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Irene Apr 2017
we have all touched at least one other person's life
and that is alone is beautiful
we all make an impact
Irene Feb 2016
darling,
why do you look so much
to your imperfections

when those imperfections
make up who you are

you do not need to be perfect
to feel loved
to feel whole
to feel worthy

you are already worthy
just as you are
so embrace your flaws

because behind that crinkled nose and those crooked teeth
is a heart that sees beauty when no one else can
a smile that can brighten someone else's day

don't sell yourself short
because you can't see beauty in yourself

beauty is what's on the inside
not what's on the outside
to anyone else who struggles to see beauty in themselves sometimes...
Irene Sep 2016
i have waited
sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive
checking my mailbox for a letter from a dear friend
crossing off the days on my calendar till a birthday or holiday
counting down the minutes until class gets out

i'd like to think i've always been a patient person
but sometimes, waiting makes me impatient
sometimes i ask myself
what am i waiting for
why am i wanting to go faster
when i should learn how to slow down
embracing the moments of waiting
teaching me that there is beauty in waiting

waiting for that moment to say something on my mind
when i have thought about it for so long
waiting for that moment to say hello
and perhaps in the goodbyes

waiting
teaching us patience
that in the things we let go of yesterday
will soon come to us
if we wait
patiently
Irene Jan 2016
when i was younger, i used to admire people who were intelligent.
now that i'm older, i admire people who are kind.
there's the saying that no matter how educated, rich, talented, cool, or "smart" you are, it all comes down to how you treat others.
and it's true.
choose kindness, because a small act of kindness goes a long way.
Irene May 2016
What makes someone extraordinary?
What makes them ordinary?
Is there anyone who's just ordinary?
Aren't we all extraordinary?
Do we just underestimate ourselves in thinking that we have to do something profound in order to be considered extraordinary?
But even the littlest acts can be extraordinary.
I guess we're all struggling with what we want our legacy to be.
What do you want yours to be?
Irene Sep 2016
God, are you listening? Because lately, I've been feeling distant from You. I feel like Peter when You called him to walk out on the water, yet he sank. But I feel like I'm drowning in this sea of doubt. A knotted ball of string I cannot seem to unravel. Slowly creeping deeper and deeper into this battlefield of questions in my mind. When You said "O you of little faith, why do you doubt?" I could not give You an answer. I do not know if I am turning into a skeptic or a cynic. Faith has doubts, but I feel as though I am longing for epiphanies to spark in response to my questions. Lord, are you there? Because I can't seem to listen to my own voice. Wanting to be heard, but feeling ignored. Waiting for answers, but left in silence. But I hear You even in the silence. Soft whispers echoing symphonies of love songs and truths. Thank You for loving me even when I have doubts. When I feel like I no longer have the strength to carry on, You are there. Always. Lord, take my hand, and don't leave me. Don't let go, for these hands are too weak to hold my own heart. Hold me, when I am falling. Despite my doubt, remind me of Your love for me that surpasses beyond all else. When I say amen, help me to believe it. Let my faith be louder than my questions.
Irene Jan 2016
the worst type of loneliness
is when you're surrounded by a sea of people
yet you feel invisible
and alone
that no one cares about you
and you sit there in pity
feeling so empty inside
Irene Mar 2016
a few days ago, i sat on a bus going home and i noticed an elderly woman with pixie cut white hair and glasses looking out the window and blowing kisses to someone. i looked out and i saw an elderly man with white hair blowing kisses back to her. it was her husband.
i couldn't help but smile. moments later the elderly woman got out of her seat to go outside and give her husband a kiss.
isn't it beautiful that we get to grow old with another person? to be able to live life together, side by side, sticking through the good and bad times, knowing each other's flaws and mistakes yet choosing to love one another. that love isn't just a feeling, but a choice.
Irene Feb 2016
don't wait for someone to come along
and think that you can only love fully
with just that person

no, you are full just as you are
you don't need another person to complete you
you are already made complete in Him
the One who bore you into being
who loves you more than any man could

so even though you're sad you don't have a man
to share kisses, handwritten letters, and midnight texts with
on valentine's day
don't be
why do you look for love in another person
when you are already so loved

