* A Treat! Poem by Deva De Silva

Sitting on my rooftop one eve
In the scorching tropical heat
The sun glare, blinding me
Braving its passionate beat
Throwing open my arms wide
To trap the thirsty wind
Drying out my throat ‘n nostrils
Clogging them with dusty specks
Tugging at my hair wildly and
Flapping around my shirt to flee

Hovering at my reach
They tempt me wildly
The ripe guava fruits
Of my beloved tree,
My ladder on a journey
Up a rooftop getaway
Where I hide from the world
Where I find my peace

The sea waves crashing
Amidst the seagull squeals
A train whistling by
In a thunderous roar
Human voices humming below
Going about their daily chores
All oblivious to my being!

Sinking my teeth
In plump yellow skin
Guavas plucked eagerly
With keen fingertips
With a divine crunch
The cool juices dribble
Splattering on my lips
Seeping down my gullet
What a luscious treat
Earned at my day's end!

Relishing all sounds of living
Sitting on my roof top one eve
In the scorching tropical heat
Braving its passionate beat
How I savoured the guava feast
The heavenliest of them Treats!