Nazreen Sansoni

cement mixers drive down
narrow roads, manoeuvring
so as not to kill off
the last of the bird life-
the crows will remain
they are our survivors-
as are the people left
in the north and
from the south.
colombo changes
google maps  (have yet) to show
a change in the shape
of our pearl island
physically we are redrawing
ourselves—the new multicultural
restaurants abound
serving fusion meat and veg
who knows what the unidentified
cutlets are. The dog has stopped barking
transformed
the vomit from my stomach
convinces me to become vegetarian
chemical greens
as organic
there is a big country that
looks like a continent–
and, has insidious control
over our city
The car had turned off
on Mary’s street
to be stopped by the
cement mixer, reversing
yet, another building
as we get swallowed up
by outside influences
we want our sovereignty
instead, we have the
hambantota port.

NS June 18 2018