For Rajani by Dileepa Karunarathna

For Rajani

I have never been
lectured by you.
haven’t seen you for real,
even in tacky t.v.
Never heard the voice of you
Who had departed suddenly,
When I was an infant.

But yet you still imbue me
Whenever I m in delirium
Depressed by
personal calamity

your clarion call of dissent
like twilight at dawn,
reminds me again and again
not to lament on trifling things…
on love, negligence,
arrogance or impudence
of mundane people,
when living in this
paradise of mayhem

and to walk alone amid,
bogus intelligentsia,
hypocrites and hollow statues,
devoid of conscience yet
looks like granite statues,
if they answer
not to thy call

your vivacious smile of
exuberance and hope,
disparages whimsical woman
who fantasize themselves as
martyrs of femininity
after getting dumped by
some mundane guy

the compassion and
paramount humanity you showed,
edified that knowledge of
feminism, pacifism or socialism
are not meant to be jewellery
to show off or pretend,
but to serve humanity

and also you showed how to love
without being conditioned
by minority complex
or insecurity.
And that nothing can be incongruous
If empathy is present.

they shot you dead
for keeping your head high
amid atrocities
and clamoring for humanity.
Like a dog in the street
When you had only bare hands,
to cover the bullets

But how can you still make such impact,
If they shot you dead?
It cannot happen.
Immortals cannot be
Shot dead.

Dileepa Karunarathna
27-Sep-2009

Note: Dr. Rajani Thiranagama was a prominent Human Rights activist and intellectual, who was assassinated in cold blood 20 years and 5 days ago for denouncing militancy.