love fully, darling
love without limits
love the stranger on the bus
love the person you just met at your friend's birthday party
love yourself
love your enemy
because life is too short to not love others
written on valentine's day (02.14.16)
Irene Jul 2017
we all have 24 hours in a day
the thing is
how you're gonna spend those 24 hours

make it count
july 25, 2017
Irene Feb 2018
life is not a race.
you’re not in competition with anybody.
not even yourself.
it’s a marathon.
your goal in life is to become more like Christ daily.
Irene Feb 2018
you can't be like the world
if you wanna change it.
all the quirks and flaws you
think about yourself,
aren't really flaws.
God calls us to be misfits.
inspired by rosa parks, martin luther king jr, and maya angelou.
written on feb. 17, 2018.
Irene Sep 2016
sometimes she hates not being able to express what she is feeling or thinking inside.
she is able to soar across universes in her mind, yet when she opens her mouth, she feels as though everything collapses.
she gets frustrated because of this, and so she keeps quiet.
perhaps she was meant to only keep those things to herself, she thought.
no one could understand her anyway. or hear her.
but the most important thing, she said to herself, is to be reminded that it's okay if someone can't understand what you're saying.
it's okay if you can't convey your thoughts and feelings coherently sometimes.
because we all struggle with speaking up. and that's perfectly fine.
Irene Feb 2016
there will always be someone who is prettier than you, smarter than you, but no one can ever be you
be you
be yourself
stop comparing yourself to others
because you are unique
you are special
you are one of a kind
be who God created you to be

you don't have to prove yourself to anyone
God accepts you fully just as you are
why do you seek approval from others
when He has already accepted you
Irene Sep 2016
She feels heaviness in her heart
What once gave her happiness
leaves her feeling empty

She tries to write out her feelings
but they remain inside her
like a bird locked in a cage
wanting to go out
but not knowing how to fly

Why do I keep on feeling this way, she asked herself
Why must I feel so deeply
It hurts
It hurts
It hurts too much
This aching in my bones
longs to hear the soft whispers of love
yet I am too consumed in my own darkness
I can't see the light
Irene Jan 2016
i feel like i've always known people
on the surface
and hid my true self from others for years
i crave deep relationships
but hopefully
i can let go of my fear
and just be myself
and i guess sometimes
you need those surface level friendships
to make you appreciate your deeper relationships more
Irene Oct 2016
It's funny, isn't it? How beauty and art can come out of pain...
Written on 10/31/16
Irene May 2016
I don't want to take for granted the people God has placed in my life. I don't want to regret not having said how much I appreciate the people I care about. Because we'll never know when we'll run out of time. I want to cry incantations of love notes and happy tears because of how much I loved and have been loved. Without love in this world, there would be no joy. And I want to love until my heart explodes, and although there will be aches and pains, it is better to have loved than not loved at all.
In memory of my friends who passed away...
Irene Mar 2016
is it strange that i get jealous of a fictional character? to be able to stay young forever? sometimes i wish that could be so. being an adult makes you take on more responsibilities. i am already so overwhelmed and stressed with the responsibilities i myself take on. why must we be so stressed out? perhaps that is the thing about getting older. you learn that life isn't what you thought it was when you were younger. time changes people. sometimes for the better. sometimes not so good. but you realize that all those experiences you had, you wouldn't change or take back, because they brought you to the person you are at this very moment.
Irene Nov 2016
why i do give pieces of myself
expecting in return to receive fullness from others
yet it always ends up in disappointment

why do i give fractions of myself to others
yet they don't even give a fraction of themselves to me
am i sounding selfish
i don't know anymore

