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No.35,D.R.Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo - 10.
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The Light

When the star of Bethlehem
Gave forth its light
From furtherest outer space
Millions of light years
It had traversed bright
To alight on that holy place

The Christ child's birthday
Would thus here begun
E'en before this Earth was born!
Illuminating the universe
Through galaxies run
Starry light that turns night into moon

This birth of the blessed
Sign of all good
Is for the living mind and soul,
Enjoining humans
With the Universe's brood
In pure truth that makes whole

- Rohan Jayawardana

Wasted talents

Full many gems are born and bred
To fade away in the still air,
Possessing talents of innumerable value,
Unable to display their thoughts so dear.

Craving for a helping hand
But who cares to make them stand,
Selfishness always withhold
To gear and help a poor soul.

It's nature's mighty turn,
Gods were rivals against one another,
So are humans on earth
Resulting talents to wane away.

Unknown, unseen and unheard
Die away the precious knowledge
Due to the rivalry of man.

- N.R. Majeed

Love and cough

I hid it
At the top of
Himalayan mountain,
I did so
In the deepest point
Of the sea too
For our safety.
Then little by little
I started building
The nest of love.
The whole world was
Nothing but a paradise

As my heart leapt
With endless rejoice
But, alas! when
The revelation came,
They stormed the sea
And flattened the mountain
And smashed the nest
To tiny pieces.
The whole world
Is nothing but a hell
As my heart cries
With endless pain!

- A. Jayalath Basnagoda

Baby's smile

For the first time in life
You saw me only yesterday
Today you smile with me
As if you knew me all your life.
Your toothless sincere smile
Is as bright as the morning sun.

If one has enough to spend,
Fake smiles with a hidden agenda
Are aplenty and cheap.
But your innocent and pure smile
Begins from the bottom of your heart
and is not a part of a sales gimmick.

At times I wonder,
As to what makes you smile with me
I carry no sweets or presents
Yet, you are pleased to see me.
Your unfathomable smile
Is an invaluable gift to mankind.
It adds a momentary cool breeze
To demanding roles of your parents.

- K.M. Gunaratne

A soldier's lament

The rustic damsel's once enchanting love
Like the ever waning moon did change
When I lost a leg and an eye's sight
In a battle fought in a terrorists' site.
Now a hapless cripple I lie
With shattered hopes
Confined to a glittering wheel-chair
Given to those like me in despair
After their brave stint in the Northern war.
How much we once merrily tread far and wide
Along the rosy path of love
Then strewn with floral petals soft.
But now bereft of all that enchanting beauty
As one by one silvery tears drop
Moistening my hanky soft
Whenever I think I should have died in battle
Than endure a life-long suffering
Cribbed and confined to a mute chair
My ruffled mind and battered body
Do not blame my love
For changing her path like an aimless dove
Treading on the path of a new found love
As love seems to exist
Only where the loved
Could care for the lover
Like how a sensitive gardener
Would a strange flower

- Andrew Scott

To Imoshika

You are cute and intelligent,
A lovable child
Talented dancer
And fond of music
You'll grow up to be
A fine young lady guite soon.
I hope i'll be able someday
To describe you thus, if I may.
She is unobtrusive,
Soft-spoken, sincere,
Natural and down-to earth,
Oozing with charm
No airs, no axes to grind,
Never envious - no craving for things
Minus complexes
Just content with her lot
Dresses simply and neatly
Modest and truthful
Efficient, considerate
Has a heart-warming smile
A woman par excellence
Worth her weight - and more, in gold"
Need I ask for more!

- Ranee Ranatunge

Kites

Kites
Fill the skies in July,
Soaring free
Like birds of the air,
Gliding smooth,
Riding the wind,
Sometimes tossed and buffeted
By the strong 'South and buffeted
By the strong 'South Westers'
Sweeping the land
In this sweltering
"Summer time"

In green, open places,
Down by the sea
Up in the blue sky
Kites
Are everywhere.
Splashes of colour
Cruising in the azure heavens
Playing hide and seek
Amidst floating clouds.

Long sinuous snakes,
Clever box kites
Poised high,
Black bats, bright birds,
And graceful ladies
Twirling their streaming skirts
Lovely, airy things
Buoyed up with hope and joy.

But the wind blows
Strong sometimes,
Then kites break away,
And are gone
The wind sometimes drops
And the kites come down,
So brief a day
Like life itself,
Fleeting, Impermanent,
Bringing sorrow,
And disappointment
To the hand that grasps,
Unless it can 'let go'

- Wishwaranee Nagahawatte

Rivers

From the hills of Central Lanka,
Boume out to the foaming sea,
Are all the rumbling rivers
Of this beautiful country.

They flow in the dense wilderness,
And quench the thirsty fauna,
Out to the light through the darkness,
Among the blossoming flora.

The cub, the calf, the loveable fawn,
Drink out of them heartily,
Then down a mighty fall it's gone,
And they look down quizzically.

Along and long the waters ramble on,
And then a sudden obstruction,
Their sprays shoot high to the leafy lawns,
And gush with a resounding ovation.

Then whirls and twirls and their ripples grow,
With a sparkling unceasing motion,
And gushing through a-racing they go,
To form the mighty ocean.

- George Eddie

Fire

There is no fire
Like lust
Says Dhammapada
But
The fire of lust
Is raging on
All over the world
And the people
Who have to put it out
Are also in the rage
When will this fire
Be put out
Who will
Put it out

- Arul