Who is a religious man?

Leading a noble life
Without any religious label
Who could be a follower
Of any religion or even
Such a person is a religious man

Who could purify his mind
of vulgar defilements
Or evil thoughts
Enjoy a happy,
Peaceful and contended life
Attain ever lasting happiness
Through natural and
Human resources availed
For the time being
Is a person or a religious man

If someone says that he is more religious
Than others, abstain wine, dine and lust
Worship and prays
so many times a day
or by making offerings in the name of God
or a religious teacher
is not a religious man

A man who commits
no signs through
his words , feels and body
is a religious man

Following noble principles
To develop the
Moral and spiritual aspects
Of our life without
Harming others and things
Understand this so called
'Consumer oriented society'
Be calmed like a blossom
Be courageous like a pillar
Without getting involved in
The rat race for mere
Greediness and profits
Is a religious man

Sarath Dhanapala

In this poem, the poet tries to answer the question who is a religious man? It is obvious that one who proclaims himself as religious is not really a religious man. But a person leading a noble life even without any religious label is a religious man. The poet uses a down-to-earth language with appropriate metaphors.

Hurt Adolescence

Few teens of sixteen, seventeen or eighteen
And early youngs of twenty one, two or three
Clad nicely in warm comfortable dennings
And warm sweaters with light warm shoes on their legs
Made their way through the cold misty jungle of Maha Eliya
To see the endless world of "World's End"

On a place while they were travelling
They passed by a place
where the path was repairing for the comfort of passers by
There a thin pale boy from the appearance seemed
The same age of those teens, pushed a wheel barrow
Loaded of heavy stones

He waited for a moment to look at those guys
And marked fine clothes of them and their shoes
"They are very fine" he told himself

But tears passed by his cheeks
When he turned his eyes at himself
He had no shoes but old black cheap slippers
Instead of fine warm trousers he wore
A patched short and a ragged drilled T shirt
With black marks on the face`

In this poem, the poet describes abject poverty through an every-day incident. A group of well-clad teenagers were climbing the mountain to reach 'The world's end', a famous precipice through the misty area of Maha Eliya. For them, it is an excursion. However, there was a boy of the same age who was drawing heavy stones uphill to repair the path that the teenagers were walking along. The boy who works hard felt sorry for his own plight. The poet has brought out skilfully the growing gulf between the haves and have- nots. The poet uses simple diction.

The Rising Sea

It is a day to remember
The 26th of December
2004-it was
When sadness and fear
Gripped everyone so dear
Whether friend or foe
Or relatives so dear
They all went in
that same fatal way

The sun shone brightly
We all did see
The sea was calm
And glistened

But far far away down the sea below
A fearful earthquake struck
the sea below
It caused the earth
To shake and to tremble
Causing havoc for many people

It was Boxing Day for the Christians
A day after Christmas
For everyone celebrates
For the Buddhists it was Poya Day
That day when people clad in white
Visited temples to pray

Then all of a sudden
We heard in the news
That the sea was shaking to and fro
In our island Sri Lanka
Where everyone's so happy and gay
The sea retreated
For miles away

Anxious folk away, ran to see
The mighty ocean
Retreating away
Local or foreign
They all may be
It was the same reason
They went to see

Hundreds of fish
Jumping up and down
Shining like glass
Dancing like spouts
The folk looked in awe
As they rushed to see
Dancing fish, they said
Something they never did see

Then all of a sudden
Rose the mighty sea
To the height of a coconut tree
The water was black
And so horrifying to see
Five hundred miles per hour
It came the mighty sea
No barriers or boundaries
Could stop her from coming
As she swallowed up folk
In many towns

Babes who were suckling
Their mothers' breasts
Cling ever so tightly
To their mothers face

Not only in Sri Lanka
But other countries too
The mighty ocean came
Like hundred dragons unleashed
Folk who died rich or poor
The wicked and the innocent
Were all dealt with that
Same fatal blow

The ones who were lucky
Stood watching and gasping
At them, that did go
What power could unfold
This disaster they said

