Friday, February 26, 2010

NAKED EYES



Smoldering amidst the darkness,
emotion flows in stark,
the eyes that sees the truth
reveals one feels within.

Looking through the eyes of passion
you could see the expression;
burning rage of satisfaction,
hungry for completion.

Those who fear the dark
are likely to retract,
emotions they reveal
in their eyes cannot conceal.

The reflections in our eyes
will give away the lies.
The journey through our sights
will always lead to light.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

LUCK AND LOVE



This year, Valentines’ Day and the Chinese Lunar New Year are being celebrated on the same day. While Valentines’ day is fixed to February 14, the Chinese Lunar New Year is movable depending on what date the second new moon of the year falls on the western calendar.

These two annual festivities are not as well celebrated here in the Philippines as Christmas and New Year; Lent and Easter; All Saints and Souls Day. Their recent popularity however is rising because of the mass media which dictates trends and lifestyle. The mass appeal of these festivities can be seen in the economic activities related to such events. Afterall, every celebration is impossible without spending time and resources.

There is no argument about the reason for such celebrations. Just imagine how drab and meaningless life without us marking the passing of time as we relate them to every event of human existence. The romanticism of Valentines inspires us to love and be loved in return. Although this feast carries the message of love, it is focused only to the aspect of romantic love (e.g. eroticism) and not the kind of love that encompasses physical and emotional barriers. Meanwhile, the Chinese Lunar New Year is a celebration that is marked by rituals to usher in luck and prosperity. Because of the success of the Chinese immigrants and Filipino of Chinese heritage in the business world, this festivity became very popular to Filipinos who wanted more than anything else but to attract wealth. Living in a country like ours can be truly difficult because of the lack of opportunity that many will turn to believing in luck just to get ahead in life.

However the festivities become almost trivial because it was masked by too much commercialism. It has evolved as an opportunity for the more enterprising among us to profit from. There is nothing immoral about wanting profit. It is the purpose of every business to earn. The issue is whether it is worth our money to spend on things that are non-essential especially if we constantly live on insufficiency.

Surely, we all wanted to attract more money and get the most from our intimate relationships. These are the bottomline why we have Valentines and Chinese New Year celebrations. Yet, even if we just drown ourselves in the excessive celebration or do the required rituals at the expense of practicality, there is no guarantee that luck or love will come our way.

Indeed, the best expense of our time and resources are worth only to those that are guaranteed to last. The fleeting moments of romance can be good to spice a relationship but true love thrives not from these. The ritualistic prayers, superstitious beliefs and luck paraphernalia to gain wealth and prosperity are worthless without knowledge, hardwork and determination.

Valentines Day and the Chinese Lunar New Year are happy occasions that remind us of how endless are the possibilities in life. As long as we spend wisely our time and resources we shall be prosperous. If we live sensibly enough, we don’t need luck to follow us. Whenever love-relationship is elusive or difficult, you can always bring out the best in yourself and soon you’ll find that love will naturally gravitate towards you.

Have a fun-filled Valentines’ day and a prosperous Year of the Tiger!


Sunday, February 7, 2010

LIFE IS FUNNY


Life could be severe yet it is too short to be taken seriously. Oftentimes, we are overwhelmed by grief, despair and rage as a result of the daily stresses we experience. And stress can be detrimental to psychological well-being and, eventually to physical health. The popular adage says that “Laughter is the best medicine”. Indeed, the power of humor can not be underestimated.

The following anecdotes are from personal recollection. These are the thoughts that made me laugh even during hard times. Are you stressed-out? Read aloud and laugh hard. It works!

CHEAPSKATE DAD

This is sort of a ‘memorial’ anecdote to my late father. This happened to him in the late 70’s. We were laughing hard when he first told this over dinner the day it happened.

After my father’s car air-conditioning system broke down, he got used to driving with the windows open. One day, as he stopped for a red light, a beggar approached him. He handed the poor man 25 centavos. The beggar, in his dismay, started to grumble for the measly amount my father gave him. As the lights turned green, he just shouted after my father, “Loser!”


