A note to the colonizer by Theruni Ranatunga

It pains me to see

my people blindfolded

crawl around on all fours

aimlessly seeking

nuanced abstracts of freedom

that are still denied

years after you left these shores.

A broken nation,

a banana republic

you will never let rise.

It pains me to see

the indoctrination of my people

and their silent subservience

acceptance of it

as if it were their own -

these archaic values

you set forth

simply to divide and conquer

all the more to acquire.

Stagnated, trapped

in a vicious loop

of poverty, corruption

anarchy and discrimination

feasting away on the

pathetic remnants of a

two thousand five hundred

year old

brazenly biased,

romanticized and manipulated

history of their home.

It pains me to see

that my land was robbed

not just of gems and statues

that now line

the halls of your museums

but of it’s prosperity,

every last bit of it’s dignity

forcefully

labeled “commonwealth”.

And yet my land dreams of

an independence it’ll

never get

As it staggers around

begging bowl in hand,

Every loan graciously welcomed.

And do you want to hear

the dismal reality of it all?

As I pen this note down

fluently in your tongue

and dream of flying out

of this abyss

my land has become,

I look to you for salvation

Through you, I selfishly seek

a better future

What an unfitting thing

I’ve become.

sincerely, a not-so-patriotic, patriot.

Theruni Ranatunga

Find her on Instagram @all_things_tr

Thank you for sharing this powerful piece of your work with us.

Our aim at Konectiv Wellness is to create a platform dedicated to wellness as a whole and discuss and offer solutions towards building a stronger, more empathetic, and informed community. In that light, decolonization and rephrasing the conversation are so important. This poem by Theruni resonates so much wisdom and insight, we are honored to share these words on our site.

We also found these very interesting reads and videos on the "Statue of Tara", stolen from our island nation, is a profound example of the vibrant culture we as Sri Lankans lay heritage - She is a reminder for us to reclaim and reframe the conversations around #embodyingwholeness

Finders Keepers: On Sex, Tara the Buddhist Deity at the British Museum and Brownness in the Colonies - By Senel Wanniarachchi

Cover art by @jemlisch