Long Lanka Poems
Long Lanka Poems. Below are the most popular long Lanka by PoetrySoup Members. You can search for long Lanka poems by poem length and keyword.
The train, halted under the shade of sacred hill
They flowed out, and, wandered here and there
holding big, small, colorful, old and new packs of belongings
To, find comfortable chests and knees
some carelessly slept on un-desiring places,
but many there stood still
to face the misty, white clouded sky beyond the ridge,
Perceived their feet had reached
the starting point of adventurous tramp
Men, women, young and old with little ones
crept forward Just like a bunchy row of ants
filled with amazement; some stood, and watched
the vivid green forest canopy and flowering ferns
swinging in the frosty breeze!!
The minds filled with compassion, harmony
and respect each other
By murmurous chanting, that oozed into their veins
in the morning twilight
Tenderness of beams brighten the white dresses
of devotees
Time passed slowly
And the far valley down, a string of people moving upwards
on the zigzagged narrow path
Surrounded by thick green vegetation which
being the habitat of bees, birds, butterflies and
variety of big and small animals
Oozy willows dropping pearl like cold water drops
But few of moving people put a glance
at the phenomenon!
What a peregrination, having a cool gust thrill
which each body and its soul begird
The strenuous walk will bring to a halt at the noble foot print
Some managed to reach the desired end
but some could not attain the will
they stopped hopelessly, stepped down
with forsaken aspiration
those who topped the hill, huddle together
engaged customary rituals,
The eco of the ringing bell spread over the chilled atmosphere
through hill tops, forest, and the moving folks
Excitement broke out
Devotees squeezed catch a glimpse of sunshine!
The sun appeared slowly with a trembling smile
through the glistening horizon
Sunshine! Miraculously radiated across the mountain range,
forest canopy and everything
open to tender beams of light
What a huge strength,
Noble hopes and wishes
fulfilled the pilgrimage!
J.Weerakkody
(This poem is about pilgrims who climb the summit of breezy sacred mountain of Sripada, the holy mountain of Sri Lanka, where suppose to be emblematized the footprint of Lord Buddha. After worshiping the sacred footprints the devotees anxiously watch the panoramic maiden sun rise over the sacred mountain. The poem is vividly realized descriptions of nature.)
My heart cries for thousands and thousands of people
those who perished in the earthquake-spawned waves;
known as tsunami, the worst natural disaster
that caused tons and tons of deaths across Asian countries.
It’s a great tragedy, a giant blow to humanity,
with its repercussions to all spheres of life –
a wake-up call, an immediate response
that needs to be attended to and done forthwith.
Global mourning takes its course in every nation,
particularly in these countries of Asia where –
Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka are faced with difficulties;
in coping with destructions, tragedies, and other commotions
indeed, an urgent call that needs an international attention.
In four decades this catastrophe has ceased its wrath,
but after that starts another episode, so terrifying
that people who are caught up in that mere situation
can solemnly declare and profess their fears.
Oh, Mother Nature! at times we don’t know
your reactions that cause pandemonium,
tragedy, destruction, sorrow, and pain to all
like this one, a very strong and powerful disaster.
However, across the world, people show their compassion
with their unwavering generosity that floods in all levels
it’s an illustration that we’re humans with caring behaviors
to all those who’re afflicted and severely hit by this phenomenon.
I can’t imagine how the world mobilizes and responds
showing their love and concern to these people in pain
loss of lives, heart brokenness, and other misfortunes;
these generate an answer to be mindful of them in many ways.
I see the unprecedented generosity that rolls in every land,
institutions and other organizations make a collaboration
in what is conceived and put into action: fund raising,
charity, and pledges of thousands of donors.
Horrific media images shown in television channels,
are remarkable pointers for reflection and yet an invitation;
for someone who needs conversion and a return to church call,
that life can be as quick as those giant waves that killed many people.
It’s a theological reflection which embraces human sufferings,
Like a pathway to profound invocation, faith and trust in Him;
Oh God, our source of strength and goal to fulfill this portion
Where we unite ourselves to all those who’re in afflictions.
My heart cries for thousands and thousands of people
those who perished in the earthquake-spawned waves;
known as tsunami, the worst natural disaster
that caused tons and tons of deaths across Asian countries.
It’s a great tragedy, a giant blow to humanity,
with its repercussions to all spheres of life –
a wake-up call, an immediate response
that needs to be attended to and done forthwith.
