Friday, October 31, 2008

why do i write?


i write because it makes me a better person...
i write because i am able to reach out the unreachable...
i write because i am able to speak out the unspeakable...
i write because i am able to express my inner self...
i write because i love to...
i write because i feel it...
i write because this is my life...

Monday, October 27, 2008

when you're down, reach out to HIM

There are really moments that you need to pause for a break and check yourself…are you still there? Am I still here? Sometimes we forget that we are here and yet out of this world…it is only when we are hurt and bleeding that we realize we need someone to turn to…talk to…someone whom to confide our hearts and thoughts…but what’s more painful is the feeling that you have no one to turn to…to lean on when the world shakes you to your ground…then you pause and look back, and notice yourself groping alone in the dark…then you look behind, there’s no one…you look around, there is no one…has everybody deserted you? You wonder. You cry…You look down and look at yourself with so much pity then hate yourself…but don’t! You haven’t probably looked everywhere yet…look up. He’s there looking down on you lovingly with arms wide open…reach out to him.

challenged...

I had a good laugh today during the seminar on teaching literature. The speaker, in the person of Dr. Lucero of UP Diliman, was so witty and so passionate when she not only lectured on but demonstrated as well, the different ways how we can instill love for our very own rich literary heritage to our students…I laughed and choked at the reality of her statement. It’s true, we should love and appreciate our own epics and see through it our rich culture way back pre-Spanish period and which culture is carried on even up to this time…it was certainly, an eye opener and a big challenge for all of us. I am proud to be a Filipino.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Monday, October 20, 2008

Camp Kibaritan












my hometown

What a sight it is, The lush green cornfield
The indescribable solitude, The avocado tree leaves
Sing boastfully of its sweet malagkit fruit
The native chickens chirping,Scratching, searching for food
Stare at me blankly as if I was an old peer
the carabao's poo, a blissful scent mesmerizes me
the fresh breeze brings me back to my mother's womb
The cold Maridugao River, Lying between two regions
Joyfully inviting everyone, to savor its coolness
and unfold its mysteriousness, the streams calling for reunion
The huge trees, the battle green forest
Wild boars, monkeys and birds therein
Rest safely and secure, engulfed in their mystical power
Tempting and enchanting the innocent
The cerulean sky is within reach
the white clouds soft as cotton
Touch my skin, kiss me, envelope my being
the smiling sun winks its eyes
telling my nerves to take delight in its scorching heat
Seeing you ever the same, So calm, so green, so serene
I couldn't hold the tears to trickle
Unexplainable mirth, awakened within
Home sweet home, here I am!

I NEED HIS HANDS


I remember the last precious moments our mother spent with us before she went to that paradisiacal place. Even just the thought of it gives me so much pain. This pain isn’t that of loss for I never have lost her, not even in a single second but this is of my longing for her. She’s right there right now and she’s happy. That’s enough to relive me from crying but honestly tears are now blocking my sight keeping me out of keys. My vision is so blurry. My heart is eager to let loose of that something which keeps me wobbly for there are so many tears in my heart that never reach my eyes. My best friend Theresa used to say that line which I never fully understood what she meant way back high school. She probably had been keeping something in her heart that she just couldn’t let go of which cause here heart to cry but which tears do not reach her eyes. Now, I came to understand that. So this is how it feels. These are actually tears of longings, of loneliness, of nostalgia, of so much yearning for our dearest mother. Right, the tears have blurred my vision but not even ocean of tears can ever wash the memories of her out from us. She hasn’t left us. She just went ahead. We may not see her now in this muddled world but we see her often in our hearts. She lives here always as she owns this special place in our hearts. One thing we are so proud her is the legacy she left in us and that will forever stay, the legacy of faith, love and contentment. She had a happy spirit, an optimistic countenance, a beautiful outlook in life, a hopeful life, an extraordinary person she was!

It has been seven years. 7 fruitful years. That was a long time ago. She went to heaven on October 11, 2001 at 11 in the evening. It was the most hurtful experience we ever had experienced in the family but on the one hand, a triumphant bliss. She died a peaceful and happy death just as she wanted and prayed for. She was all ready to meet her CREATOR. I know and we felt it that her arrival to heaven had really caused great jubilation and celebration. I could hear the angels singing in joyful jubilation, I could hear the blowing of the trumpets of the heaven’s gate guards welcoming her...I could see her walking on the heaven’s golden floor. She was holding hand and in hand with her Savior, as He showed her the entire Kingdom she had long been dreaming of. I could see her beautiful smiles as tears rolled down her cheeks in awe to that glorious rendezvous with HIM…I could see her meeting other people she knows way back her stay here who have already gone ahead of her…I could feel the unexplainable joy, the eternal bliss. I could just imagine (But I know my imagination is quite limited) the magnificent sight, the splendid views which were all but a vision she kept praying about…then in a flick of a finger, she took hold of that promise, the heaven’s gate opened and welcomed her home.

That same hand that comforted her when she cried to him during the times when our father got sick held her hands. That same hand that prayed with her for her children and her husband, held her to see the glorious scenery. That same hand which comforted her in times of her distress and adversities held her hand and showed her the way to heaven.

I want the same hand to touch me right now. I want the same hand to heal my broken heart and wounded spirit. I want the same hand to lead me to life eternity. I want the same hand to guide me to where my mother is right now. I want the same hand to tap on my shoulders and tell me that everything is going to be alright. I need HIS HANDS.

