trading traditions
The first poem I composed for the ‘Sri Lanka’ series I’m working on.
Trading traditions
Trading treasured traditions
For treacherous trendy trivia
Has become a bad habit here
In itself almost another tradition
Added to a trunk-load full of drama
Being dramatically embedded
In thousands of years of yearning
Embroidered with the trash of tourists
Who bring themselves and their own
Treason masked as Western traditions
Enamouring natives and locals
With what is alien and everything but
Unalienable – dare to say untouchable
Thus traditions are traded in for
Trash TV and TV trash – recycled –
Japanese cars and Indian trishaws – remodelled –
Fashion fads and futile attempts – ridiculous!
Tricky things traded in for traditions
As soon as the first home for elders
Replaces the cosy home shared with elders
As soon as the first child day-care
Replaces the daily care for a child
As soon as the first foreign Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka
Replaces the typical Sri Lankan in a foreign country
You can be certain that even here
Traditions are traded – almost traditionally!
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