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 both taught me right from wrong with grace,

A mutual respect without demand,

humility in every step,

and honour as a man.

You love and care for one another...

...a good example for me

As I am now a parent too.

You both 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: 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: Teacher to the Gods

Introduction

This poem is dedicated to every teacher - in homes, in classrooms, around the globe and across the unfolding journey of life, past, present and future.

It honours the mentors who ignite curiosity, restore confidence, and carry us through doubt with steady hands. It celebrates the sacrifices they make, their compassion, their tough love, and the way they raise us beyond what we believed possible.

It is also a tribute to those of us who now walk the same path, guided by the light they once shone for us.

Teacher to the Gods

I have so many questions

about the giants who shaped my path -

What makes them rise each morning

with a heart full of patient light?

What fire keeps them teaching

long after the world has fallen asleep?

They were my first guides,

long before classrooms and exams—

parents and guardians,

whispering wisdom into the soft clay

of my earliest days.

They planted seeds before I even knew

a garden lived inside me.

My greatest teachers

took the dull and made it shine,

They breathed life into cold equations,

wove stories of triumph and hardship,

and made knowledge feel

like a journey worth taking.

They saw the spark I could not see,

nudged me gently,

sometimes firmly,

towards the courage of self-reliance.

They taught me to think with clarity,

to reason with honesty,

to feel passion for truth.

And, on the shoulders of giants,

I stood at least a foot taller

and saw horizons I once believed were out of reach.

They showed humanity.

They showed tough love.

They showed me the road

to my own success.

One even told me I might fail

just so I could rise

and rewrite destiny with my own hands.

They sacrificed sleep

so I could meet my goals,

sacrificed rest

so I could learn how to soar.

And in those quiet hours,

they shaped the future

without ever asking for applause.

And now—

I walk the path they once walked.

I follow the footprints that lifted me.

Through the doors they opened,

I find myself flying

toward horizons I never knew existed -

toward the heavens they once pointed to,

toward the echelons and gods of knowledge 

they taught me I could reach.

Thank you.

For I am forever in your debt -

you who showed me how to rise,

you who made me believe,

you…

the teacher to the gods.

Adisha Kariyawasam

19/11/2025

🌅 #Inspiration

📚 #LifelongLearning

🕯️ #Guidance

🌟 #Mentorship

🛤️ #JourneyOfKnowledge

Poem: Stay Centred...

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how easy it is to drift away from our centre - caught between deadlines, expectations, and the constant hum of daily life. Yet, thankfully, whenever I take a mindful pause, I’m reminded that peace has always been within reach.

We each have the power to let stress wash away - through gratitude, kindness, and by remembering the good moments that uplift our spirit. Staying centred isn’t about perfection; it’s about gently returning to balance whenever life pulls us off course.

My poem, “Staying Centred” is a quiet reminder to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with who we truly are. 💚

Staying Centred...

Stay centred, calm, and wholly you,
no mask to wear, no act to do.
For peace begins when we allow
the heart to rest in here and now.

Let kindness flow through all you say,
and wash the restless thoughts away.
Remember joy - the gentle art
of gratitude that lifts the heart.

The storms may come, the noise may grow,
but truth within will softly show:
your light remains, serene and clear,
a beacon shining ever near.

So breathe, be still, embrace the hue
of every shade that makes you you.
For when you walk with calm and grace,
you’ll find your balance - your sacred place.

by Adisha Kariyawasam
12/11/2025

🌿 #Authenticity
💫 #Balance
💛 #Gratitude
🌊 #MindfulLiving
📖 #Poetry