Motherland Poem by Migel Jayasinghe

However much you may have roamed the world
You could never forget your native land
Like so many sheep steered back to the fold
Your thoughts return to where you played in the sand.

Breathtaking beauty of your island home
Often projected on the TV screen
The majestic sweep of a dagoba's dome
And the serene tranquilty of a rural scene.

'Goigama', may be, but with no land of their own
Parents, low-paid, village teachers, strong
On moral convictions, as Buddhists well-known
Guided us to distinguish right from wrong.

Wartime, hard-graft at boarding school
English, the imperial language, we had to learn
The way to advancement - the only tool
A means for a regular salary you could earn.

Gaining independence in nineteen forty-eight
Paved the way for the traditionalists
Who rose to power promising greater weight
To the 'Sinhala only' of the nationalists.

The Tamil minority was up in arms
Favoured by the British while colonial masters
The terrorist LTTE had not the slightest qualms
For suicide bombs causing deadly disasters.

An undeclared war of nearly thirty years
Spoiled the country's image and good name
But Lanka's leaders assuaged our fears
Vanquising the terrorists like hunted game.

Among the Tamils I had many school-friends
There's no reason, we could still find a way
For reconciliation, buck the negative trends,
Prevent antagonisms, build tomorow today.