| Turning 30 | 9/04/2010 05:51:00 PM |
Another
Milestone to remember
Another
Page in my book
Another
Turn of the road
One more
Event we can toast
One more
Reason to celebrate
Even if
Mistakes have been made
Even if
I have my ups and downs
I am
Looking forward to tomorrow
I bear much
Hope for things to come
Each day
Serves as a brand new start
I thank
The Highest Power
I thank
Those whom I love
I forgive
Those who have hurt me
I forget
All those past hurts
The day
That I turn 30
-jara-
(c.2010)
| The Girl Who Won't Smile | 11/23/2009 05:30:00 PM |
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I saw her
Cry
Not a sound as she
Sobbed
With that wistful
Look
On her ruined
Face
And I realized that
I
Was gazing upon
My reflection.
-jara- (c.2009)
| Shimmering. Silver Spiderweb | 11/10/2007 11:47:00 AM |
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Beholden by this
Web of shimmering thread, I
Cannot look away.
-jara-
(c. 2007)
| A Tribute to Yellow | 8/13/2007 05:54:00 AM |
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(for Mhea L., the mellow girl crazy over it)
Oh royal, mellow yellow
How do I love thee?
I can't even count all the ways...
You're the sunshine over fields
Filled with Helianthus annnuus in bloom
Light and bright
You make me happy
The sweet Mangifera indica I crave
Or lovely Musa x paradisiaca in bunches
Yes, I want to eat more
You make me hungry
These trinkets and clips
And socks in your hue
I'm setting the trends
You make me this pretty
Papers and pencils
Notebooks in my fave shade
I start thinking up thoughts
You make me creative
I can never trade you
For any other in your spectrum
'Coz you're my only color-love!
-jara-
(c. 1999)
^ o ^ o ^ o ^ o ^ o ^ o ^ o ^ o ^
I wrote this for my once-upon-a-time partner-in-crime in organic chem lab. It's ironic that I have never written a poem about my own favorite color (it's deep dark blue, btw...) but I wrote one for a friend's favorite color.
Note:
- Helianthus annnuus - scientific name of sunflower
- Mangifera indica - scientific name of mango
- Musa x paradisiaca - scientific name of banana
| Return to Waterfalls (Kawasan Falls, Matutinao, Badian, Cebu; September 4, 1999) | 8/10/2007 06:00:00 PM |
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The roar of your might
As you crash down
To the depths below
Has brought me before you again
And as before, I am in awe
Even before the break of dawn
I am drawn towards
Your strength, your courage
As you continue your course
Unmindful of hindrances
Unaware of the seeming inevitability
Of your coming demise
And I am drawn to you even more
I will always have a special place
Imprinted in my heart
For the scenery of majesty
The coolness of the pools
The intensity of the rush
And this feeling of awe
Yes, I shall forever be captive
To you that I deem
A culmination of creation
And at the height of enchantment
I can give you nothing but praise
Though this may prove to be
The final moment left for me
To imagine the ancient rituals
Long gone by
That held part of your history
Worry not
That you may be forgotten by me
For wherever I may go
And whatever heights or depths
May I be allowed to reach
I shall be in your spell
As long as the memories I keep
Shall remain intact in my mind
I will return to you
Within this plane
Or the dimension of my dreams
This is my promise
-jara-
| Look What I Found! | 7/17/2007 09:47:00 PM |
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Since I'm still in between jobs, I spent the morning cleaning up my "writer's drawer", the 3rd drawer from the top of my desk and the one which holds several of my poems, stories and essays written from my my early teens upto the present (the stuff I wrote as a child, mostly children's stories is stored in my bed drawer).
I may showcase some of my more interesting finds here in the next few days...
I also found a real treasure-> my autobiography written in Filipino (soft-bound in my favorite color-blue, and with some pictures inserted) as a requirement for my Filipino class in fourth year high school. The last entry in the autobiography is about how I spent my 16th birthday... It would be interesting to continue it (although, perhaps, I can now write it in English since I'm more comfortable using this language...) and see how my life has been since then...
| Forever | 7/09/2007 12:53:00 PM |
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For the rest
Of my life, I will
Renew at
Each moment this
View towards
Eternity with fond
Remembrances.
-jara-
(c.2007)
| Disco Without Dancing (near midnight; 8-19-00; Zero Below) | 7/07/2007 10:46:00 AM |
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This was not a good idea...
To be bathed in darkness
As psychedelic lights go on
Reflecting a packed dance floor.
The beat infectious, haunting
The crowd wild:
Screaming, shouting - the laughter
At something... I can't begin to comprehend
So I begin to turn philosophical
And ask:
Are theyquite content
Dancing the night away
To drown out some
Unexplainable pain
While they down another drink
And party... Party!
Up to the break of dawn?
...And what in the world
Managed to hold up their dresses?!
Kind of amused now
As I continue to check out the scene
Yet once in a while
I let my tears run
Against the waft of venomous smoke...
I guess it's trying to
Fight for my attention
Against the dizzying sights
Of gyrating bodies
And astrolobe lights...