i am tired of empty promises, fake smiles, half-hearted laughs and sleepless nights
i do not wish any longer to give pieces of myself
i will either give all of me or not at all
and this sounds harsh i know
but i have always been an all-or-nothing type of person
i can't seem to help it
maybe it is selfish of me
perhaps i will get hurt for caring too much
but i'd rather care too much than regret not having cared at all
despite everything
written at 1:30am on 11/1/16
Irene Feb 2018
quality time is my top love language.
words of affirmation is my second.
i value the time i spend with people, because time is something you can't get back.
i think people don't realize the power of words.
they have the power to inflict pain or uplift others.
i suppose that is why i'm slow to speak and think so much before i say something. maybe too often. overthinking everything.
but it is important to think before speaking.
even though people may not remember what you say, some people remember what you say for a long time. it might be engrained in their minds because of something you said that hurt them.
choose your words wisely, and carefully.
Irene Sep 2016
in wrestling with questions, faith, purpose, meaning, life, and love, may i look to Him for He is the answer to everything.
to run to Him and not away from Him.
may these years and days of pulling at my hair and feeling frustrated of not knowing the reasons behind my questions, that there is a reason for everything.
i don't have the answers to everything in life, and the amazing thing about God is that He is all knowing.
Irene Feb 2016
i used to hate the rain...
the way it would drench my clothes
and get in my eyes
mess up my hair
and make everything gloomy

but now i think i actually like the rain
because without it
how would the grass be green
and there would be no rainbows

funny how it's like storms in life
without them we wouldn't grow

and i love listening to rain at night
the way it sounds
as it helps me drift off to sleep
pit-pat
pit-pat
it's so calming and relaxing

and you can tell how people are
by the way they react to rain
people either dance in it
or are miserable by it
wrote this as rain was pouring outside my window on a late wednesday afternoon...
Irene Mar 2018
i used to want to die
i wanted to end my life
felt like it wouldn't have made a difference
if i weren't here
felt like i had no hope

but i realize
how beautiful life is
if i ended my life today
i could've missed out on so many things

the people and friends i wouldn't have met
the songs i wouldn't have listened to
the memories i wouldn't have made
the sunsets i wouldn't have seen
the candid photographs of me and my friends
having the time of our lives
or just goofing around
the lover i might meet someday
soon i hope
with whom i'll spend the rest of my life with
if i weren't alive

this strange
yet beautiful thing
called life
there are so many reasons to stay alive
and i'm glad i'm still alive now
to be here for it all
inspired by the book "reasons to stay alive" by matt haig | written on 03.17.18
Irene Feb 2018
as followers of Jesus,
we will be rejected.
but we need to be reminded
that Jesus was martyred, murdered,
whipped, lashed, spat on, and condemned
for being the Son of God.
as it says in john 15v18:
"if the world hates you,
know that it has hated Me
before it hated you."
don't be ashamed of
being a son or daughter of God.
we aren't called to be like the world.
written on feb. 17, 2018.
Irene Oct 2016
The worst type of sadness is when you want to cry, but no tears come out...
Written on 10/31/16
Irene Jul 2017
sometimes i get scared if tomorrow is my last day on earth
so i reflect to myself
all those times i felt like i wasted my time
scrolling through my phone
doing nothing
when i could have used my time more wisely

like calling my grandma
who i haven't talked to in several months
telling her that i love her and i miss her

leaving a message to an old friend
picking up a new hobby
learning a new language
reading that book i still haven't finished but could have finished a while ago

i guess i could do all these things
but what matters ultimately
is living in the now
to seize the day
and make the most of it
date: july 18, 2017
Irene Mar 2018
i'm learning to find beauty in the ordinary
just like in the shape of a shadow
i hope i can learn to do this in myself
written on 03.21.18 | happy world poetry day
Irene Jan 2016
sonder.
the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

