Draw me closer to you, Lord
for I am weak and fragile
only your strength can make me
stand or walk again.
Cuddle me into your arms, Father
for I am troubled and in pain
it is only your comfort
that can make me breath.
You are a creative potter
remold me as I am broken into pieces
it is only your hands that
can make me whole again.
Your hands provides
I am in need and lacking
yet you have poured me blessings
and opened doors for me.
Shepherd me back into your flock
for I am walking away
your staff shall guide me back
rejoicing in you.
The world is a wonderful place
because of the people we meet everyday.
We begin at the person whom we see at the mirror
who look like someone else, maybe the mother or father;
reminding that we are at living alone
because we came from another person
Our neighbors may be loud or silent
we may know them or not, but hey
they exist in the other side of the room or compound
to make the world go round
Our classmates or workmates that we talk to
or maybe talk about sometimes
we journey together hand in hand
to the life we want to become
The people on the streets are also important;
they may be different and come from other places
but they are individuals whom we never know
will change something in us as we walk through
Thank God for the people we meet
everyday and in many other way
because they are part of us no matter what.
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.
— Ecclesiastes 1
sa dami ng ginagawa
sa dami ng iniisip
sa mga kalungkutang dinaranas
sa mga problemang walang kupas
sa bigat ng damdamin
tila walang panahon sa buhay
tila tinutugis ang bawat araw
at pakiramdam ko’y unti-unti
na akong hinahatak ng panahon
hay, buhay nga naman… two years ago, ganito na naman. kailangang magpatuloy. kailangang kumayod. ang buhay di madaling wakasan. kailangang magbuhat, kahit mabigat, bukas makararaos din.
Tightly,
she held the bag of bread in her hands.
Faster,
she walk and run towards their house.
Suddenly,
there was darkness and silence.
Her eyes were wide open but everything was dark;
Neither she was able to hear anything;
She can not even take a step forward;
She anchored herself in a bollard; and
continued breathing.
The clouds so dark are coming my way
Tiny drops of water from heaven now falling
The wind blows hard at the end of day
I am cold and afraid of the dark, I’m calling
Hold me dear
Keep me near into your arms
Comfort me
With your warm embrace
Draw me closer
Walk with me through the rain
I was soaked, wet and dripping outside
The night came and there was no light to shine on me
I thank God you were there when I cried
Then you whispered, tomorrow the sun I will see
Hold me dear
Keep me near into your arms
Wipe my tears
And keep me ever warm
Draw me closer
Comfort me through the pain
When the rain falls
I hope you’re here beside me
When the rain falls
I pray you’re here to hold me
When the rain falls
*This is inspired by the rain two days ago. Rain is indeed an invitation to poetry.
May your will be not clouded by my own judgment
May your light so shine upon my way
And the sun shine its light even behind the clouds
When trials rain, let it not so hard for me to bear
May the dark clouds on my way
Be flown away by the strong winds of determination
Amid darkness, keep me standing and still
Let me breathe your breath, dream your dreams
And give me light at the end of the day
You are the sun behind my clouded mind
The wind that will push me away from darkness
And the leader that will take me to the right road
Was blue your favorite color?
You were feeling low and lonely
Were you blinded by your search?
Now, open your eyes and see
The true color is me
Does the red turn green?
The fire soothed by the calmness
Were you silenced by your search?
Now open your lips and speak
The true color in me
Spin the color wheel (spin)
Stir the shades and gradient (stir)
We are different colors (we are different)
Combined to be one (to be one)
Was the yellow faded to violet?
The sunrise was made a twilight
Did your vision fade into grey?
Now, open your eyes and blink
To see that the colors are within me
Spin the color wheel (spin)
Stir the shades and gradient (stir)
We are different colors (we are different)
Combined to be one (to be one)
Forget the past (the blackness of the past)
Get up and dust yourself
Claim your freedom from color blindness
(let the white lead you to the spectrum)
Now, open your eyes and see
Spin the color wheel (spin)
Stir the shades and gradient (stir)
We are different colors (we are different)
Combined to be one (to be one)
The true colors are within me
Stare at me and see
Touch me and feel
I am the true colors
Make the colors real for me
(Though you can’t see the true colors, you have my eyes to visualize them and together let’s make life’s colors real. I love you!)
Writing Is…
The sun that kisses the sea in the horizon
before it says goodbye to the day.
The vision of a mountain to the nearby town
while taking a long night travel.
The cold wind that sways the leaves of the trees
and blows the petals of red flowers.
The blue sky too far to reach yet the intellect
journeys beyond it more than a century.
The forgotten lyrics of a song yet
the tune is still known to the heart.
The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
in the lungs, the inhale and exhale.
The blood that the heart pumps and runs
to every part of a weary body.
The muscles that cramps from a long day
of walk to a place unknown.
The toasted bread chewed carefully
and swallowed easily for satisfaction.
The sweet honey mixed with a bitter black coffee
drank to keep the writer’s mind stimulated.
The black ink of the blue pen scribbling
in a thin yellow crumpled paper.
The fingers that runs through a panel
of electronic letters and characters.
The words flashing into the monitor signaling
a freshly done output of ideas.
The poem that hopes to touch the
readers’ mind and inner being.
The book that finally printed for new
knowledge and immortality.
Music Is…
The soul touched by pleasing melody
mixed with the soft gentle breeze.
The meditative breathing coinciding
the clean inner thoughts.
The love and life shared by the guitarist
to his beautiful audience.
The energy surrounding the room
from the bright colored lights.
The seemingly unending dedication
of the song to the journey ahead.
The thought that counts in every
lyrics written to make a song up.
The pumping of heart for blood and
the hullabaloo in releasing energy.
The ears that listens to slow, fast,
loud, soft sounds of the strum.
The hair wet from the sweat brought
about the humid surroundings.
The adrenaline rush from head to toe
for excitement and joy.
The chords switching from low
to high pleasing notes.
The fingers caressing the strong strings
that produces the angelic tune.
The curves of the guitar’s body that modulates
the supposed growling sound.
The accompaniment of the acclaimed
song played over the radio.
The album cover signed for accomplishments
and handed over to the fans.
— for Jonathan
Tugtugin na ang gitara at tambol
at ang mikropono’y hawakan na
Itodo mo na ang pag-awit
at itaas mo pa ang iyong tinig
sa kumpas ng ulan!
Magsitakbuhan man ang mga manonood
ngunit tiyak may nakikinig sa iyo
Tignan mo nga’t langit ay lumuluha
kaya’t ituloy mo lang ang kanta
sa kumpas ng ulan!
Hindi mo ba alam
ulan ang ibinigay na katugunan
sa awit mong alay sa ating bayan?
Kaya’t ituloy mo lang
sa kumpas ng ulan!
*This is the result of my boring moments in the office, or I mean during the times when I can’t get my fingers typing for my article. I am writing a cover story on ASEAN Center for Biodiversity today but I just can’t concentrate. For that, I tried to reconstruct my experience last night into a poem. I judged the presentations of the original song compositions of young people of MidPAC last night as the rain poured in and (off?) We even jokingly said that the group who gets the strongest downpour will win as it gets the heaven’s approval!
