POEM: The Love that Raised Me

My Loving Parents

Dedicated to my parents Dr Rangith George Kariyawasam and Mrs. Hemantha Kariyawasam on their wedding anniversary.

My dear parents,

Before I knew the shape of words,

you taught me how to feel,

how kindness speaks in quiet ways,

how love makes duty real.

My father, like a proud lion,

a guiding light, a prayer,

a strength that never needs to boast,

because true strength is care.

My mother, like a sacred lotus,

a goddess in my heart,

whose tenderness became my shield,

whose wisdom shaped my start.

You taught me right from wrong with grace,

respect without demand,

humility in every step,

and honour as a man.

You sacrificed your rest and sleep,

through hardship, strain and pain,

to keep me safe and nourished well,

through sunshine, storm and rain.

You shielded me from every harm,

with love that would not cease,

and gave me shelter, strength and care,

so I could grow in peace.

Through every storm and troubled hour,

your love has helped me stand,

with soothing words and healing strength,

and wisdom in your hands.

The sage advice you gifted me

still lights the path I see,

a treasure given from your hearts,

bestowed so lovingly.

In my reflection, I see your gentle traits,

your courage, hope and art,

your patience in my way of life,

your goodness in my heart.

Your purity of heart still shines,

with quiet, sacred grace,

a blessing I can always feel

in every time and place.

The world holds you in high regard,

as I have always known,

for every life you touch with love

is brighter than before.

Wherever we may be in life,

whatever paths we find,

you will be in my heart always,

and forever in my mind.

My love for you is eternal,

it never will diminish,

but only grow more deep and strong,

beyond all earthly limits.

I am forever in your debt,

for all you gave to me,

and every day I humbly pray

more like you I may be.

And every day my reverence grows,

with gratitude so deep,

I worship you within my prayers,

in waking and in my sleep.

My first teachers, my great blessings,

my roots, my sky, my guide,

whatever good I carry now

began with you inside.

Adisha Kariyawasam 

30 April 2026

Poem: My Mother, My Sacred Blessing

My Mother, My Sacred Blessing

Dedicated to my ever-loving mother Hemantha Kariyawasam 

My dear amma*,

Before I knew the ways of the world,

you taught my heart to feel,

how kindness lives in gentle hands,

how love makes healing real.

My mother, like a sacred lotus,

a goddess in my heart,

your tenderness became my shield,

your wisdom shaped my start.

For nine first months of fragile life,

you nourished me with care,

with your own milk, your warmth, your love,

and every whispered prayer.

You taught me right from wrong with grace,

respect without demand,

humility in every step,

and how with truth to stand.

You sacrificed your rest and sleep,

through hardship, strain and pain,

to keep me safe and nourished well,

through sunshine, storm and rain.

You shielded me from every harm,

with love that would not cease,

and gave me shelter, strength and care,

so I could grow in peace.

Through every storm and troubled hour,

your love has helped me stand,

with soothing words and healing strength,

and wisdom in your hands.

The advice you gifted into me

still lights the path I see,

a treasure from your sacred heart,

bestowed so lovingly.

In me, I see your gentle traits,

your patience, hope and art,

your purity of thought and deed,

your goodness in my heart.

Your purity of heart still shines,

with quiet, sacred grace,

a blessing I can always feel

in every time and place.

The world holds you in high regard,

as I have always known,

for every life you touch with love

is brighter than before.

Wherever we may be in life,

whatever paths we find,

you will be in my heart always,

forever in my mind.

My love for you is eternal,

it never will diminish,

but only grow more deep and strong,

beyond all earthly limits.

I am forever in your debt,

for all you gave to me,

and every day I humbly pray

more like you I may be.

And every day my reverence grows,

with gratitude so deep,

I worship you within my prayers,

in waking and in my sleep.

My first teacher, sacred mother,

my blessing, light and guide,

whatever good I carry now

began with you inside.

On your birthday, dearest mother,

I honour all you are,

my goddess, my protector,

my everlasting star.

Adisha Kariyawasam 

30th April 2026

*Footnote: Amma means mother in the language of Sinhala

Poem: Star stuff... A tribute to Carl Sagan

Star Stuff — A Tribute to Carl Sagan

by Adisha Kariyawasam

28/03/2026

We stand on the shores of the cosmic ocean,

gazing into depths without end,

Feeling both the hush of our smallness

and the wonder of being here at all.

We arrive in the final seconds of a cosmic year,

yet carry within us the memory of stars,

ancient fires that shaped our being

long before our first breath found its voice.

