The Occupy Poetry Project
Monday, January 2, 2012
Hands in Protest by Shirani Rajapakse
Hands in Protest
Hands across the world we are
the masses. We protest injustice
that those in high office calls
justice. We weather the spray,
the gas, the beatings by the cops.
We will survive no doubt. Even
The freezing cold that beckons day
By day. We will survive like we
have always done while the corrupt
Will surely fade.
Shirani Rajapakse is a Sri Lankan poet, playwright and fiction writer. She is the author of Breaking News, a collection of short stories published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Shirani’s poetry and short stories have appeared in the Smoking Poet, New Verse News and World Poetry Movement and has been featured on the radio program Verses in Motion.
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The Occupy Poetry Project
Monday, January 2, 2012
America is at War by Shirani Rajapakse
America is at War
America is at war with
Itself. Street upon
Street they protest and
How. Living in tents off the
Food others give, sleeping
Like beggars they band
Together to fight injustice.
America is at war with
Itself. The people line
The streets leading to the
Corrupt offices of the bankers
That looted its coffers for
Sport. The world’s coffers
Too. While the masses stand
Up to right the wrong.
American marches
Through the streets in peace.
While authority takes over
In crash gear to save a few
Decrepit misers sitting in high
Office. Money rules.
But there’s not much left
After they stole it all for
Themselves.
America is at war in
Peaceful protest. Yet not to
Those in higher office that
Want the status quo to prevail.
Money for the rich
Dirt off the street for the people.
America is at war with
Itself. And the soul of the
Nation bleeds on the streets.
Shirani Rajapakse is a Sri Lankan poet, playwright and fiction writer. She is the author of Breaking News, a collection of short stories published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Shirani’s poetry and short stories have appeared in the Smoking Poet, New Verse News and World Poetry Movement and has been featured on the radio program Verses in Motion.
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The Occupy Poetry Project
Monday, January 2, 2012
Two Cities Two Protests by Shirani Rajapakse
Two Cities Two Protests
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The police have taken over, a law unto
themselves while sanity flies out to
be trampled in the dust of protest
worldwide. Across cultures and fault lines.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The people want more. The freedom to
live the life they choose. Jobs and money.
Freedom from servitude to the few. They rise
Up as one, the time has come.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The students protest in line. Sitting silently
with heads bowed low as the symbol of law
stands before them spraying pepper in their
faces. Laughing silently at their discomfort.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The people clash with black-clad police.
The dreaded symbol of Mubarak’s regime that
remains to protect another regime. The Generals
who now rule. What was won in February?
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The media clicks for posterity while the
students remain silent watching, waiting
for the law to do their deed as the men
in high towers look the other way.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
They shoot at their heads. A bullet
enters his eye. That’s the last he will
see. They pull him away bleeding and
the police move in for the kill.
Pepper spray for Wall Street
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
When will the madness end? Freedom
to protest in peace is no longer guaranteed
anywhere. The constitution is laughed at,
trampled upon by those elected to save it.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
The police rule. The politicians rule, hunger
for power rises. More power. But at what cost?
The masses stand up but are beaten down.
Democracy died this weekend.
Pepper spray for Wall Street,
rubber bullets for Tahrir Square.
Shirani Rajapakse is a Sri Lankan poet, playwright and fiction writer. She is the author of Breaking News, a collection of short stories published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Shirani’s poetry and short stories have appeared in the Smoking Poet, New Verse News and World Poetry Movement and has been featured on the radio program Verses in Motion.
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Posted in www.thesmokingpoet.com
The Smoking Poet - Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Issue # 20
Padmini's Plight- By Shirani Rajapakse
Scroll down on the right for contributors. Then click on my name, Shirani Rajapakse and scroll to the end. Padmini's Plight is the third story in the section on Fiction I.
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Posted in Poetry.com
World Poetry Movement
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Poetess
By: Shirani Rajapakse
She called herself a
Poetess because she liked
The sound of it. Much
Better than calling herself
A teacher. So plain, so
Common,
So like the girl next
Door. But a poetess
Could soar
To places no teacher
Could go. So she
Told all she met she was a
Poetess. A teacher too, but
Now a poetess. It
Was like graduating
From one level to the
Next. The simple folks didn’t
Understand, they thought
She had done something
Great. She walked with a
Spring to her step. Her
Expression serious. They turned
Around as they saw her pass.
She felt such pride.
At last
To be known. Even if to
Just a few. They did
Not know she had
Nothing to show.
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Posted on New Verse News
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
OCCUPY WALL STREET
by Shirani Rajapakse
The sweat streams
Down her cheeks
And loses itself
In her
Blouse. There’s time
Yet for her to
Leave. The clock ticks
On. Her eyes
Hurt. Her hands
Feel numb. Is this
Life? She
Has no choice.
Its her day.
Darkness all around,
Sweating it out for
A morsel of
Food for her
Family waiting
Patiently for her
Return.
Her fingers ache.
The machine
Throbs in her
Head. She lifts
Her hand to wipe
Off the sweat.
Wall Street’s
Occupied, drones
The newsreader.
She looks up but
Doesn’t understand.
Then back to
The machine.
Shirani Rajapakse is a poet, playwright and fiction writer of Sri Lankan origin who spends her time writing stories and weaving verses out of fragments of dreams and left-over sentences. Breaking News, her debut collection of short stories published in April 2011 by Vijitha Yapa Publications, Sri Lanka, was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Award 2010. Shirani has a BA in English Literature from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and a MA in International Relations from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. She worked at the Sunday Times and Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka and in international organizations including the World Bank and Commonwealth Secretariat.