“ KOS “ [JAK] TREE MY DEITY

Oh!  Devine tree with thy boundless bounty

Stands on poor man’s garden majestically

Spreading thy branches, cool and shady

That’s the ‘KOS’ tree, poor man’s deity

As one of eight in a large family

Ravenous, gormandisers kids were we

Feeding us with an income very measly

Meal time was one uproar and melee

Save for the ‘KOS’ tree we never went hungry

For boiled ‘KOS’ with ‘POL’ filled our tummies

‘VELA’ ‘ WARAKA’ a dessert tastes  like honey

Cannot man live contended with ‘KOS’ only.?

Mothers to lactate and in pregnancy

Doctors advice to eat ‘KOS’ in plenty

To bring forth babies bony and healthy

To serve this blessed Island steadfastly

Oldsters, under the shade of the ‘KOS’ tree

Gossip and gulp down pots of bubbling toddy

With boiled ‘Kos’ and green chillies

Do angels enjoy  such happiness so heavenly

Though some fashionables scorn outwardly

Roasted devilled ‘Kos Eta’ goes well with whisky

Ladies and children relish them for they taste milky

Savoury ‘Polos Embula’ pride of housewives culinary

Blood in our veins from ‘KOS’ runs in our family

Made men to face the world in any calamity

Whatever others say of ‘KOS’ I boastfully say

‘KOS TREE’ I worship thee, you are my deity

G.A.D.Sirimal