Across the velvet dark,

the galaxies turn in silent grace,

spirals of light unfolding endlessly

beyond the reach of our imagining.

In the gentle shimmer of the Pleiades,

and the distant glow of the Andromeda Galaxy,

we glimpse our story written in light,

a language older than time itself.

Yet here, upon this fragile world,

another miracle quietly unfolds

not in the blaze of distant suns,

but in the hidden script of life itself.

Within each cell, a living archive,

a library more vast than stone or scroll,

echoing the lost halls of the Library of Alexandria,

yet written in strands too small to see.

A code of four simple letters,

woven into infinite possibility,

biological poetry written over billions of years,

guiding the growth of leaf and limb,

of thought, of memory, of love.

We are the universe learning to read its own code,

line by line, life by life,

a quiet awakening written in living form.

And we remember those who dared to ask,

each mind a lantern of knowledge passed through time

Hypatia,

Galileo Galilei,

Johannes Kepler,

Isaac Newton,

Marie Curie,

Charles Darwin,

Edwin Hubble,

and Rosalind Franklin, to name but a few,

each one illuminating the path we now walk.

Our Sun, a modest star among billions,

anchors this small and fragile home,

a pale blue whisper of life

where every story ever told

rests within a single point of light.

And still we ask, with hopeful hearts,

if somewhere beyond these silent seas

other worlds awaken to their dawn,

other minds look up and wonder too.

The Voyager craft drift onwards,

bearing a message cast into eternity,

a golden record of sound and soul,

not knowing who, if anyone, may listen.

Not as conquerors, nor as masters,

but as seekers of connection,

reaching across the cosmic ocean

with quiet humility and awe.

For what are we, if not stardust

gathered briefly into thought and form,

aware of our fleeting presence

in a universe both vast and kind?

And yet within this fragile moment,

we hold something extraordinary

the power to care, to create, to love,

to choose compassion over division,

for on this pale blue dot,

no one is coming to save us but ourselves.

From every corner of this Earth,

in every language, every dream,

we are one small family of light,

sharing this journey through the dark.

So let us stand upon that shore

with reverence, not fear,

for we are not apart from the cosmos.

We are its voice,

its consciousness,

its quiet awakening.

We are but a mote of dust, yes,

yet a mote that knows how to shine,

In a universe, divine.

Poem: The colours of emotion

The Colours of Emotion

by Adisha Kariyawasam

22/03/2026

❤️ Red... 

Red is the fire within my heart,

a restless pulse that won’t stay still.

It is my love that burns bright and brave,

and my anger that rises at will.

In crimson moments I feel alive,

for every heartbeat is strong and true,

because red is the colour of passion,

in all that we dare to do.

🟠 Orange…

Orange glows with a softer flame,

like sunsets at the end of day.

It is warmth and quiet joy,

when worries slowly drift away.

Gentle sparks of hope return,

in amber light so calm and kind,

reminding us that even in change,

there is a peace we still can find.

🟡 Yellow…

Yellow shines like morning light,

a golden hue across the sky.

It is laughter, bright and clear,

and dreams that gently rise and fly.

In every ray of glowing gold,

there lives a hopeful, shining view,

for yellow is the song of joy,

in all that we can start anew.

🟢 Green…

Green is the source of life on earth,

the quiet place where healing grows.

It is balance, calm and still,

like leaves that dance where soft wind blows.

In emerald fields and shaded paths,

we learn to pause, to rest, to be,

for green is the heart of renewal,

and the strength to gently see.

🔵Blue…

Blue is the hue of the sky,

and oceans wide and deep below.

It holds our tears, our silent thoughts,

and all the things we cannot show.

In azure dreams and midnight hues,

there lies a calm both deep and wide,

for blue is the voice of feeling,

we carry softly inside.

🟣 Indigo…

Indigo whispers in the dark,

where thoughts grow quiet and minds turn deep.

It is the space for wondering why,

and truths we hold and gently keep.

A colour of thought and inner sight,

of questions asked beneath the stars,

for indigo is understanding,

of who we are and where we are.

💜 Violet…

Violet blooms at journey’s end,

a tender light both wise and true.

It is kindness, grace, and peace,

in all that we say and do.

In shades of magenta, soft and bright,

we find compassion’s gentle art,

gentian violet soothes our wounds,

and lifts the soul and heals the heart.

🌈 Spectrum…

So when the spectrum of colours fades from view,

and shadows seem to veil your sight,

do not lose hope, the wheel still turns,

and brings each shade back into light.

