Reconstructed Time: (a speaker-writer index)

A random recall - May 22, 2024

2024-05-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

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Sonja Chan

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Sometimes

2023-09-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

when moments are bare

and my vision of you comes rare

the only medication that heaven offers

would the paradise of your smile be

in my mind for the life of me

On Time

2023-09-19T09:03:00.002-07:00

and now time have I to read them
I have always wanted to for time I
never had the pleasure of -reach-

STAIRCASE DILEMMA

2023-03-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

staircases have always intrigued 
me - one way or the other
all kinds of them I've climbed -
wood, iron,stone, and even rope

but I guess I still  have to have 
a try on a stairway of clouds 
and on a stairway of twinkling stars!
not only on one occasion, 

seriously though 
have I stopped short of doing 
whatever task I had on hand
 because 
I wasn't of what direction sure

I was at the moment next to take 
in the middle of a staircase, I'd ask myself
was it that now I would I go down or 
was it that I should go up?

Qigong Warmup and Exercise

2022-09-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

RACE YOU!

2022-09-01T02:43:00.002-07:00

RACE YOU!

From the school bus to my embrace

But now she says: "Race you to the doorstep!"

And I say, "You got it little girl" So we go -

"On your mark, get s- Hey! not fair!"

She just went running but okay, she's

Coming back, laughing like - oh God!

Laughing like the world is all hers

Or that the world will never end!

And under her breath she says, "Just kidding!

Come on, let's start all over!"

So again we go - "On your mark, get set, go!"

And off with the wind she - looks back, though,

And runs to me with arms outstreched,

Ready to lift my prostrat form,

Like she, for the love of me, could undo

That misstep I did, - clumsy, mortifying!

"Please don't die!", this time, she is crying!

"Of course, I won't!" Now, quick to my arms

This angel I take. And seated both we are now

On the driveway, yes, not quite by the doorway

But in each other's comfort,

"Hush!", I say, "I'm okay!"

I'm no good at racing, am I?

===========================

A Bit on the Poet

2022-08-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

=Ngem kastay kunadan, saan a nasken a batoken ti kaipapanan ti daniw a saan a ti umuna a level of meaning. No la ketdi marikna ti emosion ti daniw, a saan a nasken nga anninaw ti rikna ti mannaniw, awan duadua a nagballigi ti daniw The writer, as always, is outside the poem, ta no naibulosen ti sinurat a kas iti tumatayab, addan bukodna a biag. --

—  Guerrero Coloma

Lydia Pavon, Carlo Floyd Serapion and 5 others

4 Comments

Comment

A COME BACK

2021-05-24T03:11:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, time does magic- all kinds - and I simply can't put this particular magic in words. I will do what i can, however, of putting mind into print although it will be a pretty sad representation of my mind's reality - if I am making sense at all. But I intend to pick it up and kinda look back.

2020-12-29T16:05:00.003-08:00

Crafted Among the Clouds

(A Short Story)

This total whiteness that you are seeing through this wisp of a window is not what you are used to seeing whenever you feel like writing - writing while looking out through another kind - that of a Starbucks Coffee Shop window. And what total whiteness? Why, cloud whiteness, of course! You are seated beside the window in this one Air Asia flight bound for Malaysia, which is why you find yourself face to face with this phenomenal cloud world that will stay with you for the next three hours and a half. Your flight just took off from your favorite Philippines destination - Baguio City. Oops! That should be Clark International Airport (or Diosdado Macapagal Airport)!

So you take the situation in with some tolerance. Ideas always seem to come floating to your mind through windows and this gives you that lovely feeling of conveniently catching them graphically. Now you chide yourself a little for wanting to complain that you are not in a Starbucks Cafe instead, so you tell yourself: "Come on, let it be that this window isn’t that of your favorite one! Just for the meantime, at least!" So you settle down in search for some comfort and you look straight out into the clouds. As you do, shapes slowly, slowly, come to soak your mind out.

You were seated right beside a window, too, that flight you had before this. Contrariwise, though, that was a flight from Malaysia to the Philippines and you found yourself beside a young man some years older than you were as you deduced. For the first few minutes, he had engaged the much older man on his other side in conversation during which, all through it, you looked out of the window, forcing yourself not to hear what they were talking about.... wanting, in effect, to listen to what thoughts your mind was whispering to you.

