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2.2k · Jul 2017
realidad (tanaga)
Paola Jul 2017
minsan kong napagtanto:
"habambuhay bang gan'to?"
hanggang sa sabi nila,
"wala, ganyan talaga."


sometime i've realized:
"would it be this way for life?"
until they told me,
"it is what it is."


pbl--072717
From Wikipedia: The Tanaga is a type of Filipino poem, consisting of four lines with seven syllables each with the same rhyme at the end of each line --- that is to say a 7-7-7-7 Syllabic verse, with an AABB rhyme scheme.

Thought I'd try to write one, just in time for Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) in August. Challenging, to say the least. :---)

Update (02/18/18) Added a rough translation. Forgive my ****** translation skills.
1.6k · May 2017
rubicon ii (haiku)
Paola May 2017
are we going to
wait until the rubicon
fully vanishes?
1.1k · Dec 2017
katotohanan
Paola Dec 2017
Ang nahamugang salamin ay binuhusan ng malamig na tubig.
Tila ito'y natauha't nagising, dahil tubig lang ang nakapagpawi ng kanyang duda, nakagising ng kanyang diwa.
Hindi na nito kinailangan ang ibang remedyo na makapagbibigay ng panandaliang ginhawa sa uhaw; sapat na ito para sya'y magpatuloy.

Cold water was poured on foggy glass.
It seemed as if it became aware and awoke, for only water was able to relieve its doubts, to awaken its spirit.
It didn't need other remedies for temporarily quench its thirst; this was enough for it to continue.


pbl---11/20/17
I'd translate but I'm too lazy to...


I just want the truth.


Update (02/18/18) Added a rough translation.
Paola Aug 2017
"Walang iwanan, ha?"*
Itinanong mo pa
Ng tayo'y lumisan
Sa munting restawrant.

Wala akong sagot
Kasi, ang pangako't
Hiling ay mahirap
Itupad; isikap.

Lumipas ang buwan at
Magkasama, hangga't
Dumating ang oras
Tayo'y nagpumiglas.

Kahit simpleng tali,
Katapat ay gupit;
Kadenang makapal,
Siya di'y napipigtal.

'Wag magbitaw basta
Ng mga salita
Kung hindi mo kayang
Pangatawanan pa.

pbl/080817
are promises /actually/ meant to be broken?
523 · Apr 2017
weakness
Paola Apr 2017
comfort in a person is temporary
be your own armor, on your own duty
hiding behind someone's shield is a weakness
time for you to have your own, no excuses

**p. b. l. 04/18/2017
Kinda felt ****** today.
473 · Oct 2016
i am
Paola Oct 2016
who am i?
i am a failure
who can't even make it to dean's list
after i told myself to twice.


who am i?
i am an irresponsible adult
who can't even help
around a house that is not my own.


who am i?
i am an agnostic
stuck in a delusion, not in a god
but in a world where i am actually good enough.


who am i?
i am a friendless girl,
with a defense mechanism
of exterior toughness.


who am i?
i am a self-critical person,
that does nothing right
and never improves.


who am i?
*i am a person who feels
confident in my head, but actually
small enough to crush outside.
i feel so ******* stupid, always.
402 · Oct 2016
exposed
Paola Oct 2016
never bare your scars
to someone who hasn't tasted blood
just told my life story to someone who didn't even listen to me, and now i regret opening up without being understood intently.
392 · Jun 2017
wishes (10w)
Paola Jun 2017
go have fun following trends
with your fake *** friends
i told you not to **** with them... why did i even bother
391 · Oct 2016
the greatest love
Paola Oct 2016
Oh, honey
Are you still looking for encouraging words to get you by?
Okay, here're a couple, they're worth a try.

"Do you see the sunrise in every day?
Trust me, love,
It'll take all your hope
Once it fades away.

You think you'll be fine
Because you have people around?
Guess who weighs more on their scale, dear?
Not people like you, not tokens tossed when found.

***** all of them and
Hang out with me,
They won't like you, you're trash and
Forgotten easily.

Stop listening to them,
Only listen to me!
I'll give you the cold, hard truth;
They'll give you fake sympathy.

Are you scared, my dear?
Want to cry and flee?
Then latch onto my words, promise
I won't make you feel worse.

I'll just tell you frankly
What people really see.
I love you, you love me,
Isn't that how it's supposed to be?!

