The flame of destiny

“You don’t have to say everything to be a light. Sometimes a fire built on a hill will bring interested people to your campfire.” ― Shannon L. Alder

It was back in July when my dearie, Rosema of A Reading Writer, and I decided to build our small campfire called, Word High July, on a hill. None of us knew if our fire was bright enough to draw people or if it could last for the whole month. We had nothing to keep the fire burning but our passion in writing, our desire to meet new friends, and our pride, The 30 Beautiful Filipino Words.

But, in the midst of our doubts, all the forces of the blogosphere seemed to have connived and turned our fire into a blazing flame.  The flame of destiny. We were all meant to meet. We were all meant be each other’s light. We we’re all meant to sit around a campfire.

And for that, I thank all the great writers and poets that I have come across through Word High July. It was a month of learning, inspiration, and building greater bonds among everyone.

Thank you for the poems and  fictions
Those gorgeous photos under the sun
Those six-word tales and random thoughts
That kept us word-high on July!

Let’s give ourselves a pat on the shoulder, we made it! Cheers everyone. Mazel tov! 😀 ❤

Image Source: Favim

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “tadhana” which refers to “an invisible force that makes things happen beyond the control of mortals”.

Furry Love

I think my jar of poetic juice needs a refill so I’ve decided to take a break from poetry. Instead, I’d like to share about something that made my  day. 😉

Meet Tog (not his name), a gorgeous-looking stray dog dressed in a golden hue of fur, adorned with bold stripes and rosettes. Yes, you’ve read that right. He is a stray. But I’d say this big boy is too good and too big to be one though.

I choose to call him “Tog” for I have this wild belief that he is a half-tiger, half-dog. Crazy, I know. Haha! But look at his fur! There’s something in those patterns and his sheer size that’s alarming yet you could see nothing but kindness in his eyes. That’s when I knew I’m in love. If only I wasn’t on my way back to the office, I would have snuck him out of that place.

He reminded me so much of my two girls, Murd and Kler. Originally, they were named CC (cookies and cream) and Mocha based on their furs. It was when they started a killing spree, haunting our poor chicken and innocent chicks, that I named them Murd (muderer) and Kler (killer). They were spoiled and conceited ladies but they were sweet and loving, too. And I missed them.

Kler died two years ago of an unknown illness and Murd… was taken down last year. Murd was exceptionally playful who tends to bite and, although she was free of rabies, neighbors have complained about her habit. My parents never told me she was executed until I visited home a month after. It broke my heart.

Murd was a picky one (did she get that from me? :D) but I knew she would have liked Tog. They would have made cute little puppies of stripes, cookies and cream. Now, that’s only a far-fetched dream. *tears*

I just hope Kler and Murd are happy in Dogland and I pray Tog finally finds his home. ❤

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “gigil” which refers to the “uncontrollable urge to pinch or squeeze someone”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Rhuo Chwerthin

Rhuo Chwerthin

Most days I prefer solitude
Most days I walk alone
But whenever I’m with friends who love me
People whom I love in return
I ache such for time to be frozen
Make that moment last
For there is no grander explosion
Than a heart exploding to a loud laugh.

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “halakhak” which refers to “a loud, uninhibited laughter”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

To a four-year-old unanswered letter…

To a four-year-old unanswered letter…
A Spoken Word Poem

Our story did not turn out the way you would have written it. No roses, no date nights, no kisses or tight hugs. You would have inscribed love in every line; filled the chapters with laughter and smiles. You would have carved utter bliss on our faces and our story would have had a happy ever after. We would have been bestseller.

Instead, I wrote you tragic story— a dreadful dystopia for you alone. I was a spilled ink running over your romantic scenes; an eclipse to a starry night. I was your runaway no one and you… you were the heartbroken man. I have never let you waltz with me in the path of love for you were a mess and I was a bigger mess.

And let’s accept it, we were two unruly messed up beings.

