A first Christmas poem

Chronicled history began then
A start so astounding and many surprising
The gill on parchment, New Testament
Began to be written the gospel truth
On Bethlehem city world famous

Kings, astrologers, prophets of fame
All counted up Christmas day
Gabriel on wings Mary annunciated
Conveying preference the God the choice
Joseph, Mary at that dark hour
Wending way to Bethlehem
As the stars gleamed and sang
Fires of star sparks shot Aeron

Bright blue lit Bethlehem sky
Wind brought up fragrance
The Coniferous and the Olives
While night birds paused
Devouring the grape vines
They sheltered in that cowshed
Snuggling together for warmth
Finally Mary gave birth
As Joseph kept vigil in joy
In swaddling cloths so wrapped
Baby Jesus opened his eyes
To that first historic Christmas

Miran Perera

In this poem, the poet narrates the history of Christmas and how the baby Jesus was born in a manger. It was from the very first Christmas that the chronicled history began. It was also the first Christmas that the gospel began to be written. The Gabriel conveyed the god’s preference to Mary. So the poet has described the story of the birth of Christmas. The poet uses simple diction.

I see you in the morning

I see you in the morning
come to the class with screaming
when your saw me at glancing
say...good morning...without hesitating

You are always with me
working,playing,and shouting
when things go wrong by unknowing
come to me with fear
so...I can?t do anything

Do you know...
without you...I also suffer...
because of
you don?t do anything without my asking
so I feel you...
like my own children
I love you more than mine
I?m your teacher of kindergarten?

Kushani Katugampola

The poet evocatively expresses the feelings of a kindergarten teacher who enjoys her profession. Kindergarten is an extremely important phase of any child?s development. It seems that the teacher thoroughly enjoys her profession helping out children in the class. The poem is noted for capturing the true sentiments of a teacher.

Exam Results

A sheet of paper
That calls for a
Public celebration
Or a private funeral
Compensating for
Imprisonment of freedom,
Embracing stress and fear,
Burying joy and happiness
And for a future unpredictable
Of many a candidate at last!

A. Jayalath Basnagoda

In this short poem, the poet sums up the culture associated with examinations and intense competition among students and parents for better examination results. A piece of paper is sometimes celebrated in public and sometimes brings misery and pain of mind for many candidates who failed to achieve expected results. The poet uses a down-to-earth language.

Nature?s lament

I created the picturesque environment
Instilling its rhythm secretly
On a the day in the distant past dormant
Keeping everything perfectly orderly

I bestowed diverse lush vegetation
Fresh air and water for sanitation
Among other myriad of things in proportion
For biological life for its proliferation

I expected my loving children
Man and copious animal alike
To live in harmony roles properly
Protecting the equilibrium eternally.

But, Alas! Against my aspirations noble
Driven by thirst and lust insatiable
For comforts and ease innumerable
Rapacious, pugnacious man capable
Caused a vast change unbearable
Using modern science and technology
Born from the theory of fragmenting totality
And deformed the whole precious ecology
Inviting the monstrous havoc blindly.

Consequences are now profusely terrible
Abundantly die daily living beings miserable

Trapped in floods and cyclones horrible
In addition to quakes and conflagration
The logical end result of ill configuration.

I really disappointed thoroughly
Weeping in silence incessantly
Witnessing the destruction crystal clearly
Failing to end this tragedy completely

My only wise child ?Seattle?
Branded as a savage illiterate
By many so called sophisticated
Is no more to see the devastation

Oh! My dear prodigal child Human
You have neither salvations nor solace
Unless you invent modes of production
Devised from nature friendly sciences
Unifying my integral parts cohesive.

Sarath Sandacan

In this poem, the poet narrates the story of nature and how man pollutes it. It is the Mother Nature’s lament for the protection of environment and the earth. Owing to the rapid growth, man has seriously disturbed the ecological balance creating natural catastrophes and phenomena like global warming.

Old Bethlehem

People are carrying heavy burdens
Left on their ageing shoulders
For generations from fathers to sons
Without being the owners of their lives.

Over the valleys and hills of Jerusalam
So many tears flowed, sky filled with sighs
With the hissing sounds of blood stained whips
We became slaves of our own lands.

To relieve the people from their bonds
One might be born with the same sufferings
Listen to the wind that brings the message of peace
Of the birth of the little prince of ours

Now you are guided out of pains
Towards the freedom of all sorrows
The shining bright star over Bethlehem soil
Will create the history of unarmed people.

Jayananda Dharmasiri

The poet describes the covenant of blood that Jesus Christ made by sacrificing his life and the poet pleads that birth place of Jesus be made arms free or peace dawn to the trouble spot where the civilizations clash.

Mother

When I was an infant,
I cried for the ivory moon;
As it was melting in the waters,
Mother bade, the tomorrow sun will give you warmth?.

In my days of childhood,
I cried,seeing a grey hair on my mother?s head;
As all the hair will turn in to grey,
Mother bade, ?you will become a woman then?.

During my teenage,
I cried,finding my skin was dark;
As the inner beauty really makes a woman,
Mother bade, you are wonderful?

In my twenties,
I lamented,realizing his hypnotic crumb of love was false;
As it was the quietest chillest night I?ve ever spent,
Mother bade nothing...

Hansinie Wijesuriya.

(During the infancy, childhood and teenage the mother teaches the child.But later on she allows the child to understand things through the experiences.)

In this poem, the narrator describes different stages of her life associated with sane counsel of her mother. However, only when she realised that her lover is a fake, the mother remains silent. Although mother may comfort the child with advice, certain lessons in life one should learn alone.

When rain reigned supreme in Colombo

It was Wednesday 10th November night
God gave us an unexpected fright
The sky frequently whistled with lightning
Unending drizzle that followed was frightening

Drizzle became severe and severe in the morning
It transformed water into flood without any warning
Everything including electrical gadgets went under water
Carrying away things to safety was beyond porter

When the flood rose above our knees
We all flew to safety like active bees
Operation Cleaning took much time and money
Our wet experience was not so funny

It never rains but pours
Seems to be one of true laws
As every Tom, Dick and Harry of the whole nation
Unkindly enjoy the continuous wet shower with patience

N.U.Abdul Razzak

The poem describes the pathetic situation in Colombo when raining. It has become quite a phenomenon that flash floods become a part and parcel of life. So far the municipal authorities have failed to come out with a solution to the problem. The poet sums up a citizen’s experience of flash floods in Colombo.