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Poetry
Railway dog
The first sound which I heard,
Is a huge roaring sound.
It ran through my ears;
Sending a cold shiver inside me
A big long snake,
Ran back and forth,
Puffing smoke everywhere.
Once my mom went through the lines,
On which the snake glided.
Though I waited and waited,
Mom never came back along the lines.
I watched the snake everyday,
To see my mother.
But I only saw people,
Watching their way.
Some of my friends,
Went over the track.
That's all about them,
Since they never came back.
The only truth I know is,
That the snake was there always,
When I lost my friends; and,
I still wonder what happened,
To all who went along through the track.
D.W. Lilani Anuruddhika
Children adorn the world
Children are like stars,
Shining in the sky.
They are the precious gifts,
Of mother nature.
Purity lies in them,
'Mum' and 'Dad'
The enchanting words they utter,
They murmur sweet nothings
They bring happiness and joy
To our lonely hearts...
Let's nourish these innocent souls
And tend with care
They will bloom for years and years...
Dear children,
Make your heart fragrant with beauty,
And face your precious life with dignity,
May thousand flowers bloom your way!
Wasantha Subasinghe
To my dear sister
You are the one
Who combed my hair
Fixed a pony
And colourful bands
With small buds
when I was a kid...
You are the one
Who dressed me nicely
With a purple pinafore
Appliqued with a rabbit
And many other frocks
Sewn by you
From the samples
Father brought...
You are the one
Who took me everywhere
Whenever you went
Taking my hand
With love and care...
You are the one
Who guided me
And supported me
Always...
When I lost,
My beloved father
You are the one
Who went with me
From office to office
To get a transfer
When I was given
A distant place...
You are the one
Who walked with me
Through lonely paths
And thorny bushes
Carrying my things
When I worked
In those places.
You are the one
Who took me
To the doctor
And said,
"You are our life,"
When I was ill.
You are the one
Who listened to me
Who understood me
And shared my worries
Giving courage
When the world
Hurt me...
You are the one
My dear sister
Who remained the same
With your eternal love
Though many changed
And left me again
In this world
Where impermanency remains.
D. M. A. S. Dharmadasa
Requiem for a cockroach
Inhabiting Earth for millennia
Extreme hot and cold able to bear,
Living in any nook, corner or crevice,
Sustaining on anything nature and man could devise.
Surviving all odds, never to be extinct,
Fell to the floor from the kitchen sink -
No match for the screams and resounding blow
From the lady's slipper, he lay dead on the floor.
Erandinie Mallika Rodrigo de Silva
Our dear departed teachers forget not
November, November, is with us now;
Down memory lane let us go somehow,
And recall Erin's daughters our teachers of old
Who led us under the Good Shepherd fold.
In obedience to the Great Good Shepherd's call;
They left their home comforts, friends and all
Clad in robes, in modesty, dignity across the sea they came,
Opened girls schools and brought much fame,
Sinhala, Tamils, Burghers, Muslims, Chinese, Eurashians all
Side by side did study in one great hall
Peacefully, happily, the days sped away
Leaving memories to ponder later some day
Girls then: Grandmother now from convents one and all;
Harken, harken to my clarion call,
Let's walk down the corridors of time
And recall our dear departed teachers so fine.
A century and more did they toil;
In the blazing heat of Lanka's soil,
To give to us of all their best
But now alas! are gone to Eternal Rest.
Let's join hands and a tribute pay
To Erin's daughters who paved our way
With the Great Good Shepherd let's earnestly plead
To the Heavenly Kingdom them all lead.
Norma Perera
Decent burial
He was an old man
Who lived alone in a room
On his meagre pension
He had no proper bed to sleep in
All his children were living abroad in comfort
When he died
They all came down
And to bury him
They bought a coffin
For fifty thousand rupees!
Arul |
