Poems
Appachchie...
Forgive me appachchie,
Forgive me for the
tears in your eyes.
Forgive me for the
dreams killed ruthlessly.
Not knowing,
not understanding,
Not meaning to hurt you,
Yet hurting you unmistakably.
Forgive me for my faults.
All hopes broken on me,
Feel life's not worth?
No! appachchie;
I will relive your faith,
It is a promise,
Sealed with love and adoration!
It doesn't matter what you say,
As long as you are with me.
It doesn't matter how you punish.
But, No!
Do not turn away in anger,
Ashamed of me.
Me, the most unworthy son.
Still tell me once,
"I love you sonna....."
Embrace me again,
As you did, throughout;
My motherless childhood.......
- Nirmala Dassanayake, Piliyandala.
Coming home
It's been a long, long time
Since I was here -
The fields are parrot-green,
The sun-kissed sky a backdrop
For the kites of ruby red
And pristine white
It hasn't changed
This place where we were born,
And nor have you,
My childhood friend
I often did recall,
Those fun-filled days.
The village school,
Where you and I walked hand in hand,
And planned our plans.
Where learning was a joy.
The pealing of the silver temple bell -
When clad in white
With simple faith,
We prayed.
You wisely chose to stay,
I chose to go ...
Perhaps I thought the neon lights
Were brighter than the stars
That shone on lotus pools,
And starry jasmine bowers.
How wrong I was ...
And now I've come to stay.
I'm glad my stone-cooled rustic home
Has waited for this day, for my return.
The frame of gold-dipped sun-flowers
At my door.
Though waters of a thousand streams
Have flowed beneath
My city bridge,
I'm glad to know
Our childhood bond
Is still as strong and sure!
- Verna L. de Silva, Kelaniya.
Remembering you in this season
This season
Reminds me
The very short time
We got to know each other
But vast memories
That filled my mind
This blowing wind
Still tells me
The kind words you spoke out
This coolness of the night
Still feels me
That you are closer more and more
This ocean
Still sings
The song of our brotherhood
This blue sky
Still reminds me
The nice stories you narrated
This evening sun
Still asks me
Whether I have something to tell you
This lovely moon
Still smiles with me
As it sees you like me
- S. Samarakoon, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Resolve thy mind
A new day dawns
with it hope spawns
Where better is probed
and joy is hoped
A child dashes like an eagle sore
as mighty cannonballs roar
Soul of innocence stained with sight
Time renders pure heart into might
We forge destinies of desire
Offspring shown mutiny to acquire
With needles of devious mission
strands of loathe sown into vision
Clamour of conflict has lingers in our ears
Through tunnels of vision man peers
Rummaging for water to put out the fire
Dreaming of the day war lords retire
Peace for mind and peace for soul
demands society as a whole
Out of rage and out of fear
is sought for the kind so dear
Every start is an ending
Every end is a new beginning.
Clockwork of mind is quite queer
Never to praise but jeer
In times of peace, we stray the furthest
In time trouble, we pray the earnest
Devotion for self is the greatest
Resolving self is the hardest
- Lalindra C. Amarasekara, Nawala
Reality
When I was walking
Along the road,
I saw a woman
With ragged clothes
Sitting under a tree
Near the temple
Feeding her baby,
But, the baby was
Crying on and on,
Couldn't find milk
From her mother's breast
Suddenly I saw
A luxury car
Stopped at the
Temple gate:
A man with a can
Full of milk
Got down and
Rushed to the temple,
I slowly walked
Into the temple,
I saw him walking
Towards the Bo tree;
He went around the Bo tree
Uttering something
With devotion and
Poured the milk on it:
The milk flowed
On the ground,
Like a stream
Again, I heard the cry
Raindrops kissed the earth,
The Bo tree stood silly
With a deep silence
-Anjalie Chandima Silva, University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Sentimentally yours
Much has been said and much has been written,
I begin to wonder if I've expressed anything forbidden,
Sentimentally, when I sit and organize my thoughts,
Silently, into a web, I get myself caught.
Yearning am I to get out of this web,
A web wherein your thoughts haven't ebbed.
My thoughts are about you, I like sharing them with you,
As you're the only one I trust; I take you to be true.
Now and then, night after night and day after day,
I pray you should overcome your sickness one fine day.
Determine yourself to get rid of your impulsive emotions,
Easily don't fall a victim to others' rash actions.
Senseless actions of others can cause you trouble.
It's folly, with your health, to take such a gamble.
Little by little, get over your psychic hurdle,
Very effectively, your own efforts ought to be redoubled.
Always abide by the positive decisions you've made.
And I strongly feel, you're a flower in bloom, you mustn't fade.
-Mima Azam, Matara.
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