Letter to Galle, for the festival

Letter to Galle --for the festival


I sent a poem
but have not yet
had a reply.
I believe the editors

are travelling
or perhaps
they have landed
in the free state

of Galle
for the festival;
I don’t know
if to go or stay,

afternoon teas
with poetry seem
the right way to set
mood and wet palate

before celebratory
readings
by prose stars
in the evenings

and then a few
drinks and to bed,
waking up in morning
panel discussions

where the unpleasant
but necessary
subject of domestic
rights will be aired

with no restrictions,
even for the cameras;
how could I miss
the sea breeze

and hot prawns,
imbibe that rare air
blown by special
bellows during

the few days
when Galle
becomes Berlin
after the Wall

fell down, at least
for ticketed
customers
and scholarship

students. In the end,
even freedom of
expression must be
paid for by somebody.

Yet, I digress.
There are journalists
in hiding and
/or dead.

Indran Amirthanayagam, January 27, 2011