Greetings and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
COVID has been a dampener and remains so but we must never lose hope.
Thank you for all those who contributed and commented and a Big Thank you also for the silent majority - we know you are with us.
The poem is mine and the beautiful painting is by Chira.
(Chirasri Jayaweera Bandara)
A Christmas dream
Mahendra Gonsalkorale
I dream as I often do
As a special time is due
Christmas builds hope in me
For a World where we are truly free
Free to join hands in caring for our precious abode
Free to be ourselves, yet part of a community
Free not to be classified according to birth, belief or bias
Free to stop searching for a purpose where there is none
Free to love others and be loved
Free to feel the pain of others less fortunate
Free to state our feelings without being judged
Free for our views to be considered dispassionately
Free to receive and understand the views of others
Free to forgive and bear no grudges
Free to let go the burning ember of regret and revenge
Free to be close and respectful to Nature
An interconnected world permeated with respect and love
A veritable Utopia without the need to commit to a Faith,
Judged on action and behaviour, not on empty words
Will my dream come true as a new era dawns?
Mahendra
ReplyDeleteExcellent poem for people to be good and understand each other. Well done. I hope your dream will be a reality soon.
Thank you very much for publishing my painting. Chira
All batch mates
ReplyDeleteWish you, your spouses and families a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy, Prosperous and healthy New Year 2022.
From Chira
I join Speedy in wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteLucky
Lucky, thanks. I hope 2022 will see you back in the saddle but I am quite happy to help as long as needed. All the best for 2022.
DeleteChira,Your artwork as usual is detailed to perfection aptly expressing the seasons greetings. Speedy, thank you for your thoughtful poem. I wish health and happiness to both of you and all batch mates.
ReplyDeleteManel(Owli)
Manel
ReplyDeleteThankyou very much for appreciating my painting. I value it very much. Also thankyou very much for your wishes.
Wish you all the best for the dawning New Year 2022. Chira
Dear Chira and Mahendra,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the painting and the poem, they compliment very well. The painting radiates Joy and peace while I could feel the poem translating all that into words, that resonates Mahen’s dream and the dream of all of us. May the Dream Come true. Wishing everybody the very best of happiness and health in the coming year.
Douglas
Chira, Manel and Douglas. I am glad you liked my poem and Chira, your paintings are always so beautiful. Let us all hope that 2022 will be a better year for all of us.
ReplyDeleteMahen,Chira,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the beautiful poem and painting. You both have excelled yourselves.
Kanthi and I wish you both and families, and all our colleagues and families a happy, healthy and peaceful 2022 and beyond.
Kumar.
Kumar
DeleteThankyou very much for your appreciation and greetings.
Wish you and your family all the
best. Chira
Douglas and Mahendra,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for appreciating my painting.
Let us hope and pray that the New Year 2022 will be a better year for all of us. Chira
Dear Mahen and Chira,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your combined effort to cheer us up! The painting is beautiful and the poem depicts an ideal world, but will we ever reach it? I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I believe there is hope if we all do our part in our interactions with others. We only have the power to influence the small circle that surrounds us. Let's do it! A Very Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone!
Srianee
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for appreciating my painting. Lovely to hear from you.Let us hope the New Year 2022 will be a very much better one for all of us human beings. Chira
Dear Mahen and Chira
ReplyDeleteA beautiful painting by a gifted artist and a very thoughtful poem.Our Best wishes to all batch mates and families for a happy new year.
Bora
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for appreciating my painting. I must admit that I looked at a picture on the internet and did the painting.
Lets hope the dawning of the new year 2022 will be a better world for all us to live, Corona free of course. Chira
Bora, Kumar and Srianee. Thank you and I hope all of of you had a good Xmas time with family. I had my two sons with me and we had a great time. Let us hope that 2022 will be better and that I will be able to travel again.
ReplyDeleteDear Chira and Mahen
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely poems and the great painting. I do hope you both will continue to give us those lovely contributions to bring peace and joy.
Nihal
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for appreciating my painting. I am happy to send more of my paintings as I enjoy painting. All the best. Chira
Good to see your comment Nihal. I know you had a very busy festival time and rumour has it that you are making a slow but steady recovery! Looking forward to more posts from you.
ReplyDeleteSpeedy, don't tell us that Nihal is flushing out ethanol from his system.
ReplyDeleteSumathi, I think Nihal will deal with your query!!! Flushing will be complete after New Year celebrations!
DeleteSumathy
DeleteI am a veteran teetotaller strictly adhering to the ten commandments to ensure my place in the land of the fairies in heaven. St Peter is at the pearly gates waiting for those with the right credentials. I am not in a hurry to get there though!!! So will have a drink or two tonight to usher in the New Year. Wish you were here Sumathy.
Nihal, good to hear that you're a God fearing lad. Who knows you might end in the seventh Heaven with seven virgins to embrace you. I too have been a tetotaller for very many years My creator will decide where to send me. Who knows where it could be! Keep fingers crossed.
DeleteA note to all our friends. Chira has responded magnificently to a request from me to discuss Cataracts and cataract surgery including dealing with a Q&A I suggested. I am sure this will be of great intersect and value to almost all of us who have either already had surgery or will have in the near future. PLEASE watch out for this Gem which will appear in the Blog soon.... YOU have been warned!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to see high quality discussion on the topic of Cataract surgery (phacoemulsification).
ReplyDelete