I'll soothe your worries,
And ease your thoughts.
Acid to the wounds,
Those are my only rules.

We're meant to be,
Though, don't think of me too much;
I wouldn't want you getting needy, or
Causing somberness of such."


Signing off...

Your best friend and your biggest fan,
I'm practically family.
The dreaded horror in your mind,
Your own anxiety.

p.b.l.
08/02/2016
Wrote this on a day where I really ****** up. My mind started to replay all those previous ****-ups and I almost succumbed to them, had I not written this poem.

Please give me your honest feedback, I'd greatly appreciate it.
384 · Sep 2016
h.s. thoughts
Paola Sep 2016
I was 15, but still clueless
Not only that, I was also reckless
Soon I'd be going to college
But I still don't know what my purpose in life is

I'm a keen observer, and all I could see
Are my friends, and how lovely they came out to be
I was seeing them grow and mature
Into people I admire, beautiful and pure

But why am I stuck here,
My growth staggering miserably?
I watched as they'd grow with love,
I can't lie; sometimes it brings me to jealousy.

Maybe it wasn't my time yet
Or maybe it's up to me
But I know...

As cliche as this sounds,
Better days will come
And I'll turn out happy.

p.b.l.
I wrote this poem when I was a junior, just revised some parts I felt needed improvement. Tell me your honest comments about it; I'd greatly appeciate them. Cheers.
371 · Aug 2017
how can i be my own person?
Paola Aug 2017
individuality.
the only way to survive is
conformity;
no one gains recognition through
challenging rules!
although resisted, you are encouraged by
obedience.
it's just awful to oblige solely by
constant pressure to be new, but
please break out of thinking it's
prohibiting to be you.
the system is simply
choosing what's best for the majority.
it's ineffective when a single force is
thinking for himself.
it's time one starts
following a mold...

now read backwards

pbl/080817
I'd like to give credit to a poet with the initials/name (I'm not sure) ron. ron's poem named Perfect Inadequacy (about embracing flaws) inspired me to create a poem with the same structure, but focusing on embracing one's uniqueness.

ron, if you see this, thank you so much for your poetic prowess!!
Paola Aug 2017
would anybody care if i died?
i wanted to talk to a friend of mine
checked his birthday, october 8
fell on a sunday; my gift would be late

then i remembered my own birthday
also coincidentally fell on a sunday
opened up my facebook account,
2016, number of greeters didn't amount

to the pain i felt realizing i hated my life
i think i'd become an unemployed, poor wife
who was so scared to reach for the stars
because heights barred her, thinking, "i might fall from afar".

pbl-080117
i'm always so scared of death, the future, not being able to do what i want.
324 · May 2017
rubicon i (haiku)
Paola May 2017
the formidable
rubicon, where it could make
or break what we have
323 · Jun 2017
ironic matrimony (haiku)
Paola Jun 2017
thin-veiled illusions
soon exposed in commitment
to reality
there comes a time where we have to stop fooling ourselves
319 · Apr 2017
turntables
Paola Apr 2017
So the clouds parted with the storm:
"This isn't us, this isn't our norm"

Seemed like no one wanted company
From someone they once depended for glee

**p. b. l. 04/18/2017
Funny, isn't it?
274 · Dec 2017
...i'm done (haiku)
Paola Dec 2017
you ****** me over;
don't expect any kind of
forgiveness from me.

pbl---12/06/17
Not this time, I guess.
258 · Aug 2017
alone
Paola Aug 2017
a man is an island: foremost,
he has eyes on himself,
does right by himself,
benefits only himself.

i am man.
i have my eyes on myself,
i do right by myself,
i only benefit myself.

i could be part of an archipelago,
but when the sun sets,
and i stare at darkness,
all i have is myself.

pbl-080117
i feel so dead inside.
251 · May 2017
impatience (10w)
Paola May 2017
i can't depend on time
to heal all my wounds
249 · Aug 2017
To everyone I love...
Paola Aug 2017
I'm sorry; it's my temper
That gets easily frustrated.
I should be doing better;
Give me time, I'm still so jaded.

pbl/080117
I've been going through some **** for quite a while now, that I sometimes end up hurting others.
242 · Jul 2017
1:00 - 3:00 a.m. (haiku)
Paola Jul 2017
it's times like these where
the silence, light and time are
consumed by my thoughts


pbl--072717
i hate overthinking.

— The End —