A shady nook

Sitting on a rock in a stream,
Where the waters silently flow,
I dabble my feet in the water,
And behold a picturesque scene.
Lines of shrubs on either side,
As far as eye could see,
Weeds at the edge rustling about,
A brilliant blue sky overhead,
A few fleecy clouds rushing away,
Fish dancing on my feet, startle me,
They glisten as they jostle around,
Sliver water winding thro' rocks.
Life giving stream along the way,
A picture for artist to paint

Sr. Mary Bernard

Vesak lanterns

What splendour is this beneath the sky?
Glorious lanterns dance gaily on high
Gently caressed by winds that blow
The moon-agate beauty of vesak lanterns glow.

Octagons, paper patterns, some like stars
All strung up resembling pearl tiaras
In pulsing beat, in motions gentle
They swing and sway and almost mingle.

Some glisten and glow with bulbs within
While coloured ones shine in glitter and tint
Some cast beams from taper light
And wind-blown frills dance through the night.

"Bucket" lanterns simply lovely, simply sweet in
Blue, yellow, purple, red, green and pink
Like jewels hanging on the trees
Flicker with delight, abandoned to the breeze.

Their splendour and brilliance survive not long
Breeze and raindrops, these fragile things torn
Vesak lanterns like an ephemeral dream
Only an illusion, an ecstasy, a theme.

Caryl Nugara

Somewhere in time

Somewhere in time, you meet someone,
If you are lucky you'll meet two or more,
Wonderful, magical, people,
Who not only touch your life,
But welcome you to be a part of theirs'
For better or for worse.

Somewhere in time, you meet someone,
Who listens to you and gives you advice,
Who treasures you as a person,
And loves you for what you are.
And cherishes you like a diamond.
No matter how "different" you are.

Somewhere in time, you meet someone,
Who isn't common or easily found.
Who calls you in turn his or her "saviour"
Who rekindles hope in the ability to believe,
That friendship is a blessing and not a curse.
That it's okay to love again and that trusting is optional.

Somewhere in time, you meet someone,
Who means as much as the universe to you,
Who overlooks your journey,
And walks right beside you.
And sees that you'll make it through
And who believes in you and trusts you, for eternity.

Namali Fernando

Golden moments

A warm smile
Laced with
Loving kindness (Metta)
Brings forth
Many a pleasant cheer
A deed accomplished
With sympathetic joy (Muditha)
And compassion (Karuna)
Brings forth
A great deal of delight
And gay abandon
The way when one lamp
Lights another
The flame glows brighter
And brighter
And these are imminently,
The Golden moments of life

Sunanda Mahawela

Thought on four noble truths and war

Reflecting on Buddhas teachings
This vesak season
The four Noble Truths
Come to mind
suffering, cause for suffering
Getting out of it
And the path to follow

In the world today
The greatest suffering
For humanity
Has been war
Man becoming his own enemy
Using his brains and wealth
To develop weapons
For his own destruction at war
Millions dying millions starving
Poverty on the rise keeping
A great human tragedy
of our own making
without end ever continuing.

Following Buddhas teachings
The four noble truths
An end to this suffering
A way out of it,
A path to follow
Has to be found
Leading man for peace on earth
In this life itself

Edward Arambewala

The screen legend

The loss we feel is irreparable
As your stature is incomparable
A giant you were on the screen
And for films-a meadow green.

Life-for most people-a stage
To act and hide in six foot cage;
The name, identify, and service done
Simply vanish with their final run.

An exception you were indeed
For, your name, identity, service did lead
Above all the others and still shine
Like the crystal of a temple shrine.

The burning flames of your pyre
Told us of what we need to be aware:
"Death - an unforgiving unbiased force
Living - an endless force of a challenging course"

A. Jayalath Basnagoda

Lassana Lanka

Lovely Island of greenery,
There are blossoms in every tree,
Your sunny days and balmy nights,
Are ever so starry and free.
Come next June this isle will bloom,
Ne'er a dull moment or gloom,
Born in this land of fields and falls,
In later days we may recall.
Of the days we did play
Under the leafy spray,
Of a lovely spreading Bo tree,
By the green fields of rice,
Where we trapped field mice,
Fished and trudged home by night.
My wonderful world of memoirs of love,
And Sri Lanka this wonderful land,
If ever I go away I'll long for the day,
To be back on Sri Lankan sand.

George Eddie

Lonely figure

There stands a lonely figure
with torn clothes -
Unoiled hair
Half naked body
unbathed
uncleaned
At the pavement of the bus stand
Begging for coins -
From the waiters for the buses
In the rain -
He shivers with cold
without a covering piece of cloth -
In the hot sun -
He is scorched the whole day
None takes care of this lonely figure
For providing a home for living
As other humans
He lives with stray dogs
And sometimes fight for thrown
Pieces of food by the passers by
Let a philanthropist meet this lonely figure
And take him to a home for elders -

M.Y.M.Meeadh