I knew then that -> I would smell
Like air conditioning, cigarettes
And alcohol
For the rest of my life!
And I wonder
If being here
Was worth such the horror...
Oh well...
Better use my time
To text some unsuspecting buddy
Someone
Who will manage to appreciate
This whole set-up
More than I do now-
From a corner table
Wringing my hands
Shaking my head as
Smoke and lights drive me nuts
Fighting the drowsiness
Of my early bird internal clock
While barely, just barely
Contemplating the merits
Of a suggested
Order of cheese-flavored popcorn
To munch on
While the credits
Of this unappetizing movie
Plays out before my mind.
-jara-
(c.2000, re-edited 2007)
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
In my Friendster site, someone has described me as not afraid to be different. I have always been different since I was way back in grade school, and a non-conformist. I don't like noise when I'm studying (even some mellow or classic music in the background is out of the question) and I don't like parties where a lot of people are around whom I don't know well. But to humor my classmate, friend and barkada Toki, I entered a disco for the first and last time to celebrate her birthday with her along with everybody in my Biology class (we are all pretty close, even up to now). Needless to say, I didn't enjoy myself.
This poem was also alluded to in my moment of fame on an interview for a local paper (maybe if I can find my copy of it, I'll post that old article here...)
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
"I don't have anything against dancing. I only have something against me dancing!"
| Narra | 6/28/2007 07:11:00 AM |
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Nagbarug
Nga nag-inusara
Sa daplin sa dalan
Mora'g naghulat
Nga mo-abut ang
Wa'y katapusan
Unsaon man
Kung ibale-wala
Ug dili man lang
Tagarun
Sa mga umaagi
Nga malulupyo
Di man pud
Mahitabo nga
Kita mamugos
Nga ambiton intawn
'Ning karaang punu-an
Nga gipasagdan
Busa
Bahala na lang
Kung mahitabo man
Nga matumba
Ug mag-abong ni
Sa gi-agiang dalan
-jara-
(c.1999, re-edited 2007)
n n n n n n n n n n n n
An ode to the narra tree, national tree of the Philippines. This particular tree has been at the corner of the street going to our house ever since we moved in 21 years ago.
| Memories of Waterfalls (Kawasan Falls, Matutinao, Badian, Cebu; September 4, 1998) | 6/04/2007 04:12:00 PM |
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From the heights of towering hills
To the depths of low valleys
You flow unhindered
Though rocks may block your path
And dams built in your way
Only the Highest Powers
Can ever stop you rush
Awestruck by your enchantment
I cannot forget the sense of peace I felt in you
Nor the amazement and wonder
For how you have come to be
I shall never know
I see all creatures drawn to your beauty
May it be the royal butterflies
Easygoing water striders
Industrious yet fierce army ants
Voracious, hungry spiders
Lazy dragonflies and damselflies
Shy aquatic earwigs in hiding
Playful freshwater fishes
Steadfast snails
And I the human creature
I am in your spell as well
Though it seems an eternity
Since you began your journey to the seas
I know that there as a beginning
And as hard as I try to think of otherwise
There will be a tragic end
When the water shall be gone
And the dry earth stands cracked and forlorn
I shall not wish to live that long
And be a witness to your ultimate demise
I shall not forget that day
When I walked along your banks
When I set out to seek your source
And revel in the glory that is you
Someday I shall come back
I shall pay you a special homage
Your flowing water are the haunts of my memories
In time I shall seek you out again
In time I will go on living
Though it may be just memories for now
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
This is one of my all-time favorite poems, written 3 day's short of my 18th birthday. I wrote this on a field trip for Entomology class (we tagged along with the Ecology class), with our beloved Sir Plateros. It must have been my 2nd or 3rd visit to Kawasan. Today, Kawasan Falls is a more commercialized tourist attraction, though the pristine waters remain.
Coincidentally, Badian also happens to be my father's hometown. My paternal grandmother still lives there (in another barangay, far from the waterfalls) . She used to tell me that the waterfalls would mysteriously claim a life each year for itself... I'm not superstitious though so I consider it an old wives' tale.
I seldom go there though because I get dizzy on traveling by land or sea.
| THE WRITER'S BLOCK HAS FALLEN! | 6/02/2007 02:31:00 PM |
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The drizzle of rain
Brings a shadow of the past
At a rainbow's end
-jara-
(c.2007)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After five or so years, I now present to you my newest poem!
Though it maybe a mere haiku, it' a great accomplishment in my book!
| Casaroro (28th of October, 2001) | 5/27/2007 08:49:00 AM |
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Cascading straight down,
Almost to the speed of sound.
Surrounded by moss-covered boulders,
A haven for the weary heart,
Rest for the unspoken tribulations.
Over the passage of time,
Rivulets will flow forth
On to the valleys beneath the mist.
-jara-
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Rummaging through my scrapbook, I found this poem, also written in a style like a poem in my name in a previous post.