Global mourning takes its course in every nation,
particularly in these countries of Asia where –
Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka are faced with difficulties;
in coping with destructions, tragedies, and other commotions
indeed, an urgent call that needs an international attention.
In four decades this catastrophe has ceased its wrath,
but after that starts another episode, so terrifying
that people who are caught up in that mere situation
can solemnly declare and profess their fears.
Oh, Mother Nature! at times we don’t know
your reactions that cause pandemonium,
tragedy, destruction, sorrow, and pain to all
like this one, a very strong and powerful disaster.
However, across the world, people show their compassion
with their unwavering generosity that floods in all levels
it’s an illustration that we’re humans with caring behaviors
to all those who’re afflicted and severely hit by this phenomenon.
I can’t imagine how the world mobilizes and responds
showing their love and concern to these people in pain
loss of lives, heart brokenness, and other misfortunes;
these generate an answer to be mindful of them in many ways.
I see the unprecedented generosity that rolls in every land,
institutions and other organizations make a collaboration
in what is conceived and put into action: fund raising,
charity, and pledges of thousands of donors.
Horrific media images shown in television channels,
are remarkable pointers for reflection and yet an invitation;
for someone who needs conversion and a return to church call,
that life can be as quick as those giant waves that killed many people.
It’s a theological reflection which embraces human sufferings,
Like a pathway to profound invocation, faith and trust in Him;
Oh God, our source of strength and goal to fulfill this portion
Where we unite ourselves to all those who’re in afflictions.
Ramayana, a Hindu epic,
written by saint Valmiki, in Sanskrit
one of the two largest ancient epics,
the first ever poem ever created
many many centuries ago.
It depicts story of Lord Rama
as a kind, fair, brave, soft spoken,
handsome prince, who had
the kind benevolence of gods.
Himself an avatar of lord Vishnu
he was bestowed with divine,
powerful weapons of gods
to be used to fight evil forces.
He won over his consort, Sita,
daughter of King Janak,
in a 'swayamvar', a competition.
Keeping the tradition of honouring
a given word or promise at all costs,
a tradition of his sun god lineage
he went to forest for fourteen years
obeying his father, King Dashrath
and forsake the throne of Ayodhya
for his younger brother Bharata,
as demanded by Queen Kaikayi,
the mother of Bharatha.
He went to forests
with Sita and younger brother Lakshman.
There, he often killed many demons
who had terrorised and killed saints worshipping
peacefully in their holy monasteries,
on latter's requests.
In the 14th year of his banishment,
along with younger brother Lakshman,
with help from his follower Hanuman,
and, King of monkeys, Sugreev,
he fought with King of Lanka, Ravana
a demon King, who had kidnapped Sita
and had wanted to marry her.
After this victory of right over wrong,
and freeing Sita and killing Ravana
he returned to his kingdom Ayodhya
and became the king himself theteafter.
Ramayana, steeped in morality,
depicts duties of relationships,
portraying characters, ideal in nature,
like ideal son, ideal father, ideal servant,
ideal brother, ideal husband and ideal king.
Ramayana has greatly influenced
Hindu poetry, life and culture, thereafter.
Presenting teachings of ancient Hindu sages
in narrative allegory, it intermixes
philosophical and ethical elements.
The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshman,
Hanuman, Ravana are still revered and worshipped,
in some of the culturally conscious
South and East Asian nations even today.
Two great Hindu festivals,
Dussehra and Deepawali
are celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil,
in India and elsewhere
with fervor and gaiety, every year.
8.6.2020
In the darkness, all birds and bees
and all angels here lie asleep.
The twinkling stars look down
bemoaning my plight, they frown
Over the Panther that crawls above
As black as night, upon the wall she prowls.
Just above my grip, on the sewage pipe,
The viper, the villains twisting my plight.
Into the list adds the third,
My anxieties, awake and absurd,
Growl from behind, the only exit
to exist, yet cut off by a mind toxic.
All three in stance, ready to pounce,
A hard grip, hives shake and bounce.
As it oozes down, my hand I withdraw,
Untimely pleasure, eating honey raw.
Notes:
1. For the contest Dead End Poetry
2. I was thinking of a way to approach this poem, and a local folklore/idiom came to my mind. It goes “Marana thunak ethi minisek peni keya”, meaning a man with three deaths ate honey.
