Rain-forested peaks rise to kiss the clouds,Great rivers wander, flowing in every direction.In secret caves, sages dwell in silence,Guardians of the hidden powers of the universe.This is the paradise isle—Its forests breathing the air that sustains mankind. O Plata, Sandara, Arittha,Shiva, Vessavana, Vishwadeva! The palaces of ancient Hela were carved of moonstone,Gleaming bright beneath the…
The fallen matalus of the coconut treesScatter gently upon the path of the Buddha,Easing the weariness of His sacred feet.He walks in all four directions,Seeking those wise enough to cross beyond samsara.Still, I feel His presence—Upon the distant hills, within the nearby forest. The Buddha arrives,The Buddha arrives alone. Whispers rise of Mathura and Mathugama,Where…
The novice…You are my uninitiated one. He drifts away slowly, yet glances back in secret,Whistling now and then, just to trouble my heart.The novice…You are my uninitiated one. At night I hear his voice in song,Weaving colorful dreams through the silence.He tries to make me believe each lyricWas written only for me.The novice…You are my…
You—whose hair flows like rain clouds dancing in the breeze—were born beneath the auspicious star of Punavasa.I first saw you sprinkling cool water from a silver ewer,in the forest where the Dothalu blossoms swayed. You were woven together from the fabric of my dreams,brought to life by Cupid’s bow.You are Suvimali, radiant bloom of Sunsumaragiri…
The sky is thundering,midnight splits with lightning’s crack.I stand beneath a lonely streetlamp,its pale glow spilling over me.As always—this is my place,this is my profession. A stranger comes, his eyes weighing me.He asks the price,I answer plain.He scoffs, says it is too high,and bargains as if my body were cloth in a market stall. I…