Envious



Alone in my topsy-turvy cubicle so fazed
I face loads of work to keep me from breaking
While staring over the window met my gaze
Students passing by, giggling, cracking, teasing
Young and carefree, their spirit rejoice
Leaving all their worries behind
From classroom’s tasks and teacher’s voice
They’re out in the open to relax and unwind
I looked up and saw a funny creature
It’s positioned upside down holding strong
It looked down to me with such composure
And soon had jubilation with others in throng
I bent down a little and saw tiny insects in fleet
Marching through the borders of the floorboard
I studied them; were they with oodles yet cared to greet
Each other and off they go to hoard
I looked over my side in a quick glance
I noticed someone watching me closely by
I gave a second look and lost the stance
This uneasy feeling kept haunting me I wonder why
A twinge of pain perked inside
Heartrending and tenderly breaking me apart
My head spun like i was on a carousel ride
I wanted to be myself again,like from the start!

for NE26 - What is life?


have you ever thought of this?

everyday i look at life as something i should be facing with utmost preparedness. it is a continuous battle that we need to see to it we ain't caught off guard. there are so many instances, situations, events and circumstances in our lives that we thought are part of our destiny. we believe so much on destiny and rely on it. we have forgotten our role as participant of these big events in our lives. these things that are happening to us are not fated to us but are consequences of every decision we make. in other words, as an old adage goes "destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice."

should we just let that fatalistic spirit subdue our minds and hearts? we are not here in this big and chaotic world just to fulfill what has been fated for us like Oedipus who killed his own father and married his own mother...that despite having tried his best to evade from that prophecy still unknowingly fulfilled it? or was it ignorance?or simply his hardheartedness that has made these prophecies come to pass? or examine the life of Paris who was prophesied to bring about doom and fall of Troy...He was thrown away to the forest, far away from fulfilling what has been said to be his destiny...but didn't he cause the battle among Trojans and Greeks over one wrong decision? that hasty decision he made to elope...or abduct Helen?was that fate? or a choice?He didn't think of the possible consequences and sure there were... and Achilles who was fated to die in the Trojan war, disguised as a girl so as not to go to the battle field but eventually ended up in the battle despite his parents' disapproval...while his immortal mother Thetis made sure she dipped him in the river of immortality at the river Styx, (the river that separates Hades from the land of the living) to make him invulnerable from death's scythe...But even his invincibility didn't spare him from his own demise...was that a choice? or simply fate?

Let's take a look at the life of Moses...he was an Israelite who became one of the great rulers of Egypt and eventually the deliverer of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in the hands of the Egyptians. He was prophesied to deliver God's people. He was prophesied to fulfill what God has planned for the Israelites...the task was hard especially dealing with hard-headed people! (non-believers, murmurers, doubters, and name it, there were really those kind of people in his leadership...) but why did he do it? was it fate so he had no choice? or was it a decision he opt to follow? What if Moses did not follow God's command? would that mean the Israelites would have still been Egypt's slaves up to this time? Nope. God would have used other people in lieu of Moses then...He never runs out of resources. Then why was moving out from Egypt still hard for Moses and the Israelites if God had ordained Moses and those days for deliverance?well, it wasn't God's fault..but the Israelites'...

so. the fulfillment of whatever prophecy requires participation of people involved. they do not only happen out of the blue. they happen out of decision...conscious decision and conscious actions...because we are not robots.. we are human beings endowed by God with human intellect, willpower and emotions...that's why we should always put into considerations whatever decisions we are about to make, they may make or unmake the beautiful life that God has prophesied, promised and purposed us to have. .

life is a play. God is the director, we are the actors. thus we should do the best and the greatest performance of our lives...like on a stage play, we give our best, our innermost self and our hearts to what we do...

life is a ship...we keep sailing in the ocean of beauty, uncertainty, problems, etc. but we keep sailing and should not lose track with our compass point...we shouldn't be afraid even if we are in the middle of a storm because HE IS OUR CAPTAIN...HE IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. No amount of storm can allow our ship to sink so long as the CAPTAIN IS THERE...

life is a battle too...God is the Commander-in-Chief, we are the soldiers...we only listen to what he tells us to do...as to a warrior's motto, it says, "no retreat, no surrender..."

life is beautiful...It is an art where God is the Artist. He paints beautiful colors in our lives to make it livelier and attractive, exciting and interesting...He adds hues to every detail of our lives because HE CARES AND LOVES US SO MUCH FROM THE VERY CROWN OF OUR HEAD DOWN TO THE VERY SOLE OF OUR FEET...AND EVEN TO THE VERY MINUTE CELL in our system...We are God's perfect MASTERPIECE...

Don't be afraid with life...let's take it light and easy with the Director of our life, Captain of our Soul, Commander-in-Chief and Greatest Artist, we shall enjoy life more beautifully and to the fullest...

Carpe Diem!!


Instruction: (for NE26)
1. post your 1 - paragraph comment about the article. what can you say about the topic? do you want to share something else about life? you have any suggestions or negative comments? write them down below by clicking COMMENT (then write your comment in the comment box)and pls don't forget your name, and click anonymous button before publishing. then lastly, click PUBLISH POST..that's it!
2. in a 1/2 crosswise, write your thesis statement and explain why it is so. submit on Tuesday, august 23, 2011, class time.
3. see you in the class on tuesday, august 23, 2011.