I was on a rural service project in Dumaguete City that semestral break from medical school. We decided to go to this almost out-of-the way waterfalls in Valencia town. The trek was pretty steep but the beauty of the Casaroro Falls was worth the effort.
| Beginning to Write, Again | 5/26/2007 12:03:00 PM |
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Filed under:
my poetry
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There must be Some purpose To a talent Something far beyond For after awhile When I have stopped trying to write I take up my pen and go on A rediscovery Paradoxically Different and the same Ad the last time I took paper and pen Putting my thoughts into concrete words Conveying my dreams to the world So I write Once again Not anymore For myself My own sake But to lead all to the Source From which all these came from -jara- (c. 2002)
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
When I rediscovered this poem from one of my scrapbooks, I knew that it should have its rightful place in this blog. It serves as a fitting inspiration to get out of this writer's block, a hope that my future posts will contain new material.
It is also a reminder that writing can be sanctified, offered up to our Lord, the Source of all our talents.
| The Mother's Eyes (April 22, 2000) | 5/25/2007 01:12:00 PM |
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I resumed my rummage
Through the bag of clothes,
Squealing with delight
As I found the plausible pair of socks
My excitement doubling
When I discovered
They were a perfect fit indeed
For the little babe's feet
Then, I saw the mother's eyes
As she tried to return my wide smile
And it was only then when I know
I felt less than half of what she did
At that very moment
-jara-
(re-edited c.2007)
It was my first rural service project. We mostly had medical-dental missions, and had an overnight stay in a remote barangay (village), Brgy. Sampaguita, Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines. It was probably our last day when we were giving out second-hand clothing to the people. This is the moment captured by the poem: Kindness is rewarded by even more gratitude seen in the other person's eyes.
| Gisagul Nga Huna-huna | 5/23/2007 11:11:00 PM |
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my poetry
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Taw'n 'sab sa tanom
Dili na maitsura
Nalaya na man
Siya mao ang
Tunok sa rosas na di
G'yud magpa-ila
Katapusan na
Kay karon nabot na
Ang amo-ang Ma'm
Nahibulong ko
Nganong na-ibog man ka
Gayud kanako
-jara-
(c. 1999)
This haiku collection in the local dialect are probably the first of my few forays writing in Cebuano.
For the sake of the inquisitive mind, I will state that the last one is not autobiographical at all. For the reader who doesn't speak my dialect, please e-mail me to request a translation, though I can't guarantee that it will strictly fit the haiku form.
| A Poem in My Name | 5/23/2007 10:04:00 PM |
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my poetry
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Just another song yet
Underneath its melody lie
Vibrant stories of love
Yet to be fulfilled.
Answers hide within these
Notes yet to be heard.
Now is the time indeed for
Everything to be revealed.
Revelation though is
An uncertain matter…
Various haunting melodies
On untrodden paths may
Yearn to be heard, too.
A word of caution then
Goes to the weary traveler:
Realms of music may seem
At the least bit confusing.
Very often, you'll feel lost,
Astray or just plain puzzled.
Not to worry though:
Tunes shall lead you to right;
Ends will be a loving flourish.
-jara-
c. 2000
This is part of a collection of poems I wrote entitled "BS Biology and BS Marine Biology Students,University of San Carlos, Technological Center AY's 1997-2001: A Poetry Collection (c.1998-2000)". The collection's title explains itself. I used the names of everyone in our class to make a unique poem for each of them, using their full given name, middle name (mother's maiden name), and surame as parameter for the 1st letter of each line, the number of lines per stanza and the number of stanzas. Otherwise, anything goes. I am only featuring here my poem, with respect to anyone in my class who may not want his/her name featured thus in my blog, but a copyof the file is in our batch's yahoogroup. I am not so sure of the poem's date, so I decided to place it in the final year I wrote the poems.
| Introducing...My Poetry! | 5/23/2007 09:22:00 PM |
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my poetry
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Finally, I have decided against keeping another blog to feature all my own favorite poems in and will therefore post them all here instead. After each poem, I may also include a short explanation, specifically of some of them which have an autobiographical context.
I have always had an inclination for creative writing since early childhood. I loved to make up stories and spent many summers writing on my desk for days at an end instead of playing outside. I think my best work always came up when I was experiencing strong emotions. Excluding the school paper and a few websites, I have never been published though. Landing the staff position of literary editor in my senior year in high school was a dream come true! However, it was never my intention to make a career out of writing.
The last time I seriously wrote as my main hobby was probably my last year in the University of San Carlos as a Biology major or my first year of medical school at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. Medical school gave me writer's block. I hope the exercise of blogging can shrug it off. I plan to write more poetry and essays in the future, maybe even some short stories. Keep in mind the years the poems were written as several things regarding my circumstances have changed since they may have been written.
Anyone can copy my works as long as my authorship is acknowledged by my initials "jara" with which I sign all my poetry.
It doesn't matter if my works seem incomparably insignificant compared to Shakespeare or even Jose Garcia Villa...It doesn't matter at all, for I am certain that all my works will live on far beyond my years if I dare to choose them to...
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