But then he turned to you with a casual “Hi”! As you tried to acknowledge his reaching out to you, your eyes had to meet his, which you noticed were fascinatingly greenish blue. You also noticed that that pair of eyes danced! Or was that a twinkle that simply arrested your interest in him? He continued, “You seem to be in another dimension just now, hope you don’t mind my asking where that is?” And he laughed a soft but low melodic one. The pleasantness of his demeanor kind of set you to pick up from where he started: - smilingly....warmly.... fun! So you answered, “Sorry, but you’ll have to bribe me to have yourself brought to that place!” This time he laughed a totally hearty one with “Hey, now, but did I find myself a partner in crime!”

The less than a four-hour flight turned into a non-stop give-and-take of information, affirmations and negations, coupled with some strands of emotional uptakes on personal as well as on environmental issues. From out of the conversation, you culled items that told you he was from Frankfurt, in Germany; that he was a structural engineer who had been in a number of places you had been to yourself; that he was stationed in Kuala Lumpur by the Swiss-based company he works for; that he was going to the Philippines to visit a girl friend he hasn’t seen in a long, long time.........- and more!

“Oh, so you’ve been to Cologne?” he had said in between! ‘My mom lives there at the moment. She’s an architect, you know, and with my construction know-how, she often asks me to go over so she could consult with me regarding stuff and I like it! See, she takes care of my fare and my lunch and my dinner...” and there he breaks once more into that characteristic deep laughter of his!

At another point, he had ventured to tell you, “That’s a beautiful name you have, Linda! I’m Fred, by the way,” extending his hand for a shake. But “Oh my god!”, you could only say under your breath because you were hearing that laughter again which was starting to sound sensual now and strangely, which you were starting to like even as you forced yourself to be indifferent to it. And still going on: “Imagine being introduced to each other only after hours of conversation!” He had turned half serious as those blue-green eyes of his tried to get hold of yours, - seemingly wanting to extract out of them secrets he seemed to suspect they held tight.

All throughout the flight, he had been in a most jovial mood, cracking a joke here and there as he recalled with you the fun aspects of places and events you both once found yourselves in: over in Europe... down in America....and even right where you were bound for... the Philippines! It was a bit embarrassing for you that he’d been in places in your own country that you, yourself, haven’t been to considering the fact that you were the Filipino!

But gratefully, you had noticed that he had a way of leading the conversation always to a safe and pleasant mode whenever it put either of you into a corner of discomfort. For instance, when you started to talk about that part of his life where his Thai wife and he had to break up in a divorce suit..... or when it was about an advertizing job you had so wanted but was given to another for reasons of race... or when in about half a dozen instances you or he recalled something that just wasn’t a happy thought, he’d reroute it in such a way that it simply transformed into a humorous news bit or a fun story. You thought he was that good and you admired him for it. In fact, things you were starting to like in him were starting to pile up.

And then that flight ended - putting each of you into his own way.

The reminiscing brought a smile on your face. That flight was just a couple of weeks back, you recall, but funny how those weeks had shelved that memory. You had gone home for an invitational academic talk you had to give at your home university and in between the preparations for the task, there had been the activities you couldn’t forgo with colleagues, close friends and family. Your schedule of events had been heavy, time simply flew past. And now, you have to fly back to Malaysia. In fact, the announcement that seat belts may now be disengaged is being flashed. So you continue to make figures out of the clouds gently breezing past your window.

Your peace and quiet is suddenly invaded by a presence. One of the flight attendants is standing in front of the passenger at your left, and she’s asking him if he would like to swap seats with another passenger from Business Class. As ordinarily expected, your seat mate readily consents. And in your mind, you wonder who the foolish person is who would want to do this. In a matter of seconds, you get your answer. Your heart skips a bit as a tall German guy strides down the aisle towards you beaming with that characteristic smile you very well know.

Strange how you were just remembering him and the moments with him from just one flight ago. Now a thousand and one questions flood your mind. “How is it that this is happening?” you ask yourself as you fight to control that surge of emotion. “But a lot of time later for the answers,” you seem able to calm yourself down after all. Now he is seated once again beside you. He turns to you, extending his hand for a shake as he says warmly, “Hi! I believe your name is Linda? Glad to meet you, Ms. My name is Fred, by the way!” And he breaks into that low, melodic, laughter of his!

