Trees again

And in one September night

it rained butterflies.

Trees fluttered to the cloud burst

leaves squeezed to the stone drop

bruised by crash , so careless

they turned terrifically , in cold

to the wind and ripple

loosing all anxieties.

A single gasp or sigh seldom one hears

because all that is passion -prompt

and survival need

of these earthed things

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September

Now and then

Pic source: Internet

your name drops down

shredding into pieces

spinning in a stupor 

out flowing its vital fluid 

to the heart of the earth

as sun and moon 

runs for a specified time.

Flying down like showers 

in laryngeal consonants

your heart fluid covers the earth crust

with its after -rain residue 

and over flow

dust cut, rejuvenating

this is the rainiest September in remembered history.

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Ruwan and his mates in Colombo 05

Life is like the wild. The more wild the wild is , the more you will fall and more danger there is.The more you fall you will learn to pick your self up. Its good to be outdoors. Its good to climb a mountain once in a while or chase a waterfall or else to do a bit of river boarding. You will know how things are difficult then. They’d teach you courage.  You will learn to tackle situations. You will learn to stay through all ups and downs in life. And may be this is why adventure trips are a must, at least once or twice  in somebody’s life. I think.

So the next time you’d want to fall, get lost in a jungle and know the kind of view you would see up from a mountain, there is someone waiting to make your dream come true. That is Adventure Seals. Adventure Seals will tell you what you need and how you need to live your dream.

Adventure Seals is known for their largest inventory of branded adventure gear and safety equipment.

Adventure gear / clothing

On the 7, August 2015, they had a soft opening of their revamped and expanded store located at No. 3, Vijaya Kumaratunga Mawatha, Colombo 5 on August 7, 2015 to close family, friends, clients and media. I went. I saw. I was humbled. The store is now home to new brands such as Timberland, Condor, Coleman, Entre Prises, Reef, Rip Curl, Russells and much more. 

This expansion comes as SEALs celebrate two years of giving their best to show people how to get through an adventure trip with the right equipment. They believe that right gear will keep you well protected, give you shelter in any weather and above all ensure that you are safe outdoors. Be it a rapid filling river, a rock or a waterfall.

This revamp was about more space and getting involved with more brands. Now they have brands coming along with some clothing lines, surfing brands as well as provide some activities for interested parties. And there is more to it. They are planning on a new scheme. Caravan Adventure. You will get to know it sooner.

Major Ruwan Ranathunga, founder of SEALs think that it’s time to take full advantage of the end of the war and enlighten all those enthusiasts that there is an opportunity to rediscover this country. This is what he told;

'Setting up a store of this nature two years ago was for the purpose of encouraging people to go out. Trying to break the youngsters out of the pop culture and getting them to discover the nature.'

The best thing about SEALs is that it is not only about buying some piece of equipment , they are ready to show the buyer how to use the  equipment they purchase , ways to safeguard and other things that one has to know about the product. The activity part is the new area they are trying to put a lot of emphasis on. And all above to teach safety. Not only safeguarding the traveler, but also the environment and the communities in areas where adventure activities are conducted.

Right now, they are giving knowledge through social media in the areas of safety, planning outdoor trips, first aid, navigation and many more. In the meantime they want to make the store itself a hub where people with similar interests come together.

‘This needs to be a resource hub and not just a store. All of us who are employed here have experience in the outdoors in various levels. We have people who have done all kinds of things – climbing, diving, sailing, kayaking, trekking and camping. So we do have people who we can put together when the knowledge is needed. ‘

So this is one of the main things they are looking at – the training and reaching out where they have conducted awareness programs in schools, universities and hiking. Some of these seminars and workshops they have carried out are free of charge. It’s actually giving out more than getting. It’s not an expectation of getting business or making money out of what they do , they bring in people from overseas to help the enthusiasts to gain that extra bit/edge to take this forward. They do it from heart. The best as they can. To assure that travelers do the right thing.

Everything began when Major Ruvan wanted to walk across Sri Lanka for a good cause from down south to Jaffna and Seals played a small part in it. Ishan and Major Ruwan had this plan which Supem thought was  mad enough to do. The whole team got behind Ruwan and provided him with all the necessary equipment along with moral support and whatever they could  do for him to make his journey a success.

Major Ruwan and his team.

Sometimes the craziest of ideas even if it is mad enough to do is what all takes to start things.

After Ruwan made his journey they supported Jeremy Bolling to sail around SriLanka, they  supported Elmo when he wanted to climb the next highest point that one day would reach Everest.