ELECTRICAL SHOCK

I was personally witnessed to this anecdote when it happened at my aunt’s house during the early 80’s. Even now, my aunt and I still laugh at this recollection.

Seeing the electric fan had gathered dust in the living room, my aunt ordered her maid to have it cleaned. She left her maid to do the chore until she came back to check her out. To her horror, the maid was indeed cleaning the electric fan soaked in a tub of soap and water!

A SHAMEFUL SILENCE

The aggressiveness of youth can be inspiring, intimidating and sometimes, embarrassing as in the case of what happened to my classmate during our college years. This anecdote happened the semester after my classmate took a workshop on sign language the previous summer. It was so embarrassing that he made me promise not to tell anyone. Keeping my promise, I am sharing this withholding his identity.

On board a bus to the university, my classmate sat between a man and a woman. After a while, the man suddenly tapped his forearm. He turned to the man who without a word, only with a gesture, wanted to know the time. My classmate then turned his wristwatch towards the man. After a glance, the man nodded with a smile as a gesture of thanks. They both settled quietly back to their own privacy until my classmate had the interest to converse with the man. Since he just finished a basic course on sign language the summer before that semester, this is his opportunity to try his new skill. There was a startled look at the man’s face as he started signing with his hands. The man in panic suddenly turned to the woman on the other side of my classmate. While shaking his head, the man uttered in the most audible voice, “Excuse me ma’m, but this deaf-mute young man seems to need some help. Could you help me know what he wants?”






Friday, February 5, 2010

SAME DAY




Another day
in the same apartment
The kitchen sink
with dirty dishes
A laundry basket
filled with filthy clothes

I sit. I stand. I groan.
The ache throbbing
in my head
My cat purrs over
my sweaty socks
Wriggling my pajamas
on my legs

I pour the coffee
boiled on the pot
On a cheap mug
a gift years ago

I sip and taste
The bitter sweet potion
To perk me up
For the day’s routine

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

LUST’S PLAYGROUND

An objective writer is the one who is open to every perspective, views and opinions. A good writer has to be ready to explore all sides of an issue including what is politically unpopular, morally and culturally unacceptable. For a writer to be effective is to learn how to see things unbiased without compromising one’s aptitude to what is right and sensible. Moreover, a writer must be trained to suspend his judgment until all sides have been weighted upon.

A writer’s artistic skills may be honed by studying the styles and forms of other writers. To fully experience the variation and diversity of this endeavor, one has to discover the many facets of life including those that are uninspiring, the macabre; the ambiguous; the profane. Any writer can go as far as to be notorious in this field however it is recommended to take responsibility of the readers’ sensibilities.

Recently, I came across the site www.pinoyliterotica.com as I was surfing the net. It is a sharing portal for, so-to-speak, “erotic literature” yet most of those written there are hardly of literary value. While one may find the site sleazy and ribald, it is noteworthy that many of the contributors are creative and some are highly-skilled writers even. Despite the graphic, even scandalous content, there are points one can learn from the artistic, albeit sexual, expression of the writers.

The following piece is from this site. I found it interesting and while it is in keeping with the genre of the site, it is finely attuned to the taste of those otherwise find the contents of the site unsavory. No wonder, it generated so many positive reaction and reviews from the members of the site. Entitled Lust’s Playground is written by someone under the pen-name Lil’ Miss’ Lust. I would have been proud myself to stamp my real name on such a fine work and not under a pseudonym. But at the end of the story I realize that there is value in anonymity that gives us courage to be ourselves. Using the Seven Deadly Sin as metaphorical characters, it is a satirical depiction of the human tragedy due to these sins. I find it not only finely written but with a strong lesson for all who may find ourselves (believe me, we all are) in such human condition. Here it is.