For every hue will rise again,

in time, in heart, in all we feel,

a living, breathing spectrum whole,

forever turning, like a wheel.

by Adisha Kariyawasam

22/03/2026

Poem: New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve

We stand at the quiet edge of 2025,

where hours loosen their grip

and the year exhales its final breath.

It was a season of weight and wonder -

paths steep with challenge,

rooms suddenly emptier

where dear voices once lived.

We learned how grief teaches slowly,

how absence reshapes the heart,

and how love, once given,

never truly leaves.

Yet this year also knew creation.

New beings arrived like soft bells,

announcing hope in small hands and first cries,

reminding us that life insists,

again and again,

on beginning.

We gathered memories like floating lanterns:

kind words spoken when they mattered most,

acts of courage that did not seek applause,

gratitude whispered in ordinary moments

and yet somehow seemed sacred.

So let us cherish what was born,

honour what was lost,

and bow gently to all that carried us through.

May we step forward grateful - 

for lessons learned despite not having all the answers,

for love shared,

and for the quiet strength

that grew within us without asking.

Let us be grateful for ever more.

May the New Year bring us all good health, renewed strength, prosperity and happiness!

Adisha Kariyawasam

31 December 2025

Poem: Home Away From Home

Home Away From Home

Introduction

Home Away From Home is my poem written to support international students as they navigate the excitement, uncertainty and emotional challenge of studying in a new country.

It recognises that leaving home is an act of courage - one that carries hope, pride, and a longing for belonging.

The poem gently reassures students that it is natural to feel unsettled at first, and that adapting to new ways of doing things does not mean letting go of who they are, where they come from, or the traditions that shaped them.

My poem was created to encourage kindness, connection and understanding. It celebrates the richness that cultural diversity brings to a community, reminding us that when we honour our roots and welcome each other with openness, we create spaces where everyone can thrive.

Home Away From Home invites students to embrace their new environment with curiosity while knowing that their identity, heritage and lived experiences remain a source of strength - a bridge between the past they treasure, the present they are stepping into, and the person they wish to be.

Home Away From Home

Today, I am a tourist,
Stepping into the world
With a fresh pair of eyes -
Many miles from home,
Away from home.

Will you be my friend?
I ask this gently,
With hope inside me still;
For I am not run-of-the-mill,
And nothing feels complete
Until
I’ve found at least
One open heart.

And so, from the very start,
I try to make this place
Home -
Away from home.

I want to try new things,
To see what this new world brings;
Like a free bird, I will sing
Until I get the gist -
For I am a tourist,
And I will not be missed.

I look around,
And I have found
Paved with gold
The streets are not;
But they are old,
And with every smile
I walk a mile,
And step a little closer
Toward my goal.

So treat me well,
And time will tell;
For when we honour
All we are -
Our roots, our hopes,
Our guiding star -
The world becomes
A kinder new home…
A home away from home.

Adisha Kariyawasam,
04 December 2025

🌍 #InternationalStudentLife
🤝 #BelongingAndCommunity
✨ #DiversityEquityInclusion
💛 #KindnessMatters
📚 #LearningFarFromHome

Poem: My Beloved One

My beloved one…

Introduction

Quite often in life, we find ourselves separated from the people we love most.

My poem was written to soothe the hearts of those who may be suffering from grief, homesickness, or any change in circumstance that keeps them apart from their cherished ones.

It was created with kindness, intention, and compassion — a quiet offering of comfort for anyone who needs reassurance, connection, or the gentle reminder that love does not disappear simply because distance exists.

I hope these words bring calm, solace, and a sense of belonging and closeness to those who need it most.

---

My beloved one…

Promise me you will stay safe.

Though circumstances keep us apart,

you are always in my heart —

my constant, quiet light

in the spaces where love cannot speak,

but can, without any shadow of doubt, be felt.

Question not whether I love you,

for it is written in the stars,

in every breaking dawn

and every setting sun,

in every waxing and waning moon —

a love carried across the heavens

that no distance can dim.

Even the tears that gather in my eyes

are not from sadness,

but from pride so profound

it stuns me to silence —

especially as I see

how far you’ve come,

and what a beautiful, gentle being

you have become.

And so, my beloved one,

breathe slowly,

and go forth gently in this world.

Be nourished,

be steadfast.

Make new friends,

but do not be led astray,

nor fooled into a false sense of security

by the unwise.

Remain true to yourself.

Fear nothing,

for the bells will chime

to remind you that you will always be

my darling,

my beloved one.

Adisha Kariyawasam, 

3 December 2025

#Wellbeing 🌿

#KindnessMatters 💛

#Poetry ✨

#EmotionalHealing 🌙

#ConnectedHearts 🔔