Crimson Rose

 Crimson Rose

“The Arts are vain,

Naive and ungrateful”

He stated sardonically

I remained silent,

Gazed into the abyss

Of his Jade green eyes

Deprived of joy and hope

I recalled the melancholic truth

About a boy who resembled him,

A student who dwelled in self-delusion,

Oblivious of a Nightingale's sacrificial love

For only the Arts can truly comprehend

The intricate elements of life,

Our impermanence in the fabric of times

And the essence of sincere love

Estranged from the student

Of objective reality,

All embedded in the thorns

Of a crimson rose

Zainab Hussein

May 13 2023

Room for Rent

 Room for Rent

I have a room for rent

Never occupied

Not much sunlight

But cosy for the right one

I have a room

It's a little dark

A swirling, well-like place

But a quiet one

I have a room

Seen pictures too

I've never been there

But the doctor says

It looks mostly fine

By Himangi Jayasundere

May 13 2023

Caged Freedom

 Caged Freedom

I am a bird in a cage

Where no one wil hurt me

They look at me with rage

This path you may not agree

This is still my world,

Can't you please let me be?

I came in willingly

A choice, knowingly

I am still dreaming,

Convincing myself

I am not lost

Surely, this dream will last

In my cage, I behold bars

Believing they are stars

Shining bright in the sky

Has my life been a lie?

Am I so blind?

I cannot know why

Will you listen to my plea?

Within this cage, I feel free

Amidst laughter and rage

In the confines of this cage

A thousand miles I have flown.

Why am I so alone?

Amar Gunatilleke 

April 2023