Your Heart, Your Strength, Your Power

 But in reality...

Heroes don't wear capes.

They don't fly.

They don't look like angels.

They are not perfect...

And neither they are invincible.

They appear as a common face in a faceless crowd.

Struggling to survive and save a life each day with the littlest power they have.

And truth be told...

Their power is just their heart trying to be strong.

So if you're one of us... With a heart as the only power we have to survive and save a life each day...

Happy heroes day!

May our hearts find comfort in it's strength.

 But I was created with a heart that is whole...

So I don't think I'll be needing a better half at all.

Saving Lullabies

And I've been saving lullabies

Just for my rainy days.

But it's been pouring since July,

And my last song is wishing it was May.

But all for the scents of petrichor.

All for the moments of daze.

Create in me a raconteur,

Then fade incandescently like haze.

 

Mother's Fervent Prayers

 God bless every Mother's fervent prayers...

For her sons and her daughters.

May it be great or small...

Let your Miracles be granted with them all.

Coffee for One

 Coffee for one...

Tastes bitter...

But I'm having fun...

And the silence gets better.

Darker than Black

White as clouds,

Sweet as cotton candy.

You would see me like a daylight,

But I will come like lambs in a wolf pack.

Smiles without a doubt,

You can picture me perfectly.

But sneak within my soul inside,

You'll see my thoughts are darker than black.

 

 There's this nice feeling about being a part of a tradition.

The feeling of belongingness.

The wonderful feeling of being able to contribute something worthy.

Paying it forward.

And for whatever purpose we had in the vanity of it all...

We don't question Traditions.

 ...but most of all, I hope we all heal from all the things we don't cry about, because we can't cry about it anymore, because it made us numb.

A Star in my Pocket

 I'll pull off a star on the blackest night.

I'll slip it in my pocket.

Brag it to the first stranger I meet.

But only to you will I give it.

Blanks in Hooks

 In between the pages of my book,

Lies all the blanks in hooks.

Where I scribbling inks in pen,

Of your story and your name.

Turning friends into lovers...

And happily ever afters.

Presumptuous

You call me up again tonight

Saying work sucks in L.A.

And you're wishing to take the flight,

To see me for a day.

And I keep thinking,

If you're doing it all in purpose.

Or am I just being...

Oh so... Presumptuous.

Talking about love and all its finest mantras.

And promised me a gypsy bling with a lace.

And I was thinking of my new camera.

And the first shot will be your face.

So I was in a purple haste.

Then you call off a truce.

I was left in dazed for days.

It's presumptuous.

Oh boy, did I scare you away?

Did I painted honesty to your beautiful lies?

And when red runs in your shades of gray,

I bet the blacks can't be your allies.

So I wear my feelings in vocabularies.

Now you're calling me back in blues.

Reciting my love poetries.

Oh boy, it's presumptuous.

Wonder Where She Went To

Believe me when I say

That she stayed

For as long as she could.

For so long she hold onto.

You left her with the messed floor.

She stayed at your back door,

For as long as she could.

For so long she hold onto.

You left her there hanging.

And after four years

You wonder where she went to.

Now you wonder where she went to.

You did not hear her scream

While she's there building your dreams.

They said she stayed as long as she could

And that's what I've been told.

You left her there crying.

And after four years

You wonder where she went to.

Now you wonder where she went to.

She's singing her heart out

In the middle of the crowd.

Purple nights sold her

With desperate fervent prayers.

Darkness turned into daze,

Sweet October taste like bitter haste.

Nostalgia don't miss her.

Streets are now just fragments of reminders.

Cause you left her there hanging.

You left her there crying.

You left her there fighting,

Losing petty unnecessary battles.

And after four years

You wonder where she went to.

You never wondered what she went through.

And now you wonder where she went to.

She never wonder where you went to... Now.

 

Understanding Your Grace

I never doubted your existence, nor your wisdom, nor your love...

