but seems I over sighted. Only saw your reply today. First of all let me tell you that I am interested to see how you will string the pearls. Also happy that what I noticed was correct for some poems to be parts of the same story. I have read your other two poems some time back and will share my thoughts shortly. You are inquiring as to why I say the poem has little to do with the temple. Ok…This is my reading, Well it has all to do with the temple as a metaphor…… as I said you have talentedly camouflaged many…The temple, flowers and the story of the poem are all not what they are physically / as known. Taking from your other poems; I feel the Temple represents a heart that you once belonged and the love it had for you. Why you refer it as the temple is coz you both knew the purity of that bond. The ‘ Sepalika’, ‘Araliya’, ‘Olu’ etc.. flowers are you.. and the rest that follows about the flowers..lol… You are talking about his mix of character again, but unconsciously in a different context: “ pressed against soothing engraved rock”. In ‘ Dangerous Obsession’ you refer him as having a “Masculine Softness”. You were confused about him, may be scared of that ‘tough’ side but great comfort and caring found in the ‘soothing soft’ side. Yes maybe he held you in his arms like a flower.. may be more carefully. This character is acknowledged in few of your poems. Tears of Joy could be a moment of deep emotions of the warmth felt when two people overwhelmed with love cuddle n hug each other so tight that bodies become weak and the only expression left is tears of joy as the ‘Bera Beats’ explain. OR Were they the Tears that the ‘Joy’ had to shed… I don’t know With the story of ‘ Need for a Resolution’ and ‘ Daring’ I think it was a good pick to relate the poem to the Temple coz actually the ‘Temple of the Tooth’ was damaged due bombing by terrorists about 15 years ago. As some of your poems express, was this temple of love also attacked by ‘terrorists’ that consist people known to you and a part of you and a part of him.. However the attack destroyed the temple & the flower got blown away from his hand and here he lays on the ground probably not by the attack but trying to hold the flower. You say he is on ‘Dry Shore’ So probably he survived just like you did. We find the flower remembering the warmth of that temple it belonged to once. The fragrance of that temple, warmth, beauty and memory seems to bring a tear to the flower’s eye. She is happy to recall. This is what I read as I was trying to understand the poem, which got complete once reading your other poems. You have seriously spent time on this. It’s a beautiful poem!

Dear Onareen, Please note this comment got directed to another poem of yours. Let me apologize at the beginning too. I did check for any reply thoughts from you but seems I over sighted. Only saw your reply today. First of all let me tell you that I am interested to see how you will string the pearls. Also happy that what I noticed was correct for some poems to be parts of the same story. I have read your other two poems some time back and will share my thoughts shortly. You are inquiring as to why I say the poem has little to do with the temple. Ok…This is my reading, Well it has all to do with the temple as a metaphor…… as I said you have talentedly camouflaged many…The temple, flowers and the story of the poem are all not what they are physically / as known. Taking from your other poems; I feel the Temple represents a heart that you once belonged and the love it had for you. Why you refer it as the temple is coz you both knew the purity of that bond. The ‘ Sepalika’, ‘Araliya’, ‘Olu’ etc.. flowers are you.. and the rest that follows about the flowers..lol… You are talking about his mix of character again, but unconsciously in a different context: “ pressed against soothing engraved rock”. In ‘ Dangerous Obsession’ you refer him as having a “Masculine Softness”. You were confused about him, may be scared of that ‘tough’ side but great comfort and caring found in the ‘soothing soft’ side. Yes maybe he held you in his arms like a flower.. may be more carefully. This character is acknowledged in few of your poems. Tears of Joy could be a moment of deep emotions of the warmth felt when two people overwhelmed with love cuddle n hug each other so tight that bodies become weak and the only expression left is tears of joy as the ‘Bera Beats’ explain. OR Were they the Tears that the ‘Joy’ had to shed… I don’t know With the story of ‘ Need for a Resolution’ and ‘ Daring’ I think it was a good pick to relate the poem to the Temple coz actually the ‘Temple of the Tooth’ was damaged due bombing by terrorists about 15 years ago. As some of your poems express, was this temple of love also attacked by ‘terrorists’ that consist people known to you and a part of you and a part of him.. However the attack destroyed the temple & the flower got blown away from his hand and here he lays on the ground probably not by the attack but trying to hold the flower. You say he is on ‘Dry Shore’ So probably he survived just like you did. We find the flower remembering the warmth of that temple it belonged to once. The fragrance of that temple, warmth, beauty and memory seems to bring a tear to the flower’s eye. She is happy to recall. This is what I read as I was trying to understand the poem, which got complete once reading your other poems. You have seriously spent time on this. It’s a beautiful poem!

Hi! Onareen, I happen to come across your poem about the ‘Tooth Temple’ or the ‘Temple of the Tooth Relic’ in my search for Asian Temples and the Literature surrounding them. OK we both know that your poem had little to do with the temple. I was touched by your use of reference and talent. It lead me to read through your other poems and drop few lines. I believe that around nine poems are actually chapters of one lengthy poem, worded and designed to blend with the emotional status at the subject time frame. Further, I feel that you are not writing about a third person but it is about you. I see great talent. Your command of the language, Courage and strength to unleash your emotions is commendable. However it was confusing to understand who caused ‘desolation’. Was it You (Refer ‘Daring’ and ‘Need for a Resolution’) . Was it Him (Refer ‘Don’t You Know’) . Was it your trustworthy reference persons (Refer ‘Daring’ & ‘Need for a Resolution’) . The ratings are only 5 for your poem/(s) by someone as it appeared. This is because One has to decode the poems and see through the talented camouflaging to understand them. However I would rank the poems around 9, leaving the 10 and 10+ for the boisterous- masculine person with touching eyes and a sensitive heart who might be able to decode and understand them better as he might have a better understanding of events. Best Wishes!