Poem 124 - Shattered Reality

My eyes wander around

The four corners of my space

Trying to feel again

The once lively place.

The sound of silence

Is a deafening reality

I am stuck in a void

Almost lifeless and empty.

How I wish I can go back

To the days of long ago

Life was in its fullest then

Where there was me and you.

It was like a fairy tale

A dream that came true

The life we once shared

Was meant for us, two.

But darkness slowly creeped

And life simply withered

You gave in so fast

Leaving me terribly shattered.

And now, life becomes dull

A meaningless form of existence

It turned out to be a nightmare

Because of your eternal absence.

Quote 248 - Soul

Moment 124 - Full Moon

During full moon, we used to go out at night and play taguan and patintero.  It was the kind of fun and bonding moment we used to share when we were in our elementary and high school days.  Those were the times when electronic gadgets and the internet are not yet available.

During a full moon, we used to listen to some elders in our neighborhood about scary stories like aswangs, kapres, duwendes, and other elementals.  There are elders who had their “encounters” every now and then and their stories make us scared even up to this time.    Those were the times when our community was not yet heavily populated and most of the streets were dark.

During a full moon, aswangs are more active.  There are times when we hear the “tiktik” sound from up above and most of the folks at home would refer to this one as a bird which is a pet of a certain aswang.  When we hear “tiktik” which seems to be on the land, our elders would warn us about the real aswang who is making his round for the night.  When the sound is loud, the aswang is far away and it is close to you when the sound is so low.

When we still had our nipa house, whenever I hear a tiktik, I would peep on the small holes in the window.  I was really curious how an aswang looks like.  I would even have a bolo with me in order to deter the aswang from coming close to me.  But my mother often tells me that I cannot see it because it has a way of concealing itself.  It will only show itself if that creature allows you to see it.

During a full moon, there could be unexplainable things and events that may come our way.  Some of them can’t be explained by science.  Sometimes, it doesn’t matter if you believe them or not.  What’s more important is your safety and be able to wake up the following day and tell your own story.

Quote 247 - Resilient

Random Thought 124 - Mask

When we are hurt and in pain, one of the bravest thing we do is face life like we are not affected at all.  We try to go on living, figuring our own battle away from the prying eyes of other people.  We wear our own battle mask to make sure that we are up to the challenge.

One of the best weapons to gain a mileage from your opponent is by concealing your true emotions.  Never let them see that you are affected and struggling.  No matter how hard it is, always keep your head high like your life is in its perfect existence.  And within the shadows, prepare a good battle plan that will hit hard your opponent.  The moment you are in control of yourself, despite of your own battle, it is not impossible to defeat your opponent.

Wear a mask to protect yourself.  Wear it wisely because it is your best defense against those who have evil plans against you.  Let them see your mask and not your real face.   If you can master the art of masking yourself, you’ll find yourself in advantageous position most of the time.

Food Trip 123 - Paksiw na Tulingan

To start with, I don’t appreciate any paksiw dish.  I grew up with a total dislike to any dish with vinegar.  And I won’t bother to eat if paksiw is the only dish on the table.

Folks at home love the tulingan fish.  Since we don’t have a refregirator, one of the ways to preserve the food for several days is by cooking it with vinegar.  And if this is the dish they are going to prepare, I would parade my long face in protest.

Somehow, there are always ways to circle around and do some innovations in order to like the food.  Since I am fond of fried food, my mother would fry the paksiw na tulingan in order to lessen or get rid of the vinegar taste.  And yes, the taste is great.  Since then, I would do the ritual time and again just to eat a paksiw na tulingan with much gusto.

Exploring Philippines 123 - Eastern Visayas (Post 1 - Pastrana and MacArthur Shrine)

I had an invitation from the family of Ron to visit Leyte.  I did not know that it was immediate.  I was surprised because they were the ones who provided for my plane ticket.  And my dream to visit the other islands in the Visayas did come true.

