Extracts from the entries of the five finalists

Given below are extracts from the poems and a short biography of the writers in order of recitation.

‘I swam in the rain with my red, red shoes - Soaked to the brim with earth that was loose -Down on my knees - I fell, and the Trees; and the Winds laughed and called me a goose!’

20-year-old Sarah Jauffer is a writer by profession who is pursuing journalism.

‘There was a fine fellow from Kandy – Who’d knock down his fair share of brandy – This habit didn’t last, ended up in a cast – The night they ran out of shandy’.

25-year-old Ashwin Dias is a civil engineer from Dehiwala who writes as a hobby.

‘ Thus, the Easterly flock left; in Quest, for a grander West - Took to the high seas, amid a low- slung breeze - When the low hung billows, arose to oppressive roils, they began to roll’.

22-year-old Ranga Rashmika Nambuwasam is a student pilot who loves to write as a hobby and hopes to publish some of his work in the future.

‘There once was a Fisherman’s Daughter - Who sat pondering all day by the water - What Cockles in shells, Mussels and Whelks - Would think at their moment of slaughter.’

26-year-old Pawan Kalugala has been writing poetry since she was a child and used to write little nonsensical poems as a child, which she hopes to turn into a children’s book someday. She published her first book in the form of a collection of more grown-up poetry “An Almond moon and the white owl”, last year and is slowly making progress on a novel next while completing her thesis in English literature. She wrote this poem a few minutes into the deadline.

‘She was a dragon – or a tiger in the mist – a unicorn nibbling pol- sambol off my wrist – she smiled chilli lime, taking slow sips – everyone there mesmerized – by her slow pink lips’

30-year-old Shafni Awam writes under the pen name – Benny Lau. He loves writing and is aiming to complete writing and publishing a collection of poems.