The Earth

I'm a planet but not Neptune,
I'm small but not Venus,
I'm large but not Jupiter,
I'm hot but not Mercury,
I'm cold but not Uranus.
I've got cloud rings but I'm not Saturn,
I've got oxygen but not Mars,
Who am I,
I'm no other than Earth.

Kande Kankanamalage Tiyani Vinoma,
11 Years,
Ave Maria Convent,Negombo.

My friend

A friendship is sweet when it is new...
It would be sweeter when it is true...
And it would be the sweetest when it is you... My friend.
Being forever, ever loving,
Sorrows between us,
Teasing each other,
Funny things that happen,
Rueful, idiotic fighting movements,
Empty talk, all these,
Will never ever,
Die or divide,
Our friendship!

F. Ishfa Nilam,
Grade 7B,
Loyal Ladies College.

Street children

Man always says; 'Help the helpless,
And never tries to condemn others,
Somehow attempts to be selfless,
And sensitive to others suffering.
Words limited only to sayings,
Man, himself is cunning always,
Run after a mirage to fulfil their dreams,
Not consider about the poor! Only 'themselves.’
Road by road the ‘kids’ beg for food,
Man pretends ‘they haven't’ seen, as they're shrewd,

Nothing for ‘kids’ only sad mood,
Is the modern man this much rude?
No reputation, no connection,
Or no place for accommodation,
With no love and affection,
And no recognition and less attention.

Think a while, as they too are ‘human’,
Think as one mother's kind-hearted children,
Think they too have rights and aspirations,
Give your hands to get rid of their chaos.

Navodya Hansani Attanayake,
Grade 11E,
Central College,
Bandarawela.

Nature's love

The world in the future,
Has no time to love nature,
As individuals run behind their expenditure;
How the soft breeze whispers,
And how the water dews collapses,
No time, no time to watch all these.
The noise of crickets, which
break the morning silence.
And the cackle of hens,
Flapping of pigeons and the cries of birds,
Which is the symbol of obeying their independence,
No time, no time to hear all these.
The treasure which brings the greenery,
And the breathing of vehicles,

Which every single person hears in solitary,
No time, no time to feel all these,
No way, No way,
You should feel this if you are a lover
of nature.

Sasna Rashad,
Grade 9A,
Hill Country International School, Kandy.