One day, back when I was six-years old, I woke up to the ruckus of five of my favorite cousins visiting. While I was accustomed to seeing them during the weekends, the midweek visit was an unexpected, but absolutely welcome treat. While my cousins and I debriefed, my mother and their father, my uncle, spoke quietly and urgently. Apparently, my cousins were not just visiting: they were to spend the week with us while the plumbers fixed a major leak in their house. My heart fluttered at the news:...

No machine able to transport people to the past or future has ever been made; nor has there been an invention so that someone can be teleported to another land. Nevertheless, humans have always had a special tool capable of doing both tasks at the same time. It has been with humanity since many centuries ago. It’s surprising that some have never seen its power or taken advantage of its benefits. Certainly, when someone applies it, he or she, for some hours, can decide where to be. Which is thi...

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you notice what you think of yourself or do you notice the things others say to you?I remembered back in high school, from big me, I turned into thin me. And back then, when I came into a family reunion they said: "HUY! ANONG GINAWA MO?! BAKIT PUMAYAT KA!?" What did you do? You look so thin. So I thought being thin was a bad thing and I did everything to gain the fat I lost. Two years after that I forgot about being conscious. Instead,...

II’m seventeen now, if you recall. When flower shops filled with young girls purchasing carnations for their mothers in May, could you identify my tanned face, slant eyes, and dark hair in the crowd - or did you see only a mass of identical twins? Did you mark on the calendar the senior prom you would never attend? As the neighborhood children grew restless and learned their letters, I wonder if you remembered I wanted to enter primary school. I wanted to wrap my tiny, crooked fingers around y...

On the edge of the world Lies a beautiful girlShe looks near and farWaiting to find solace Her eyes sparkle like a sapphire Blue glistening reflectionEagerly searching For answers Lips as red as rose Reading out a messageTo be sent up and aboveFor the lords to hear“Oh almighty”, she mumbled The hands held tightly On her knees she wasShe began her PrayerRiches was not her requestIt did not entail glamour It was never for mansions A Rolls-Royce did not even make it close Tears rolled downShe r...

PART 1A wide, warm smile spills across your daughter’s face as she snuggles into the crook of your arm. The mirth of her giggle is infectious as she happily watches the cut to the credits of Frozen for the third time that week. While you admit you might not have been paying full attention during all three screenings (it had been a long week at work), the pure content on her face makes it all worth it. A small voice that all parents have also acknowledges that it’s a good way to get her tired...

Child of mineHow lucky you are to be aliveTo be able to fill your lungs with airTo be able to feel the wind on your skinTo be able to smell the flowers on the streetOh child of mineYou are loved.Child of mineHow lucky you are to be aliveTo be able to see the stars, moon and skyTo see and feel the gift of nature To be able to dream, smile and fartYou are beautifulYou are blessed beyond measureOh child of mineYou are loved.Child of mineHow lucky you are to be aliveTo be able to wake up everydayTo...

To the most beautiful woman who has an endless reservoir of love for a heart- a love that transcends through time not even death can dissipate- a love that feels like home- this one’s for you, Nanay. I spent my childhood clinging to your arms and throwing tantrums whenever you’d leave for work. There were times you’d be gone for weeks because of the demands of your career, and I hated it.Time came when I was the one who spent a lot of time away from home; I preferred the company of my frie...

Through the window I see, through the window I observe life. I see people smiling, celebrating, rejoicing, playing, laughing, caring, loving, but what I see often is grief, sadness, pain, loss, and suffering. I see people in need, in need of food, in need of love, in need of respect, in need of fame, in need of care, and in need of so much that they yearn for.I see them all but I cannot do everything for them, I cannot solve all of their problems, I cannot elevate them up knowing that they are f...