I was born in the land of plains and palm trees,
soon taken over to a city full of lights, loud hustles.
I found myself torn between the two,
always leaning towards the lush green beauty of my birthland.
Every year, I packed my bags,
spent a few days in my grandmother's house.
I would prowl around like a changeling,
my little cousin bothering me with his madness.
As I grew older, the visits lessened—
the void grew bigger,
and family lines were bent and broken.
My grandparents passed away,
land cases rose between the torn families,
the gardenia plant stopped flowering—
I had no chance to say goodbye,
no chance to shed tears for that home I loved.
I left it behind,
but my little cousin's face still stays in my mind.
When I turned nineteen,
I dragged my mother back
to that lost world of mine.
Lush green, hot breeze,
clear night skies fit for stargazing—
Long forgotten memories,
and the old familial tales came back to me.
There were missing pieces in the constellation,
but I arranged those pieces till it made sense.
Feb 8
Feb 8, 2026 at 3:38 AM UTC
I was born in the land of plains and palm trees,
soon taken over to a city full of lights, loud hustles.
I found myself torn between the two,
always leaning towards the lush green beauty of my birthland.
Every year, I packed my bags,
spent a few days in my grandmother's house.
I would prowl around like a changeling,
my little cousin bothering me with his madness.
As I grew older, the visits lessened—
the void grew bigger,
and family lines were bent and broken.
My grandparents passed away,
land cases rose between the torn families,
the gardenia plant stopped flowering—
I had no chance to say goodbye,
no chance to shed tears for that home I loved.
I left it behind,
but my little cousin's face still stays in my mind.
When I turned nineteen,
I dragged my mother back
to that lost world of mine.
Lush green, hot breeze,
clear night skies fit for stargazing—
Long forgotten memories,
and the old familial tales came back to me.
There were missing pieces in the constellation,
but I arranged those pieces till it made sense.