But it is a struggle to trust myself that I would understand and accept your grace.

And so forgive me for my shortcomings.

Betrayed by the Stars

 But the stars heard you.

The heavens answered.

There goes your sign.

But answered signs

Are not answered prayers.

There we go on praying.

Until signs become red flags.

Red flags turn into dead ends.

That is where we stop. 

Wonder. 

Ask.

We are betrayed by the stars. 

By the Orion and constellations and shooting stars.

But where is my Orion when it's pouring fire and rain?

Where do the stars keep all the wishes whispered to them in the silence of the night?

Where do the stars write all the prayers of the fervent hearts?

Is it all in vain?

Are all the words been left out in the black hole to vanish?

And in the silence of the night

We watch the stars yet again.

Asking for a reason to believe in...

That it is all part of the better plan.

We keep our faith on the stars still.

In the hopes that there's still a way.

For the milky way to change whatever is written in the stars

Rustic Beauty (A Duet)

 

Come runaway with me...

But my home is here.

Your home is my heart, dear...

But there's so much more to see.

Is my love not enough...

But I am more than my kingdom.

You want these treasures more than the simple stuffs.

But I wasn't born to love but to bloom.

But this bitterness turned into anger and resentment.

Your ego is more than your love.

I can't forgive your rejection with my devoted attachment.

And yet you choose to revenge, my Dove.

You were my muse, my angel, my queen.

And you were my rustic Beauty unearthed deeply within.

But all I see is a filthy bride betrothed to power.

And what you become is a powerless vile monster.

I will crush you til you are like powders.

I will burn you til you become charred.

And like powders to dust I will scatter you all over.

And like embers in the coals I will forever burn you and scourge.

Love that was once so true

Love that was doomed.

Scars is all that is left in blue.

Maimed us both in gloom.

Footnotes: 

Inspired by fictional characters that once were so deeply in love. But their ambitions and need for power caused them their happiness. So the once was lovers are now engaged in unending wars.  Their love was once so true that it became so pure... Pure hatred to each other. And no... Not even the burning coals of the dragons throat can tame the fury in their hearts.

Page 38

 And I thank all the forces and beings

For the sunsets, the dawns, and the rains.

That ripened me through the learnings.

And all I have to do is to share it to all the living.

Filthy

 Politicians and artists both have filthy hands.

The only difference is that, Politicians turn everything into chaos.

While on the other hand, Artists make everything beautiful... 

And so their hands are justified.

 Like a child so naive and proud... So you feel proud that you could actually walk not realizing you were actually depending your steps to those hands holding you. Until those hands suddenly let go of you. You were left there standing, not moving, but not because you cannot walk but because you are actually scared of taking another step without those hands. You are naive and dependent.  And you will always be, not until you take the first step all by yourself. And that would be your most courageous moment. The glory of independence is the prize of bravery.

Sunsets and Twilights

 I've known a thing or two.

About sunsets and twilights too.

They are beautiful goodbyes

Waving colours of darkening skies.

And I've pictured a thing or two.

About the 14 months we've been through.

I imagined thousands of sunsets with you

Sharing the beauty of sunrise too.

But as the dark covers the twilight, 

I still talk to the stars in the middle of the night

Saving prayers with your name in blue.

I maybe lonely but I'm happy for you.

Pirouette

Painful beauty is to elevate with a spin.

With struggling toes and sturdy limb.

You raise up high smooth like lace. 

So elegant. So full of grace.

The art of life's pirouette is to dance in every catastrophe.

Make your foot your pedestalic caryatid.

Make every tragedy a beautiful turn.

A majestic outcome in every pain.

So dance in life like it is your plinth

Remember to pirouette in every flinch

Turn each chaos to a graceful act.

Turn each vicissitudes into an impressive art.

Deep and Absolute Hiraeth

 But you were the promise

That was so promising.

The finest of faiths

Designed the stars aligning.