But again they said
Frighten to death
It is great power
That shook us to death

It is a lesson
A lesson to be learned
That god made us all
And all are his
So love thy neighbour
And do no wrong
Coz when ever god calls us
We all have to go
A day to remember
Everyone could tell
That day was the day
The tsunami came

D R De Silva

This long narrative poem is about the tsunami which claimed thousands of lives in Sri Lanka. The poet describes how men and women ran towards the beach when the first wave receded into the deep sea.However, no one knew that it would be followed by a giant wave which wiped out entire communities. The poet uses simple diction to recall the Boxing Day tragedy.

The Gentleman

A Gentleman in a Tuxedo
Well- groomed and stately
Head held high
And hands clasped back
Stood at my door, waiting,
Waiting with patient expectation
And a sweet tune at his lips,
For he was a handsome Magpie Robin
Gracing our garden
With his gracious presence
For want of a tasty morsel.

Nillasi Liyanage

In this poem, the poet describes the presence of a magpie robin and compares it to a gentleman. For the poet, the magpie is like a well-dressed and well-mannered gentleman. In fact the magpie is looking for a tasty morsel.

Simple attempt

Clouds hovering by,
With the tempestuous gale blowing,
Through all the dark clouds,
The moon beamed down,
Radiant and magnificent,
Yet an eclipse is sure to come,
Second by second ticking by,
Passing the time like a flying bird,
Fate approaching the vivid moon
Trying to enfold the glowing radiance,
From the little light,
The light that shines upon the sleeping world,
Although an eclipse is impossible to handle,
I try to handle dark clouds,
If light falls forever,
Life can shine along,
Like a candle's flame,
With a another flame,
This will never loose its light,
And shine my life too.

Rozanne Monroe

Through the metaphor of a moon eclipse, the poet tries to describe life with difficulties. In the first couples of stanzas, the poet describes a moon eclipse in the making. The poet says if the light falls forever life can shine like a candle's flame. With a partner in life, the life can be more pleasant and brighter.

Eternal life

"Sell what you have and give to the poor
You will have treasures in Heaven"

So said Jesus Christ,
To the rich young ruler
Who came to him seeking eternal life

But, the young man in sorrow
Went away distressed thorough,
Not knowing how to follow the advice
Given to him by compassionate wise

The young man still roams,
Everywhere he roams,
Not knowing how to follow the advice
Given to him by compassionate wise

Thus he suffers,
Eternally he suffers
Seeking eternal life,
Since his possessions
He strongly clutches,
So he suffers
Not knowing how to follow the advice
Given to him by compassionate wise
The Christ

O.C.G Senapathi

The poet describes how Jesus Christ advised a young ruler to give his wealth to the poor if he wants to have treasures in the Heaven. The rich young ruler had come to see Jesus, seeking eternal life. The poet says that 'young man' is still roaming everywhere on the earth not knowing how to follow the advice of Christ.

The Silence of the Lion -Sigiriya

To seek the calm beyond the sunrise
Negate the canker -wilt every sigh
A livid cord grown ne'er to unite
Halt and ebb an exalted life
Drowned in Ocean's sorrow.
The mind left blank.
A King with vision of glorious splendour
Mould an island in the sky
A God King's paradise -a lion's limb away.
Sheets of silver rain the fountains play
In water garden each boulder tells a tale
As eternal spells cast moon-drenched shadows
Lift one's soul out of eternity.
Lotus-eyed maidens in Heavenly spray
Waiting for the monarch's call
While poems fill up the mirror wall
The water-curtain memories spill.
Excess denied behind the melancholia
The silenced roar -the trumpet stilled.
Sword unsheathed till journey's done
The wanderer's gone sans the dream.

Chandra Abeyesekere

The poet describes the Sigiriya, the legendary citadel of king Kassapa; water garden, mirror wall and the lion-shaped entrance to the fortress. The poet uses a simple diction and apt metaphor to describe the glories of king Kassapa.