So the story goes like, a man who was chased by a wild beast tumbled and fell into a massive pit. Before he fell in entirely he grabbed hold of a branch/ root that was growing on the side. Since the animal was still waiting on top to attack him, he couldn’t really crawl out. He was hanging off of the side of an empty well, in which there was a cobra, who was ready to sting him. The root / vine that he was holding also had another extremely venomous serpent (I think the most venomous in Sri Lanka), resting on it. When he had pulled on the vine a beehive that was on it was crushed, and some of the honey trickled off onto the man’s hand. And with death facing him in three different directions, he ate the honey and thought how good it tasted.
I twisted this story to fit the theme of the contest, and I didn’t remember the entire story when I wrote this, so there isn’t much left of the original story. But I hope you enjoyed it.
Note2: the story differs according to several sources. I’m not that competent in deciphering the old Sinhala texts that could give me the original meaning, so bear with me as I refer to a simplified version which I’m not 100% sure is credible.
The sky is a mass field of common wealth
Air,light and water yields of common wealth
Along and across,the lines drawn on the political map
Like nerves running over the body
Bounding the water resources as mile stones
Separated the hearts not the soil
Unrest, tearing the unity and peace,piece by piece
The idea of inventing bottles
Made drinking water a marketing commodity
Water is the champion in some own camps
Water is a weapon in the agenda of the world war,the last
Polluting environment inch by inch
Money making minds,burning oil in sleepless nights
To discover a vial to make "inhaling fresh air" a commercial commodity
There stands greed as a dividing wall of common wealth
In between rich and poor
Rich is right and poor is left!
Up setting the order of common wealth sharing and caring
Great not greed,greet not greed,slogan is fake!
The spider spins it's own web for it to run
Anger,jealous and affection a World Wide Web
People unaware the tool of love to cut it to get out
Love and affection got out of hearts and hiding in the armpits
Where,Where is peace?
True,the foundation of commonwealth is strong as the Great Wall
"Breaking the Earth of one fourth
Bringing people of one third
Briefing the heads in good word
Business become,commonwealth"
This "mantra" is not answering the burning issues
If meeting is the answer,that's to meet the peace not people
It is a waste of time and money otherwise
"It is like going to the toilet,
There is a sitting,then there is a report and matter is dropped"
A veteran Lankan parliamentarian as revealed
Out of fifty three seats of Commonwealth
Find the fifty fourth one
Let peace sit down on fifty fourth seat
Let it the pivot of searching peace
Pick up all pieces of peace
Past it on the wall of CHOGM
It is greater than the Chinese Great Wall,very strong!
Resolve,peace!
Dissolve finding peace!!
(This poem is on the 23rd the CHOGM-Commonwealth Heads of Govt. Meeting-
taking place in Sri Lanka from 15th to 17th November 2013)
.
At The Bodhi Tree
Magnetic Majestic Enchanting
The Tree talked to Buddha in making
Young Siddhartha turned Buddha here
Majestic Tree, this one is not the original
History of 2500 yrs this tree is the fourth
as the lore goes the original is no more
Doesn’t matter. IT Is alive, electrifying
At the very spot The Tree still stands
Buddha spent Seven weeks, .in all
One week He unblinkingly Stared
Watched At the tree Lovingly
Revered. Are these Spots
The tree atracted mighty kings
Emperor Ashoka the foremost
The feuding warring kings
Sat there meek transformed
Now comes the interesting lore;
Who cut the Tree first time? And why
LOL it out you may, It was wife of Ashoka
A mighty queen herself She was so peeved.
Ashoka would travel 100 miles to be at the tree
Not done The queen couldn’t take it any more
She ordered ..
the tree be
WHACKED …
The tree fell
That was first
blow the tree took
Subsequent invasions;
and Time.. the tree came down
Three more times As the lore goes
The present one is from a sapling
That was brought from Sri Lanka
Sapling of the original Bodhi tree
Was taken there to Sri Lanka by
The daughter of Ashoka ,
Sanghamitra;
253BC
.
Poway, California~Passover Heartbreak
4/27/2019
I spent most yesterday in agony.
Thinking of the hideous attack in Poway.
A wonderful spring morning, Jews quietly
intent to complete this last day of
Passover at their synagogue
How did they know, it would be a day full
of fears, tears and lament.
And, outstanding human compassion.
America needs to fully understand, you
cannot stop a madman with a gun with
words.
You, yourself, your husband and children may all perish!
As you were brainwashed into thinking
owning a gun is an evil thing.
When lives are on the line, you may
die, don't you get it?
Thank God a Border Patrol agent was at
the Tree of Life Service!