The promise as true as the moon,

Could be as constant as the sun,

As faithful as the stars,

Til it all turned damned.

But it was I that shattered it all into pieces.

The one who bargained you

Whenever I got caught up

Facing demons and monsters.

Asking for something of truest and matters most.

It was always you I come to think of.

And it was I who traded you everytime.

Cause you were my treasure, the truest of all the truths.

And they know it.

I bargained you with every demon I got caught up with just to get free 

And so as they say...

I did...

Deal with the demon today

Face the devil tomorrow.

Until that tomorrow came.

I faced the devil and it finally took you...

The most promising of all promises.

And I cannot take it back.

For I have lost you long ago

Along the way.

And even the earnest of prayers cannot save the broken promise.

And so finally am home.

Sitting at my window

Relaxed and happy.

But there was this deep and absolute hiraeth

Without knowing where it is coming from.

But I know it is something from the past

That I've lost along the way

Just to reach home.

 Mood for the rainy-no work day.

The gray day just gives me the vibe to write or draw something. ☺️🌧️

Out of the Dark

 It wasn't love at first sight

The first time I laid my eyes on you

Or was it?

It's just that I'm not aware of.

How did it all happen?

Or was I too blind to see the sparks.

Til it got all burned up

Leaving embers in the dark.

And so I tried to reignite it

Like the coals blown by the winds.

But the dead cannot rise

Even with a thousand oxygens.

And so I get up to leave 

Every whispers and prayers to the stars 

Told myself - by all means, carry your bags

And find your way out of the dark.

Bloom Even in Chaos

During the COVID-19 pandemic when we were all locked down, most of us suffered in ways we can't fathom. We have lost, we grieved, we had our anxieties, and it was easier to just give in to despair.

But I chose to grow.

Making every opportunity either good or bad, a  way for me to learn.

Taking the chances, leaping through faith, even if blindfolded.

And thus, as a postgraduate student during this time of pandemic, our graduation is a living testimony that We Can Bloom Even in Chaos.

Sands in the Hourglass

But in reality...

There is no overtime.

We can never put new sands to our hourglass...

We can never have back

The lost sands.

The moment now will soon pass.

What Good is the Dragon without his Fire?

 Oh! But all the roads will die with the weather.

Every way will be frosted.

That even the dragons will lose their fires.

And what good is a dragon without his burning throat?

 Nothing but a flying creature 

With scales.

What good is a dragon without his fire?

Nothing but a flying creature with scales.

The Embers in Ashes

 And when all hope is gone...

I will be there sitting in the dark 

Beside you.

I will be there asking you 

If there is a thing that could kill hope...

You can answer me anything...

Fear, despair, or whatever.

And I will be there to remind you too that 

Hope cannot be killed...

Because hope never dies.

It remains to be the embers in ashes waiting to be ignited.

But it never dies.

 In every drop of rain

The petrichors it brings,

The gentle winds and sweet mist 

And the sound it sings.

It convinces me

That every mystery

That science can explain

Still cannot make it

Less of a miracle. 

Claim It

We have to receive each day as a miracle.

The beauty in miracles is that you don't need science to explain it...

You just have to claim it by believing in it.

 

The Purpose

It is the purpose of an artist to 

Make everything a piece of Art...

Make words turn into a poetry...

Make sounds turn into music...

Make colours become a masterpiece...

Make a moment into a captured beauty.

 

 And now it is time to rest...

To let go of anxiety...

Everything is in good hands...

Faith is all you need.

His Story

 Just to meddle with the current "History" fuss ...

Truth is, History is not about facts...

It is about the story of the victors.

But in every story, there is never just one side.

Remember the African Proverb - 

"Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter."

The sad part is...

We never got the chance to get the story of the lion...

Well maybe it is about time to hear them roar.

Broken but Complete

 Here's a thought...

If you fall...

You may not be able to land on your feet...

And You cannot catch yourself either...

But You can always stand up for yourself and pick up your every  Pieces. 

