Hotel’s Affairs
An amicable devil himself
The heavy demand period soon to come,
Upwards of eight-hundred people at the same time.
The massive air conditioners specialized machinery
In outside air temperature
Coolness
Permitting maintenance work the past few weeks
Wallace Santopadre thought
The old man would be less happy around two am
Real problem
The briefest of blackouts
The hotel’s own generators formed efficiently
Bring them to full power
Was now three minutes slow resetting each clock
Night’s labour flames flickered fitfully
Few people in the hotel, evangelist’s idea of hell
An amicable devil himself
Black face – enjoyed his work.
– Anuradha Kodagoda
The rose that grew from concrete
Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.
– Tupac Shakur
Hymn CXXI. Ka.
In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings.
He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Giver of vital breath, of power and vigour, he whose commandments all the Gods acknowledge -.
The Lord of death, whose shade is life immortal. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Who by his grandeur hath become Sole Ruler of all the moving world that breathes and slumbers;
He who is Lord of men and Lord of cattle. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
His, through his might, are these snow-covered mountains, and men call sea and Ras his possession:
His arms are these, his are these heavenly regions. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
By him the heavens are strong and earth is stedfast, by him light’s realm and sky-vault are supported:
By him the regions in mid-air were measured. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
To him, supported by his help, two armies embattled look while trembling in their spirit,
When over them the risen Sun is shining. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
What time the mighty waters came, containing the universal germ, producing Agni,
Thence sprang the Gods’ one spirit into being. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
He in his might surveyed the floods containing productive force and generating Worship.
He is the God of gods, and none beside him. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Neer may he harm us who is earth’s Begetter, nor he whose laws are sure, the heavens’ Creator,
He who brought forth the great and lucid waters. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Prajpati! thou only comprehendest all these created things, and none beside thee.
Grant us our hearts’ desire when we invoke thee: may we have store of riches in possession.
– The Rigveda
My People
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
– Langston Hughes
