ROYAL

College

Those hallowed halls,

Green grassy grounds;

The toll of the bell,

And a scamper of hounds;

Majestic Men,

Momentous Moments.

If we could only go back

If time hadn't been stolen.

We learnt of books,

We learnt of men,

We learnt to play,

All kinds of games;

Under the watchful eyes

Of Majestic Mentors

Who cared for us,

Like Moms with children.

To those who have gone

We say a sweet prayer,

May they rest in Peace,

Until we get there.

And then we'll all sing

In one shrill chorus

"Thy spirit first to life awoke"

"For Hartley, Harvard, Marsh & Boake".

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov 2007

WELCOME

Welcome, back to my world

You went away

And I paused for a moment

Thinking about those yesterdays

We had shared

I was in disarray

Hoping for contentment

Still couldn’t forget those days

That were ours

You’re coming back

Back home to me to stay

Where we can share

Everything we lost

This time its for real

You gotta believe in what I say

You’re all I got

Please don’t take it away.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov 5 2007

PASSAGE OF TIME

The Passage of Time

The hours pass,

turning into days,

and weeks and months,

and years;

Bringing so much

pain and sorrow

and tears;

Amidst so many

days of wine

and roses.

Happiness, within fears.

Great moments of success,

winding up

amidst dreams

filled with

bitterness and hate;

Turning into

a crazy kind of payback

for many sins of old,

That can never be put away

resting in minds

and hearts

forever.

Suspicion,

hiding in the darkness

of every single moment.

Haunting,

each passing day.

Feeling,

as if in chains,

In a prison

called home;

Where respect

has been lost

and broken.

Like a bird, trapped

in a cage.

Wanting to soar

among the clouds

and be free

from all pain

and suffering.

Nirvana!

some call it,

while some prefer

Heaven…

And others,

Valhalla.

While some,

even say its nothingness.

An empty field

that stretches

into eternity

where one walks

and never feels weary.

Wherever it may be

What is most missing

is Peace of mind

and tranquility,

if they still exist

in this place

called the Universe.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, July 24 2007

EMPTINESS

Emptiness

‘twas commitment

that brought them together.

Yet, in his eyes

she never was there.

He strayed looking for

consolation.

It never came to bear.

He lived a life of deception,

filled with emptiness and nigh

He will die in this situation,

for there’s nothing to cry

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2007

CRICKETER's ODE

The Cricketers Ode

Every run you make,

Every ton that's great,

Every ball you scrape,

Every catch you take,

I'll be watching you

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2007

GRAMPS

Grandpa

I still remember,

Grandpa taking me by

the hand and telling me tales;

in that rickshaw that moved on

two weary feet of an old man who

was so strong; to run along the streets

of Colombo through dust, rain and storms;

contributing to the seeds of my learning, that was

to grow into whatever I have given to life thus far; that

keeps me motivated, pushing me forward, achieving, on and on.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2007  

FROLIC

Frolic

Running,

hand in hand

by the open sea;

cold froth splashing

across tired and weary feet,

granules of warm white burning sand,

struggling to stick, in between tired dusty toes;

thick and warm salt concoction envelopes the evening sun,

wafting sourly through open nostrils seeping into hungry lungs;

with sweet scented dreams of a lifetime of youth and expectations,

lingering within thoughts of fulfillment immersed in gusts of madness.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2007