this is one of my favorite words, because it really opens your eyes in the realization that every single person you walk by really does have their own world they're living in.
each person carrying intimate moments, memories, songs, hurts, struggles, secrets, pains, and beliefs about themselves and the world they live in.
but what if we chose to extend a loving hand to people. in treating them with kindness, respect, dignity, and forgiveness. what a beautiful world we would live in.
Irene Feb 2018
to all my fellow quiet people...
who have felt like what you have to say isn't
valuable, heard, or understood.
you're not meant to be understood by everyone anyways.
but those people who love you for you, cherish them.
those people deserve to know the real you.
stop being so scared of speaking up.
just as mlk jr. said: "our lives behind to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
so speak up about the things that matter.
use your voice for good.
written on feb. 17, 2018.
Irene Apr 2016
winter passed and spring came.
she felt the warm rays of the sun,
awakening the strength within her
to  blossom.
Irene Mar 2018
i'm scared at how time seems to fly by...
someone please
stop this train
inspired by "stop this train" by john mayer | written on 03.17.18
Irene Oct 2016
Out of the longest rain showers breaks the brightest sunshine.
Believe that out of hurt and pain, beauty and light will come out of it...
Written on 10/31/16
Irene Jun 2018
i hate feeling like i'm just trying to survive each day lately...
when i want to be thriving - living my life to the fullest.
but sometimes, it's okay if you have to just get through the day.
you tried, and that's enough.
keep going.
06.24.18 been going through a rough time mentally this past season, but slowly healing.
Irene Feb 2016
crying is not a sign of weakness
it is a sign that you are alive
pain demands to be felt
and suppressing it too much makes it worse
so let it out
those tears you've kept inside for so long
let it out
let it out
let it out
Irene May 2016
the little things we tend to stress about aren't as massive as we think they are. don't always stay in tunnel vision. it's important to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
Irene Feb 2016
we all carry within us a story that is aching to be told.
as maya angelou said "there is no greater agony that bearing an untold story inside you."
and it's so true.
each of us carry hurt, pain, memories, heartache, loss...
we don't know what someone may be going through each day.
you may be going through a rough time yourself, but don't forget to extend kindness to others.
even when you don't feel like it.
think of other's needs before yourself.
life is too short not to smile at the stranger at the bus stop.
who cares if they give you a weird look.
because we all need love, joy, and hope.
be kind to others.
and be kind to yourself.
inspired by taylor tippett
Irene Feb 2016
i think as we get older, time seems to go by faster.
when we were kids, we thought we had all the time in the world.
sometimes i wish i could go back to the time when i was kid.
not having a care in the world about those kind of things.
but life doesn't stop for anybody.
it just goes on.
time is fleeting.

but i think it makes you realize that time is precious.
the most precious thing you could give to someone is your time, because you can never take it back.
the time you spend by yourself alone or with people, you can't take back.
so we should choose how we spend our time wisely.
Irene Jul 2017
everyone has experienced today in a different way.
Irene Sep 2016
there are so many songs you have not yet discovered, people you haven't met, concerts not gone to, things you never knew about yourself, places not yet traveled to, and letters not written or sent to loved ones.
embrace this incredible yet messy journey called life.
Irene Jul 2016
We all just want to be understood. To be heard. To be known. To be loved. And to those people in your life who accept your imperfections and downfalls; those are the people who deserve a special place in your heart. Never let them go.
Irene Apr 2016
perhaps in the moments of feeling lost, we find ourselves.
Irene Sep 2016
I am learning that there will always be people who will misunderstand you...and that's okay.
Because you were never made to please everyone.
7/23/16 11:12pm
Irene Mar 2016
the nighttime caused her to be deep in thought,
while the daytime left her daydreaming.
Irene Mar 2016
it's okay not to be okay.
Irene Aug 2016
sunrises and sunsets remind me that there is beauty in both beginnings and endings. learn to enjoy the journey in between too.
Irene Jul 2017
You tell me that You love me
that You just want me just as i am
that i can take off the mask
i wear so often in front of others
just to make it seem like i'm doing "good"
when really i am hurting
broken
weary
yet You still love me
even when i fail
mess up
every day
sometimes i feel like i don't deserve Your love
and i still question if i even deserve it
but You sacrificed everything for me
so i pray that i would be able to truly
love You in return
fully
july 22, 2017
sometimes i question whether God truly loves me. yet despite my brokenness, He still wants me.
Irene Sep 2016
She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror straight,
Yet he looked at her like he had the whole world.
Irene Dec 2015
I have learned that there is beauty in the silent and quiet.
That you don't have speak eloquent words to be heard, seen, or understood.
Your presence alone is enough.
Irene Sep 2016
how can she express what she's feeling
if her mind is like a warzone
unable to pick out the verses
her heart tunes to

there she waits
frustrated by her own inability
to say what she's thinking

so she writes
ink flown on the pages
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