The Baobab  

Pramudith D Rupasinghe

Liberty manacled in minds of slavery, 

barrenness wails in slummy hatchery. 

Love dollarized, care undone in misery, 

a love child cries in human butchery. 

 

Decorum crucified at sight of Jesus, 

soils impregnated by sinned lazy hands. 

When coins are tossed in dreams of heavens, 

Life is swallowed by darkness of hells. 

 

Yelling at skies, kneeling at a cross, shake, 

pleading forgiveness for yesterday’s sins. 

Sinning, art of living in forgiven tomorrow? 

Imposed blindness acquired shadow? 

 

Animalised liberty guillotined thy soul. 

Ever blind eyes reflect thy guilt ‘n foul. 

Vanity, the destiny chosen instead of wisdom. 

Imitation enslaves thee at eternal colony.

Pramudith D Rupasinghe is a Sri Lankan writer and humanitarian. His literary works predominantly unfold in settings beyond his native Sri Lanka, for which he earned the name 'Writer Without Borders. His work of fiction, 'Bayan,' set in pre-conflict Ukraine, won the Golden Aster Prize for Global Literature in 2020 and was longlisted for the 2023 Paris Book Festival. Rupasinghe's works have been translated into several languages, including Sinhalese, Burmese, German, Spanish, Russian, and French. He has also dedicated two decades to humanitarian work, drawing inspiration for his writing from his missions to Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He is known for his thought-provoking narratives that delve into the human psyche, cultural identities, and global experiences. Pramudith seldom writes poetry. His first collection of poetry, ‘Anthropic Waves’ was published by Dahuli Publishers in India in early 2025.  Currently, he is working on his 3rd novel, ‘Roomschool’.  He is also the founder/CEO of The Asian Group of Literature and a cultural curator.