We were fetched by Ron’s father at the Tacloban airport and we immediately head straight to their home in Pastrana, Leyte.  Right after our late breakfast, we went around the town of Pastrana using Ron’s motorcycle.  Actually, we did not roam around the town proper.  Instead, Ron showed me what Pastrana is all about.

Pastrana, Leyte is a fifth class municipality.  Unlike the other towns of Leyte that lie within the coastal areas of the island, Pastrana is located somewhere in the middle – between the mountains and the sea.  And judging from its location and based on what I’d seen, there was nothing special about the town for the tourists to appreciate and enjoy.  Or so I thought.

I rode with Ron in his motorcycle.  We drove towards the remote areas of the town.  As we rode in a normal speed, the cool wind rushed against our faces.  Though it was high noon, the heat of the sun could not be felt and was not noticeable due to some high trees and most of these are coconut trees.  Our ride was a refreshing one which is a far cry from the city atmosphere.  The town is a perfect breathing place for a city dweller like me because of the pure and unpolluted air.  And I simply love the experience.

Pastrana’s main produce is copra.  This is evident with so many coconut trees wherever you set your eyes.  Rice is the next important produce where the open fields turned into a golden view when the rice plants are almost ready for harvesting. 

As we explore the place for more than one hour, from coconut plantations to abundant rice fields, the remote place of Pastrana offers a relaxing and rewarding experience for me.  Though the pace of life is slow and progress is far fetch, still, this could be a perfect dream place to experience life in a standstill.  I guess we used to appreciate something which is uncommon even in its simplest form.

Right after our tour of the town, we went towards the town of Palo.  It was almost five in the afternoon when we got there.  We happened to encounter a park personnel who was busy retouching the park’s signage for the upcoming Leyte Landing anniversary which would take place several days after.  That time, there were only few visitors in the park and we had our turn for picture taking in no time.  Aside from the Pintados festival of Tacloban, the Leyte Landing anniversary is one of the must see event in Leyte.  The highlight of the event is the reenactment of MacArthur’s landing in the very shore of Palo, Leyte. 

In the park, there is also a set of footprints of MacArthur.   I managed to compare the size of my foot with MacArthur’s and we almost have the same size.  Hehe. Unbelievable. 

Poem 123 - Making Love Tonight

It's some minutes passed midnight
It is time to turn off the light
The night is mellow and dreamy
Enticing me to do something crazy.

I join you in the comfort of bed
I'm thinking about getting laid
I feel my libido is on the rise
Tonight, I can be naughty and nice.

Right under the smooth scented linen
I can feel the warmth of your skin
Bolts of desire run through my body
As I caress your skin so tenderly.

When I kiss your lips, you give in
You hold me tight when I bite your chin
Your heartbeat started to race
You make me hot with your tight embrace.

As my tongue run all over your body
I can feel that you are full of ecstasy
Your moans and your scandalous whine
They make me go wild all the time.

You suddenly burst like a volcano
Your lava is hot as I feel through
You shiver wildly and uncontrollably
Always enjoying the feeling so heavenly.

I make my way to the glorious void
I push and pound, polishing my blade
The best time of my life is almost near
And I exploded pushing further my spear.

I kiss your lips and you kiss mine
We just spend the best of our time
We can now sleep soundly tonight
Waking up together at the first ray of light.

Quote 246 - Hang On

Moment 123 - Donut Lady

We were about to watch a local show at the town’s plaza.  Since the show has not yet started and we still had an appetite for some sweets, we approached the nearest donut store.

The sales lady tried to convince us to try the donuts.  Actually, we really intend to buy some but since she’s friendly, we tried to make some bargain in the process.  That is, we will only buy if she’ll allow us to take some pictures of her.  I guess it was not a bad condition.

Since it was still early and we were the only patrons in her stall, she readily obliged with our request.  With little reservation, she managed to pose for us.  Of course, we toyed around with her merchandise as part of our props.