‘Even the Peradeniya Explorers Club, when they want to do their activities, we supported them as they wanted to do something different’, Major Ruwan added.

Keep the adrenaline rush aside for a bit. When it comes to adventure , you cannot afford to make mistakes. Because if anything goes wrong , that is the end of everything. This is why Adventure SEALs is focusing on safety and has the proper guides who know about what they are doing.

They are a good team. Working hard. And doing pretty good . Passionate . Friendly.

Major Ruwan made  a request. Just before I had left the store. He wants all adventurers to join their team and experience this knowledge hub. That is what you and I could do to them , to keep their dreams awake.

Do not forget to meet Ruwan sometime , if you would like to take up some adventure , he will definitely have things to tell you.

Written for Daily News , 2015 September 20th.

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Chances

They are butterflies

caught and wrapped

in a bundle roll of grass

thrashing like fish

swinging and fighting

for its inch.

Bending into peculiar angles

they look for an extra mile

to dive into hearts , your body, eager

high on mountains and river spray

But susceptible to kicks now

they freeze 

and die.

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Aukana

Pic source: www.ceylontouradvisor.com

This rock-made statue

does not stir

nor does it

twitch its eyelids.

Even when everything sweats

in daylight

beneath you , is a sheet of water

cooling off,

I sink like a stone.

And men like you

make people pour out their hearts

'magnificent'

making rocks

talk faith and history,

wanting to be caressed.

i bring you

some flowers and incense sticks

so talk to me of stone heart,

persistence,

fingers that used to hurt

and how you built this?

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Water is noble

Water flows. From top to bottom. Through alleys. Rocks. And everything. Eventually, all water that comes through streams and drains merge into one, and a river runs through it. The water doesn’t stop anywhere. Nor does anyone try to hold and keep the flow tight. It runs and runs. We never know where it would go once it meets the sea.

Once there was a girl who badly wanted to do river boarding. She thought it would be fun  to get dropped in to a freezing  ,rapid-filled river . She started floating downstream with his cousins from a plain, calm section in the river. A few meters away she met a set of rapids. She barely could fight the waves. Every time she kicked, the further she began to drift. The cousins were far ahead waiting for her to come. She kept kicking and jumping harder to keep her on the right track. But that did not work. She was too tired later. So she took a brave breath and let the river to take her where it wanted. A strange thing happened then. Somehow, without kicking or putting so much effort she found herself in the center of the current in a few moments  , where she was pulled by  wild waves. And finally she was back with the cousins. All she had was trust for the water flow.  And that worked.

Pic source :Internet

Water taught her a lesson. Water taught her that to swim there should be commitment.  But without surrendering her efforts to the greater flow of water, she would have never found the cousins. Think. Do you try to restrict your life into one goal when your energy calls something else? You can know your higher possibilities if you only let the energy push and release completely. Like water. Let go and allow the greater waves inside you to carry you and your creations to another bend.

Water finds it way, somehow. Through rock, cut and overflow. It does not matter whether a solution is visible sooner or not.  Water is the softest element. And the most persistent too. It is important to stay patiently until life discovers a way out, like water.

Take bottles or glasses of different shapes. Pour water into them. You will see how water takes the shape of that glass or bottle. Whether the glass is broken or dirty, they don’t protest. They don’t complain. They will get mixed by color and hue . And still  stay the same.

Water is silent. They don’t gossip. This is why some say silent water runs deep. When one is silent, there is deep wisdom embedded instead of those who do useless talk and point fingers at others. A rumbling mind can understand its surrounding only when it is still.

Water does not litter. Every drop that is absorbed by soil helps a life to grow. Be it a tree or animal.

There is nothing that water cannot wash away.  The streams that run down mountains, the water that hit a cliff, a warm shower after a long day, and the rain that pours after a hot summer is something we all enjoy. It refreshes the environment and life.

May be we need to think of water more than we do. And we will learn a lot. It gives us a lot. It quenches our thirst. It cools down our body. Water helps us in daily activities like cooking and manufacturing. But in return we destroy it. May be they are transformed in better ways than us. Water  is more generous unlike us.

And  in the meanwhile do not forget to turn off taps and showers after using them. Water is becoming a scarce resource as much as we are polluting it.

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Wheedling

Pic source :berlin artparasites

I would think of

how you'd seduce me.

the feet , the ankle

the nose , the laughter

the profuse determination , your banter

your joint muscle that tenses

earth shifting .

Universe tickling.

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If

If you love me

and only think of me.

Catch ' The United Flights'

8.25 am , Maine

lift your shirt 

through runway

kiss me in the terminal building.

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