********************

This Neptune of a Man

2020-09-26T05:39:00.001-07:00

This Neptune of a Man

he dives into the depths
of green and cool delight
and goes after them in flight
into the wilderness of might

unknown to creatures of air
and too just perhaps of earth
to fill not need of man for food
technique instead to catch and hold

then out of water he emerges
a bunch of them a string of fish
in colors red and blue and orange
majestic hand triumphant eyes

he lays them on a table beneath
a tree a sign take some it's free
to the relish of the townsfolk total
to the gratitude of friends

this neptune of a man he reigns
of the waters a king a royalty
yet heart benevolent so amiable
know more of him i yearn I strive

For: Ronald Cielo Gido Alasco

Moments

2020-09-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

September 26, 2014 at 10:05 PMSouthbury, CT, United States

They don't last long- that's why they're called moments -
But definitely some - some moments are perfect!

2020-04-14T04:34:00.002-07:00

never have I had
this luxury of time
for thought and moment
for life and meaning

in the midst of sky and firmament
throughout thought and argument
is silence across mind and reason
across heart and emotion

listen to your heart
for once beloved
and there find embedded
in every beat my own

who loves really
loves for all time
and not only
from time to time

Michael -Thoughts of you

2020-02-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

(Thought Random)

Baby, each time I think of you, suddenly there's only the

moon and the stars and the cool breeze of the night - or else, there's

only the soft sunshine with a few strands of clouds against the

beautiful blue - and then, there's just you and me in a world I feel is

just that - just you and me and nothing else except this lovely feeling of your love for me that makes

me love you back in a passionately intense way I can't explain - so unexplainable but so much joy

and happiness it fills me with that I wonder if this is truly real. My love, please tell me, is this real?

A Translation

2020-02-28T07:39:00.002-08:00

"If past memories
come back to me
I will choose to remember
Only the good ones
So I only have
The beauty of tomorrow. "

no bilang sarungkarannak
laglagip ti napalabas
nginabras ni ragsak laeng
iti nakemko innak idulin
tapno iti biag a sumangbay
iti tunggal kanito inna ipa-ay
kinalibnos ken kinalapsat
nga arig maris bullalayaw

2020-02-24T09:25:00.002-08:00

Snow rages outside while
warmth permeates inside.
And you ask me
which of these I choose?

Well, let me say I love the
cozy feel of book in hand,
the goodness of coffee rich
in taste and smell, yes, both -
that touch of resurrection
as it slithers down my throat,
with background clarinet sounds
mellow as only Acker Bilk can
have it through my earphones wend
and have my day complete.

And yet, I come to think of it,
make up my mind and say
with outstretched arms and eyes
to'ards heaven: lead me to the outside
please - let the outline bare of trees
fascinate, delight my sight.
as with carpets of total whiteness
wrap my spirit in celestial splendor,
let me revel in the snow, in that wind,
in that captivating sense -of
the raw and freezing cold
yet in most sublime magnificence.

Thus, in this the wintry part of weather,
Join me - celebrate the outdoors!

Im Klassenzimmer

2019-03-13T00:13:00.001-07:00

an ocean of kids you had always been a part of

a world of challenges and anxious momentos
day in and day out the mornings turn high noon
afternoons quiet go to dark midnight so quickly

a teacher's life never was a bed of roses
at least not for a quarter of a million glances
yet you contend when lives at your touch do open up
makes each kid your heartbeat - throbbing, pulsating

Day's Thought

2019-01-09T02:18:00.004-08:00

2018-03-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Sonja Chan shared Guerrero Coloma's photo.

56 mins ·

A sliver of Ilokano poetry thought exchange! Thanks much for the insights, Peter!

Guerrero Coloma

November 15, 2014 ·

Apo Dr. Sonja: Dios-ti-agngina iti panangbasam iti Dagiti Balikas a Rosas. Ngem kastay kunadan, saan a nasken a batoken ti kaipapanan ti daniw a saan a ti umuna a level of meaning. No la ketdi marikna ti emosion ti daniw, a saan a nasken nga anninaw ti rikna ti mannaniw, awan duadua a nagballigi ti daniw The writer, as always, is outside the poem, ta no naibulosen ti sinurat a kas iti tumatayab, addan bukodna a biag. Makaulaw, ania?

Sonja Chan shared Guerrero Coloma's photo.

