Once upon a time - At a time 'appamma' smiled

Once upon a time
At a time 'appamma' smiled
Once a upon a day
At a time Chandrika reigned
With Appa, he came-
All the way from Colombo.

The leaves were dropping
Yellow, frail and withered.
The trees were weeping-
As the saying goes.

Not enough for us all,
One shiny apple.
One slice for me.
And half a bite,
From Amma.

All the way from Colombo
To me, to my home, to Jaffna.
A small, red apple.
Loath to cut, long to gaze
A small, red apple.
Shiny to behold,
Sweaty from the journey.
A small, red apple.

There had been firing at kilali sea.
He was hidden in Appa's pocket.

Appa pats him.
His stem bows and stands.

In the muddy feilds,
Where nothing but air roams
Appa walks.

He whisperes words to the Moon,
And smiles with humble pride.

Appa speaks of us
His mischevious little ones.
Apple stares into the paralight overhead
Seeing snow covered grass
and leafless trees
His peaceful, blissful motherland.

Appa had crouched-
his hands over head,
as bomb after bomb fell
as he returned home with Apple.
With his hands over head,
Mimicking or mocking Appa?
Apple crouched too.

"Arohara"
Said Appa, through parched throat
and cracked lips
"Arohara"
Said Apple,
a lonely voice to lend strength.

As they pass Savahacheri,
Appa felt in his pocket
Red Apple
Laboured breathing
hitching when the buddy van hit a bump.

Promised I to Appa,
as the stem was layed between two pages-
'People would talk of Apple's story
for years and years. and years."

Memories...
In the stem that lies
Squeezed from both sides
Flattened.

As proof,
I caress the stem.

I caress the stem,
As proof.