Thank God even more so, he had a gun,
Was able to take on the shooter who
ran like a coward.
The Rabbi, shot in his hand, had to have
fingers amputated,
To which a woman responded to me,
" That's no big thing! "
Is this what America has really shrunk
down to..so heartless and cold?
Many of you up in years understand
clearly, this is statement brazenly bold.
A Chabad woman with no gun, bravely
stood in front of the Rabbi to save his life.
It cost this outstanding woman her very
own life.
Which of us would perform such an act?
A deed so spiritual with so huge an impact?
The killer is detained, we all feel safe?
We forgot Sri Lanka, a week ago?
Of course, we did!
Christians and Jews are all in danger.
America needs to rise up and defend its
own schools, churches, synagogues and
homes and peoples.
The lesson from the Third Reich and
Hitler hauntingly remains....
The guns from the Jews were all taken.
Once the government owns all guns, we
are all forsaken.
The Holocaust ensued, millions perished.
Who thinks "Never Again"is impossible,
Better think again.
With heartfelt sympathy to the Jewish
community in Israel and the Diaspora.
Panagiota Romios
4/28/2019
6:00am PST
No man's too small to hoist a helping hand,
Nor any a deed too small if well-meant,
Nor a task too tough for a noble end,
Mind can if means can't make a mighty dent.
A journey of a daunting task off shore
Begins with but a single step forward,
‘Drop by drop filleth lakes’ is no vain lore,
An ounce of action… oft have we this heard.
Many a learned man knows this truth well,
But rather than help he spins hyper hypes.
Intention matters more, how a squirrel
Strove to earn mythical laurels and stripes,
So goes a tiny squirrel's tallest lore,
Silent did she work building a barrage—
An episode from an epic of yore,
So sang sage Valmiki of ancient age.
A folktale, an aside from Ramayana:
Rama's spouse abducted was to an isle—
Confined to a far off spot by Ravana,
That came camouflaged in a monk's fair guile.
When lured and mislead by a golden deer,
That too was the demon's bewitching guile,
In stealth when cried out, ‘O Lakshman, my dear',
And destiny unfolded in a while.
In Rama's voice the wily demon cried,
And Sita beseeched Lakshman, forcing him
To render help; what followed, a bad dream,
For, Ravan waited hiding in monk's hide.
The search began thence in woods and deep vales,
Hilly terrains, meadows and leas and dales,
And they came searching to where ends the land,
An ocean spread forth, looking like no friend.
Hanuman, Rama's key aid, a legend,
To whom no task too big was, such was he,
Then volunteered to leap across the land
To luring Lanka, a land across sea.
And returned soon with hopeful but sad tale:
Captive Sita’s safe in Ravan's red hands,
Who, in no mood peace parleys to avail,
Oh had to be dealt with on Lankan sands.
________________________________________
Originally Ramayana was written in Sanskrit by Valmiki, a sage who was a fierce bandit in his early life.
Epic | 06.04.13 |
Continued in Part II
The pearl Indian Ocean,my soil,Sri Lanka a blessed with no less anything,so impressed .Flora and fauna wherever to see and smell,mountain ranges sitting like angels in the central adding beauty,the rivers turning like snakes in all directions spring from their mother mountain genes.
It rains in all monsoons sometimes fails.Here and there some reservoirs holding rain water to generate hydroelectric power.Rotating Sun all over the world in March summer marched down here in Sri Lanka burning the Lankan heads.Rain falls here in monsoons and fails sometimes even during monsoon.The Sun in thirst drinking the waters with its ray hands,holding in the reservoirs until they are running dry.Sudden power cuts imposed for want of rain to the dismay of people.
When it rains in monsoons water,water everywhere in liters everyone to drink.But in March summer not a glass to drink.Power cuts imposed hitting the pockets of masses and crunch state treasury is like insult to injury.
Failing is in human genes came from Adam in Paradise but God never fails.God gives enough water even all to swim for years.How can it happen to rain every moment everyone like? God has given the sixth sense instead to make use of it to decide what’s right and what’s wrong.Men for his foolishness fail in his decisions and pass the blame on God for no rain.If men is that wise he has to save rain water in a proper way to utilize it when there is no rain.
We have enough learned people here but these unlearned give no room for the learned knowing geography,the one much learned mathematics but the unlearned let the learned to watch their monkey dancing to the tune of ignorance.It’s like
Dogs bark not allowing cows to chew grass!