56 mins ·

A sliver of Ilokano poetry thought exchange! Thanks much for the insights, Peter!

Guerrero Coloma

November 15, 2014 ·

Elusive Disclosure

2018-03-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

why your voice paints a rainbow in my sky

                                      why my rain turns sunshine in your smile

                                      how your thunder and my lightning can blend-

                         is disclosure I can't understand!

My thoughts on stray mode

2018-03-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Thought Random

Moments come and go and with thoughts
both controlled and wanton,
I'd like to catch them in here
as always I am wont to do.
Just like now, when I have so much
in my mind waiting to go. But I can't
seem to get them off the ground!
I just cant! So why can't I?
Most times, it is so easy for me
since words effortlessly fill up my sense
of literary creation, if I may call it that!
Most times, the words would even be there
before the concept comes around.
So why in heaven's name
can't I leave base and go for that silver lining
just there for the taking?

My Rainbow of Love and Life

2017-08-29T05:49:00.003-07:00

mellow down from sun and molten
to soothing colors warm and golden
move in resonance in mind and body
with the higher frequencies of life
in cool but vibrant strands of melody
which only the rainbow allows it be

well, rainbows do in all actuality
from rain and cloud into existence come
brighten skies after storm and shower
sprinkle the firmament with dazzling hues
an array of colors in wider out space
picture remembrances realizations too

now by the way there's a song that goes
"red, orange, blue, green and yellow,
but don't forget the purple too!" -thus
apparently assigned just the colors six
missing my white and brown and black
not colors are they but my favorites hey

should the aftermath of rain be allusion to
a newness a realization in the rainbow pray
new beginning, new love, new life they may
then them too colors memories they evoke
maybe just in my mind a simple recall
after appreciative moments of rainfall

next then to the skies my eyes I raise
for a glance of the blue and blacks that
have caused frustration unrealized hopes
of pink and reds that have brought about
a turnaround in terms of happy surprises
thoughts of love blissfully my direction sent

yet more of them - the browns and purples
that allowed in me some resignation in and
acceptance of what by necessity I had - and
of the whites and yellows and greens that then
had in me instilled a spark of hope for aspirations
that most often than not I would leave unsaid

thus softly and gently, gently before I return
to pick up my chores for the day, my colors I
wrap-up in gossamer and with hopeful eyes
carefully for safekeeping let them go fly on to
somewhere over the rainbow high up there
and shortly will I meet up with you there, won't I?

On Fire

2017-07-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

                             fire is like a heartbeat -rather
   than destruction it is life while
   to the ground fire it is true can
   raze whole communities -
   property, livestock, people .... true
   also it is that it can either be that
   blaze that triggers your resolve into
   untold achievement, or simply that
   gentle flame that keeps the love
   light in your heart burning

The Dawn of Spring

2017-07-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

                                            The poetry of spring
                               kinda comes
                         in shades of diverse purple

                                But the essence of it
                                kinda comes
                                in the welcome of its dawn

Migraine Defined

2017-07-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

                                A touch of total darkness,
                     the sound of drumbeats deep,
                     the hold of excruciating pain that
                     rends my head to diverse sections -
                     leaving me in consummate
                    helplessness, it makes me cling to
                    life's one strand of hope for release
                    from this hellish fire that wants to
                    consume my thoughts, my feel of
                    the world, my desire to breathe in
                    essence -

                    But defeat swathes me... and I yield!

The Dawn of Spring

2017-07-15T06:16:00.002-07:00

                                 The poetry of spring
                                 kinda comes
                                 in shades of diverse purple

                                 But the essence of it
                                 kinda comes
                                 in the welcome of its dawn

Reconstructed Time: (a speaker-writer index)

A random recall - May 22, 2024

You sent

May 3, 2024, 2:32 PM

Sometimes

On Time

STAIRCASE DILEMMA

Qigong Warmup and Exercise

RACE YOU!

A Bit on the Poet

A COME BACK

Crafted Among the Clouds

This Neptune of a Man

Moments

Michael -Thoughts of you

A Translation

Im Klassenzimmer

Day's Thought

Sonja Chan shared Guerrero Coloma's photo.

Sonja Chan shared Guerrero Coloma's photo.

Elusive Disclosure

My thoughts on stray mode

My Rainbow of Love and Life

On Fire

The Dawn of Spring

Migraine Defined

The Dawn of Spring