So I walked and left you in a corner, at the junction of what and why. What and why. What went wrong and why did our story end that way? No. Scratch end. It never ended, right? I tried not to see it the corners of your eyes but it was there. I could hear the dialogues in your trembling voice as your fingertips itched to resume the tale that was once written in your heart. I could feel it, it was still there.

And I am sorry.

I am sorry that I couldn’t give you a better ending. I am sorry that we couldn’t have a better beginning.

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Photography by Anna O.

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “yugto” which refers to “a fundamental transition or development of a story or phenomenon”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Windswept Adieu

A Syrian man holds the body of his child after it was taken from under the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighborhood of al-Marjah in the northern city of Aleppo, on July 24, 2016. Ameer Alhalbi/AFP

Windswept Adieu

A hopeful heart
Of dreams that soar
A dearth of chance
Life bestows

A father’s tears
On daughter’s wake
Throughout the years
A heart that breaks

A silent scream
To the skies
Who is to blame?
A mouthful curse

A soft whisper
A gentle kiss,
The breeze sends
A windswept adieu

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image via  Rappler

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “pahimakas” which means “last farewell”.

My heart breaks for the people of Aleppo after the series of airstrikes that befall them. These needless wars and deaths are draining the last faith in humanity that remains in me. We, human beings, must stop killing each other and use our religious faith as an excuse to do so. Because truth is, TERRORISM HAS NO RELIGION. It never did and it never will. 😥

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

At Your Mercy

At Your Mercy

Fears and doubts today surround me
Endless questions I can’t comprehend
Darkened path, my eyes cannot see
Mind running wild as logic ends
These all I lay at the mercy of Your feet
My restless heart, my wavering faith
My rivers of tears and gnashing teeth
Your gift of love and wisdom, I will wait

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “kinaadman” which refers to “knowledge or wisdom”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Nostalgia

Nostalgia

Ang dalisay na hangin,
Sa aking pisngi dumadampi
Mga huni ng ibon,
Sa aking paggising inaawit
Ang amoy ng kape
Na timpla ni nanay
At mga halakhak
Ng aking tatay—
Ito ay ilan lamang sa binabalikan
Ng aking pusong nangungulila

~English Translation~

The undiluted wind
That kisses my cheeks
The bluebirds’ hymn
As I wake
The sweet aroma
Of mother’s coffee
And my dear father’s
Lively laughter—
These are just few things
My longing heart wants to relive

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “dalisay” which means “pure or undiluted”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Sadness of Gaia

Sadness of Gaia
A Palette

In the beginning there was darkness,
An endless void stretching to the horizon—
Barren and hollow

Until there was light.

And then she was an explosion of colors—
A blank canvas turned into a masterpiece
Her lands clothed with verdant greens
Not a cloud to mar the cerulean skies
Her windswept forest hummed of a melody
That blended with the rolling waves
She was marvelous
She was magical

She breathes beauty in every life,
Teeming with grandeur day and night
There was diversity but there was order—
And life proliferates

Yet,
All the the beauty that she was,
GONE
All the bounty that she has,
GONE

The lofty greens turned into buildings
The vibrant colors faded into gray
The skies, a cumulus of smoke
The air, she can’t even breathe

Thus
She wonders,
Was the sixth day
The ultimate creation?
Or was it
The utmost destruction?

She hopes not.

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Painting by Josephine Wall

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “likha” which means “to create something through intelligence and skill”. The Greek & Roman mythology enthusiast in me is kicking in. Here’s one inspired by Gaia, the Greek goddess personification of Mother Earth.

P.S. The word, “likha” can either be used as a verb (the meaning above) or a noun (the creation or the result of work).

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Your Flame

Your Flame
An Imayo

The sun shines brightly, a blazing ball of splendor
Its warmth enfolds me tightly, erasing my blues
But one look at you, the gorgeous sun is no more
For like a moth to a flame, to you I’m enthralled

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Painting by Ben Jackson

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “makisig” which means “dashing, well-dressed, or gorgeous”.

P.S. To be precise, this word falls under the masculine category. In Filipino, this is an adjective subjected to men. The word, “maganda”, is it’s feminine counterpart. 🙂

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