When Araliya blossoms fall

I sat beneath the Araliya blossom tree
As the breeze of the eve appeared
The ripple in the brook, whispered
Caught in the myriad shades
Of Araliya blooms, fluttering the air
As they fell by the banks...

The soft rustle in the speeding wind,
Caressed my weary brow
As I peeped into the still waters,
Searching myself in quest
And a floating cloud paused above me,
As gently fell the Araliya blossoms...

And the vision I saw beneath
Somehow did not belong to me
The gentle smile on the lips,
In the enchantment of the falling dusk
Was someone I knew, just briefly
When araliya blossoms fell...

They shrouded the smiling vision,
That I kept searching beyond,
And the new moon shedding her silver beams,
Transfigured him to platinum
But when I reached for the image below,
The still waters drifted away...

And the araliya blossoms ceased to fall!
The tree was barron and bare,
A bird twirping on a twig, told me,
Of the emptiness of tomorrow
But I sat by the tree waiting , eternally,
For araliya blossoms to fall again...

Gwen Herat

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The poem is about an experience of the poet associated with falling of Araliya blossoms. The poet describes how Araliya blossoms fall by the bank of a lake and how she experiences a vision of the bygone days.

The vision does not belong to her but in a way an illusion which quickly fades away as the still water drifts. Suddenly the stark reality dawns; the Araliya blossoms ceased to fall and there is a barren tree which has shed its leaves.

What remains is the agonising emptiness of tomorrow yet the poet waits eternally for 'Araliya blossoms to fall again'. The poem ends with a philosophical note shedding light on life and impermanency and hope for a better tomorrow which actually keeps life rolling on.

Although I couldn't ...

Although I couldn't see you
Everyday in my eyes
But my heart sees you

Although I couldn't be with you
Everyday ,But in heart
I'm in your heartland

I didn't get such a thing before
Like yours really in this world

I'm rigging your love
In this motion world

ATI Mangala Rupasinghe

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The poem is about a distant lover. The girl describes that although she could not see her lover everyday, he is in her heart. It is an intense love so that the girl cherishes every moment that she had been with her lover. The poem is noted for its heartfelt sentiments on the part of a girl deeply in love.

An ode to an unknown soulmate...

Loneliness is killing me,
Coz you are not there with me..
Willpower has flown far from me,
Coz you are not there with me...
Dreams have shattered inside me,
Coz you are not there with me..
World make fun of me,
Coz you are not there to claim me...

Kumari ALOKABANDARA

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The poem is about a lonely soul who seeks the love and protection of a lover. It is the absence of 'unknown soul' which makes her days lonely and willpower falter. As the lover is not there to claim her, she feels that 'world makes fun' of her. Though the poem is short, it has skilfully recreated the mindset of a girl longing for love and protection.

Bunch of roses

Your dynamic figure reminds us sylphs.
Saw you in a chilly morning at Victoria Park.
Your heads were tossing in the gentle breeze.
Saw bees were murmuring to you,
Like the lullaby of a mother.
Saw your soft delicate petals,
Fluttering like saying goodbye to us.
Saw your pretty faces projecting towards the gentle Sun,
And you were pleading mercy from the god Sun.
Saw the morning dews sprinkled onto your faces,
And refreshing you and keeping you agile.
Saw you today,
But tomorrow......
You may disappear forever.
Your wan pale face symbolizes the olden days of human life.
You remind our life is like a moving shadow.
Hope to meet you in my journey through Samsara.
And let's get together in a bunch of roses offering to Maithri Buddha.

W. M Sumithra WEERASEKARA

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The poem is about impermanency. The poet uses the metaphor of bunch of roses to convey that life, in fact, is a moving shadow and never ending cycle of birth and death.

The poet compares the young roses to old days of human life and the one which is faded to a moving shadow of life. The poem ends with a philosophical note stressing the changing nature of life.

The only one to win

One cup, one great nation
What a grand celebration!
Let's bless our brave lions
Wishing them advance congratulations!

Here, our cricket heroes come
To win this historic game
You can make our country fame
None can put out your power of flame

You can blast the balls all around
And make them vanish out of the ground
You can spin and bowl like the wind
To make your opponent to confound

You can shower the rain of runs
For all your fans to give great fun
You know you have already done
I am sure! You are the only one to win

You are the country's Talent Factory
You can fight hard and bring the Victory
We are there to stand hand in hand
To push you forward to be the best brand

The world knows that you all great players
You can blast the balls like rockets
As well, you are all enchanting bowlers
And you can break any hard wickets

The whole country is backing you up
To bring home the golden world cup
Treat the rivals with all your might
As the sun that shines crystal bright

S. Jeyapragash FERNANDO

The poem is dedicated to the Sri Lankan cricket team which plays for the World Cup. The narrator is almost certain that Sri Lanka would emerge as the victors in the World Cup series and that it would win the Cup. The poem is noted for its patriotic sentiments and the use of apt metaphors.

Broken

A picture on the yellow wall,
Fell down,
Into pieces....broken.......broken
Image faded,
Frame fractured,
Made of the image.....Oh
Reminds me of transience.....

Tharindu JAYAMANNA

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In this short poem, the poet drives home the message that everything is subject to change. The change may be abrupt or gradual yet it definitely takes place. The poet describes the falling down of a painting hung on a yellow wall. The painting had broken into pieces with its image.

For no reason

What you never uttered,
Is what I always heard,
For no reason,
I began to weave dreams.

Don't know how our lives got torn apart,
those dreams of mine, were no longer mine.

Away from my love,
I kept walking away,
For no reason,
I began to weave dreams.

Memories came rushing back, my eyes began to water,
With the smoke of yesterday.

You! why in this joy?
I still feeling pain,

Why am I beginning to create that world again?
That world away from where I had walked away.

Once again these memories, have made a new beginning,
A moment of the past, still made my heart ache.

For no reason,
I began to weave dreams.

Sew KARUNARATNE

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In this poem, the poet recollects her happy days with a lover. For no reason, she starts again to live in those bygone days, making dreams. Her eyes are wetted with tears as she thinks of the past and about the world she walked away. The poet skilfully captures the strong feeling of nostalgia.

Dream

I left all
I thought, I left all
Everyone left me
I thought, everyone did so
I felt nothing
I thought, I felt nothing
Loneliness was with me

I thought, it would be forever
I didn't have a hope
I thought, I wouldn't wish anything

But, when the time passes
I hear you
I see you
I feel you
Why it happens so
Why you are there for me
I cannot understand
Why?

Now I feel - I left all
Except you
Now I know - everyone left me
Except you
Now I am not alone
Because of you
Now I have a wish
That is you
No one knows this, even you
You are in my dream

I feel not to wake up
Because of my dream
That is you
There is only you

Chanchala GANGODAWILA

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The poem is about a dream lover. The lover exists only in the girl's dream and because of the lover, girl finds life interesting. So her dream becomes the lover. However, the lover does not know that the girl is deeply in love with him. The poem is noted for expressing the sentiments of a girl who finds life interesting because of a lover.

Finer finding

How move things,
When natural disasters
How keep those,
With high security

With out any difficulty,
Thou could be moved
With knowledge and know how
With Merit and Sin

Rohini EKANAYAKE

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In this short poem, the poet describes that true treasures are the knowledge and know-how which can be easily moved from one place to another in the event of a natural disaster. The poem is noted for its brevity of expression.