So that You may be broken... 

But You're still complete.

Fairly Right

 Someone asked me...

"If life is unfair... Then why live it?"

So I said...

"You have to live it because you may not have the power to make it Fair... But you have the ability to make it Right."

Selling Lemons

 It took wisdoms from hell to heaven to understand your grace. 

And so if life gives you lemons...

Then sell them.

Make every heartaches and failures and whatever negative emotions you've encountered be a  triumphant Art. 

Paint it on canvas...

Write it on paper...

Sing it in songs... 

Sell them all.

Be fruitful from whatever pain has done unto you.

Make the most out of it in the most profitable way.

So I say again...

If life gives you lemons...

Sell them.

Life is a Canvas...
You make Art out of it.

 But if you have the power to make things right...

It is a sin to not do it.

 And of all the things she said, I couldn't agree more with her phrase "You get what you get... And you should be very proud of what you've done with it."

Because definitely...

It is reality... Better do something good with it. 

Choose Your Pretty Face

 Could you wear your smiling mask

Like a second skin?

Make yourself believe

That you're happy deep within.

Yet in this world full of

Heartbreaks and disgrace...

It is a courage to choose

To always wear a pretty face.

 So much outcry these past few days. People have so much to say, and to be honest, they are getting caught up by their own words.

And in line with their so called "Let me educate you" way of imposing enlightenment...

Let me educate you about democracy.

Democracy - is a system of government where the control is according to the majority.

What you are ranting about is for democracy...

But from what I see...

THE DEMOCRACY THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR IS THE SAME DEMOCRACY THAT YOU ARE KILLING.

The majority has cast their lots.

That is democracy.

If you can't accept it...

Then might as well respect it.

After all, we are a democratic country.

Biases and Biases

 Real Talk...

If you can't accept the truth...

You'll believe in all the possible theories...

Even if they're just pigments of imaginations.

***kung di mo tanggap ang katotohanan...

Lahat ng teorya ay iyong paniniwalaan...

Kahit ito ay pawang kathang-isip lamang.

Mothers are strong and yet gentle. They are queens that will fight and protect but will also care and love her children.

How much more for those single mothers? They are strong and independent that will fight and protect and love and care for their children. They are queens who are transformed and became Kings. Wearing the crown and the armour all at the same time. All for the name of love.

I let you have a glimpse of how a single mother handles everything.

While for a complete family, both the parents work together to finance their children. When there are financial problems, the husband and the wife supports each other. When the child is sick, they both take care of the child, and they comfort each other if they are worried. Both have each other to plan for the future. If one is distressed, they can always talk to their partner to feel better.

But for single mothers, we work hard to finance the needs of our children while we work harder to take care of them still. When we have financial problems, we go through it alone. If our child is sick, we take care of it alone and still manage to go to work if necessary. If we are worried, we comfort ourselves. We plan for the future all by ourselves. And if we are distressed, we seek solace within ourselves and try our very best to look ok in the eyes of our children.

Yes, that is how we handle it... ALONE. 

We sometimes cry at night for we carrying all the burdens ALONE. But most of the time we just sleep through it because we don't have time to linger in such emotions because there are much important things to do than to pity ourselves or to linger in the negative emotions.

Yes, we are much stronger than you think because we don't have someone to lean on. 

Everything we do...

We do it ALONE.

So salute again and again and again to our Mothers and to my fellow single Mothers.

We are the epitome of beauty and strength. Of courage and wisdom and gentleness, all rolled into one.

We wear the grace of the crown and the glory of armour.

We are queens and kings all at the same time.👑👸🤴

Happy Mother's Day!❤️

 

The Brown Cardinals

Reposting this again, for it is timely. 👇

https://odessamann.blogspot.com/2016/05/insights-of-daughter-of-brown-cardinal.html?m=1 

 If you will always believe that bad things happen because you've done something wrong...

Then Redemption has lost it's power on you.