Lust’s Playground
Written by: Lil`Miss`Lust

Once upon a time, A Man and woman eloped and had seven children.
The first child was Pride. He was vain, judgmental and boastful. He wanted to be the best and failed to acknowledge other’s good work. Being the eldest, he would compete and not give way to his siblings.


The second was Greed, he wanted everything, money, power and status for himself. He never got along with everyone especially with Pride. He’s a competitive fellow and he hates to loose.
The third was Envy, She was such a resentful child, always wanting what other’s have and more. She’d keep her friends close and enemies closer, she’d whisper falsity amongs her friends to ruin others. Amongst her closest kin was Wrath.

Wrath was the seventh and youngest of the siblings, He was such an angry and rambunctious fellow, never thinking of consequences, he would throw tantrums and everywhere he went there was pain, disaster and destruction. He was much more active than his elder brothers Gluttony and Sloth, They were not much harm but they were not much helpful either. They just stayed at home eating and sleeping.

The fourth was Lust; she succumbs to her carnal fantasies and desires. Men and women wanted her. Reason enough for Pride, Greed and especially Envy to despise her. Growing up, Lust was made to be loathed and shamed by her own siblings that made her crawl and hide in the darkness of secrecy. For the land that they lived in was ruled and governed by super egoistic preachers and politicians who were overpowered by the towering might of Pride and Greed.

For years, the society have accepted the siblings, you will see plainly who befriends Pride, Greed, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony and Wrath but you would rarely see those who befriends Lust for the society has branded her a shame.

Lust however is as busy as her other siblings; she would crawl into the night and dance with every man and woman who seeks her and when morning comes, those who found her and have danced with her would only bury it in secrecy never to tell another soul for they will be shamed. Lust lived in this manner; secrecy, deception and lies became her companions until one day, an invitation came.

Lust eagerly opened the invitation, it was for a masquerade! Lust was filled in ecstasy, she searched for a suitable dress and mask for the occasion and soon found herself mingling with men and women in masks.

Lust enjoyed each and every moment listening to the songs and stories of them accepting and fulfilling their own carnal desires. This is her place. This is her sanctuary away from Pride’s judgment, away from Greed’s dominance, away from Envy’s poison and Wrath’s fire.

Amidst the crowd was a bard, he was different from all others that he had Lust by intrigue. He sang the sweetest songs of love, lust and romance. There was something about his songs that struck a string in Lust’s soul.

Lust pushed against the thick crowd that envelopes the bard but just before she reached out him, he ran away and left. Murmurs of pain and deception filled the air devouring the remains of the bard’s sweet words and song. The masquerade continues and Lust continued to dance with the men and women.

Soon, a gentleman came to the masquerade; he wore such elegant and stylish suit and an appropriate mask. He sang and spoke of love, pain, romance and lust so sweet that it seduced almost all the women in the ball. Soon enough, a thick number of people were enveloped around him listening to his songs and words.

Lust stood still from where she was standing, listening to the newcomer’s songs and words. It seems too familiar she said. The words lead to his soul, though there were twists and turns and the tune may have been rearranged but the soul and tone is the same… the same as the bard’s.

She smiled as she approached the newcomer eager to fill in her intrigue. No, she does not wish to dance with him. She wanted to look into his soul. She wanted to understand why he knows her too well or why she dreamt of those songs long before this masquerade. She pushed through the thickness of the crowd but alas…

When she came close enough to touch him, she tripped and accidentally took off his mask and again a loud murmur of pain, agony and deception filled the air erasing the songs and sweet melody. Enraged, the bard/the newcomer threatened to leave the masquerade forever that made Lust feel sadness.

All of the sudden, Lust was enlightened. She looked at the people around her only to find her siblings among these people. Pride has spread his judgment to shame, Greed dominated them, Envy poisoned them and Wrath has already lit up his fire.

The masquerade will soon be over. Lust’s playground has been infiltrated and dominated by her siblings. What happens next will be uncovered in due time…..

*I do not make the stereotypes. I just see them.*
its really ironic that people can only be truly who they are if they are under the cloak of anonymity.