Adieu - My beautiful princess

When the Indian nights sank on the plains,
When mangoes redden and buds open,
And the moon was high,
On a night like this lay beautiful Yasodhara,
With the little prince new born on her breast like a rose plucked from paradise,
So fresh, so fair, so sweet.

Siddhartha with one last glance
At the beautiful Yasodhara and the little prince,
Warm affection filled his heart
A yearning rose to touch her hand
And to fondle and cuddle the new born,
To give just one look, and embrace.

Ban these thoughts Siddhartha
The call is come, the call is clear
Think not of them any more
Go forth on the path, you have chosen
To free mankind from evil
Do not turn back... Go... Stop not.....Go...
May there be no sorrow, no lamenting, no wailing.

Went Siddhartha through the palace gates,
In the cold climes of the night
The full moon was shining in the distant sky
The golden gates flung open
The faithful Channa - holding the radiant Kantaka
"Master I have come for your service... Let us go"

Siddhartha left home he had been so happy
Leaving the memories of a bygone day
The affection of a loving wife
And a new born son.
He went to save mankind
"Never to return"

-Patricia Mangalika Yahampath

This long narrative poem is about the great renunciation by prince Siddhartha. The poet has captured the essence and the defining moments of prince Siddhartha leaving Princess Yasodhara and his new born son. The poet has used a simple diction.

My sanctuary...

In scorching sun
I walked,
With an unbearable thirst,
A thirst that cannot be quenched,
By water or by anything that the common man drinks,
What do I want? I asked myself,
Still I was walking in the sun,
I feel faintish but walking with all my might,
Soaked in sweat,
I was looking forward,
Walking until I found a shade,
Amidst nowhere, a place I passed before,
But there was no tree or any shade,
I looked back and saw you,
Standing behind me, covering the sun,
Covering the scorching sun,
For me,
Giving me shade,
Soaking in sweat,
When I saw your eyes,
I knew I have found my sanctuary in you...

Dakshima Haputhanthri

This self-explanatory poem has been written in a simple diction and the poet has used appropriate idioms and metaphors.

Poem of love

You came to my solitary life
And changed my life
As the brightest light
For the long sight

When I was sad
You sit by my side
Removed all my bad
Feelings in my mind

Time will pass by soon
Your love will not be doom
We both can live our life happily
Till we say goodbye to the world lovely

We can't meet always
But you are in my mind
You are mine always
Forever and our hidden love
Shows that the
World depends on love

M.Ridma Subhashini Gunasekara

The poet describes the eternal lover in her mind though he had left her a long time ago. The poet has aptly described the unshakable love she has for her lost love. The poet has used short and sharp lines.

Dream

Mostly in the night
It comes
Rarely during the day
Always at sleep
Enters the most precious place
Always alone
At times making you frightened
Sometimes happy
More or less like a film
You often become an actor
Mostly with your known ones

Only you can see
And also once only
After sometime it disappears
Usually waking you up

Leaving a reflection in your mind
Can come same night again
But in a different form
Like another film
You see it having your eyes closed
Like running to the office, before the red line drawn

Or climbing up a steep hill
Or coming down a dangerous slope
Or running to the toilet
Or being in company with a faire lady
Can be anything
Not everyday
Can never foresee
Some fear it so much

And struggle to prevent it
By calming their minds
With religious thoughts
Usually in bed, before they fall asleep
Oh, what's it
It's a dream

Gunasekara Hiripitiya

This long narrative poem is an attempt to define Dream. However, some stanzas sound like statements. The poem would have been more effective if the poet have paid attention to poetic language.

 Fading

Memories fading
Life changing
Winds of change
Blowing this way

Bertholamuze Nisansala Dharmasena

In this Haiku style poem, the poet tries to capture the profound meaning of life and its changing nature which is aptly compared to a wind. The poet has effectively used Haiku structure.

Missionaries and volunteers

Missionaries in schools
At war with ghouls
In this little island
Spreading the good word
Helping souls so blurred
While delivering lollipops
To make sure their gospel is heard

Delivered to young children
Under the palm trees
In the gentle breeze
Coming from the
Caribbean seas

We went from class to class
On their heels
Volunteering
To help children

With smiles but sick teeth
Cavities a galore
Knowledge so shallow
Callow yet hollow

But teeth, white black and yellow
We sealed them and varnish
Added our garnish
A lesson on less sugar
Cleaning teeth with vigour

We delivered no lollipops
But toothbrushes and pastes
We did save no soul
But this is no droll.

May 7, 2011 Grenada

Ananda P. Dasanayake

The diasporic poet ,who is a professional, tells a story where missionaries preached the gospel to the children while entertaining them with lollipops. Though the missionaries may have saved the souls of the children, they have not saved the teeth of the children. . The poet has used down-to-earth language and apt metaphors.

HE...qwwqqqq

He sits there,
Under the Bo-tree,
His eyes half closed,
Brimming with kindness,
Love and compassion,
Sympathy, towards the mankind.....

Cruelty to each other,
Greed and avarice,
Lust and jealousy,
The very things
He wanted to erase
from the human mind.

Practised everywhere.
Two thousand six hundred years
have passed,
Since He attained enlightenment.

So, let us unite,
And hold our hands,
Pray and beg,
Him to come back,
To heal the human mind,
With His healing balm
of Maithree....

Wathsala Weeraratne

The poem is a plea for the Blessed One to come to the earth to heal the world. The poet has used short lines in an effective manner.

In front of Death

In the cold Sunday midnight
Whilst thunderstorms rock the snoring city
I entered there, half wet...
Saw her, wiping the shivering body of a feeble old lady
She looked at me, smiled then continued
Her neatly knotted grey hair shined under the florescent light
White cotton Saree fitted around her robust body
her sun burnt hands swiftly moved with the towel
She quickly finished it
dressed up the old lady
adjusted her pillows
covered a blanket over her
Wave of cold wind blew across the hall
I heard the painful cry of the old lady
echoed along the corridor
She drew near the iron bed
Blank faced
fixed her eyes upon the purple face of the old lady
then she whispered to her ears
"Madame,What do you want"
No reply ,only the faint cry of pain
The clock hung on the patched wall tick-tick
The cry of the old lady stopped
She called them
They hurried around the iron bed
switched the machine
Queer scream of a night bird startled the entire hall
The machine stopped as the old lady stopped
Another thunderbolt shuttled the ceiling fan hung above them
They closed the pale eyelids of the old lady
walked away with the machine
I looked at her
To see a tear dropped out of her large eyes
But she sighed
Sign of a relief appeared on her tired face
Marked the end of another job called upon a daily pay...

Kumari Alokabandara

The poet skilfully portrays the last moments of an old woman who breathed her last in a rainy night amidst thunder and lightning. The poet has realistically recreated the eerie atmosphere of gloom and the mystic air of death hung in the hall. The poem is noted for its apt use of metaphors.