Once in a jungle so green and bright,
Lived a tribe of apes, what a sight!
Swinging from branches and playing all day,
Eating fruits and nuts along the way.
One day, Manny found a shiny stone,
A treasure unlike any he'd ever known.
He wondered what it could be,
And showed it to his friends with glee.
As they held the stone, something strange occurred,
A newfound curiosity had them all lured.
Questions arose about their world,
From the sunrise to how their food unfurled.
Manny realized the stone had changed him so,
He became aware and conscious, you know.
The other apes were amazed to see,
The new thoughts and ideas that came to be.
As they evolved, new challenges arose,
They had to adapt, but nobody froze.
They worked together to achieve their goals,
And built homes and communities, which uplifted their souls.
The apes never forgot the stone,
It had changed them, and they were never alone.
They lived in harmony with nature, you see,
And cherished the gift of consciousness that had set them free.
Stoned Ape by Nuwan Shilpa Hennayake
