071824

“I met You during Summer
Tale as old as time —
Will I ever remember,
When my scars won’t bid goodbye?”

____


I found myself in the same roof where I am today
But the wrenching waves were all gone.
My breath runs dry
Whenever I had a glint of distress
While tomorrow has not yet began.

In the vineyard of my Master,
My hollow core is being pressed down
Where I used to be shamefaced of the intricate details —
The flaws and blemishes, hiting me like a rock.
And even before they heal,
I always get new ones like the newbies…
Like the tattoos in my eyes
Whenever I cry in my own midnight suns.

I write whenever there’re palettes in my head,
The strokes of my Master
Were the key notes of the melody of my soul.
I was about to die until He crossed the oceans for me!
The script became a masterpiece
Regardless of the broken keys
And the missing lines of the so-random poetries.

Ever changing glow from within,
Busted lights all over my face.
Whew! It was a rough road
But the shadows no longer chase me,
The tides no longer hold me back so I continued sailing.

I tried to pause for a moment;
Resonating the hymn deep within me
As I bite my own lips.
It was so hard to stop
When the ink was the shed blood
Running through my veins —
I am alive; and my breath was more than a sigh.

The audience tells me to keep quiet
But I always hear the sweet small voice
Of my Master who’s behind the draperies
And away from the eyes in grim,
Of the fake faces who make face along side.

I run towards Him
In the hidden corners of my prayer room.
It was the backstage where I hid myself
And found it as a gem, bestowing me revival —
Where I felt so secured and loved the most.
And that’s where I hide my treasures too;
And today, it’s no longer a secret
Between me and my Master.

I opened the door for the world to see
For this is where my soul rests
But not yet the place where I truly belong.
As of now, I won’t abandon this room
Where He break the barriers before my eyes.

————————————

“Today, I remember the stories untold:
The skeletons in my previous closet,
The dry coarse land where I hid my wealth.
I dug so deep but it’s not worth the effort.
Today, I remember You —
I will always remember Your Name.”

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It was a poison to see you face to face
Relying on your strength
And making your worst nightmares
Came back to life.

Torn pages, torn soul —
Adding so much pain
Pulling the trigger
Just so you can fly.

You stutter when tears run down
Your hidden gems were treasure to me.
I know, one day you’ll overcome
And I will stop provoking you
To unlove yourself
So you’ll get over every trauma.

I hope you’re doing good
You are my number one —
You are worth it, you are loved
You are never abandoned.

Take heart —
Self, you can do so much more.
Keep running, keep your FAITH.

061224

Malaya kong isisigaw ang Ngalan Mo —
Dakila Ka,
Dakila Ka ngang talaga.

Saksi ako sa kabutihan Mo
Sa buhay kong balang araw
Ay babalik din sa alikabok —
Na ang bawat pangako Mo’y
Mga balang lumagablag sa aking kaibuturan.

Saksi ako sa pag-ibig ****
Umaakap at umaakay sa akin
Pabalik at papalapit Sa’yo —
Ang pagmamahal **** kusang ibinibigay,
Ibinubuhos, mabuhay lamang ako.

Saksi ako sa grasya **** umaapaw,
Nalulunod ako Sa’yong pag-ibig
At sa Liwanag Mo’y nabubulag ako
Hanggang sa…
Hindi ko na masilayan
Ang dati kong pagkatao.

Nagbago na pala ako,
Ako’y binago Mo.
Malayang-malaya na pala ako,
Ako’y pinalaya Mo.

Dakila — ‘yan Ka,
Mahal — mahal Kita, Ama.

051824

You paint my life with red —
And I keep on sinking in your oceans of grace.
You are my Miracle Working God,  
So merciful even when I drown in my own desires.

So closed to death, I mention Your Name
My dry lungs spit blood
And my bones has become weak
For I pierce myself when I neglect Your ways
But you keep calling me
To build altars in Your mountains.

So I run to your grace —
I climb up looking for Your presence
Where I know I will thirst no more
For Your tender arms is my eternal home.

And I was thrown not in the lake of fire
But in your Throne of Grace
Where I can no longer feel the tears in my eyes
For you caught me in Your arms
Where I surrendered my being.

You keep on rescuing me
And Your embrace clothes me with security.
I fear but no longer in this world
I fear of losing you —
Keep my soul, oh Lord
Keep me until forever.

050224

In the palms of Time,
She hears the thumping of her longing heart.
She, who loves to knit her own white dress
And her well-braided hair with dewy flowers
Became her crowning glory.

She waits with her head lifted to the Sky,
She waits knowing that He remembers her name.
And every single day, she writes her own story
And these stories are not all good
But these pages built her soul —
Found and nurtured by her Lover’s deep affection.

The Sun has left the curtains in the skies —
And her Groom kept His promise to her…
He returned… Oh yes, the Groom has come!
He has finally come!

And He wiped her tears before it fall
For the bride was meant to live
more than a lifetime
And to spend eternity with her Lover
Who gave her vows…
Her Covenant Maker, her Promise Keeper!

They will dance in the courts of Heaven
Where darkness cannot enter
And where death has no power.

The most awaited feast indeed
Was granted before their eyes
All the witnesses will enter
The rest they all have been longing for.

The bride was dancing
With so much praise in her lips.
She shouted and leaped for joy!
And it was overflowing!

And that’s the last dance she’s been waiting for
The only dance her soul searched for years.
She loved Him that’s why she waited
But He loved her first —
Her waiting was worth it!

031224

I entered an open door —
A room was before me
The presence was high
And I sense no misery.

When I pray, You listen
When I listen, You speak.
You’re the Author of everything —
You’re the Keeper of the keys.

Nothing —
Just nothing can separate You and me
I say, “One storm at a time,”
My soul was thirsty for more
More Faith to quench the thirst.

When You look at me,
What can You see,
When You measure my faith,
Can You say I passed the test?

When I leave this place,
Does it mean You don’t care?
Oh, carry me in Your arms
I’ll be back, I will always return.

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The Joy within me is a flowing river
And I can’t deny the Source.

If I die young —
I’m sure He’ll remember me…
And every anthem of my soul
Shall weave the letters to portray His love.

I consider myself a dust —
One day, I’ll leave this shell
One day, I’m no longer a vessel
But a dust without His breath.

He holds the future I have never imagined,
My plans will always fail without Him
And I know that.
But my faith, it’s unending —
By grace, I shall live…

For today, I’m a vessel of His love,
Tomorrow, I’ll die too
I’ll die and be forgotten
But I hope they remember —
That Jesus lived within me
And that what matters the most
Then my purpose was done.

031224

Gusto ko nang magwala,
Gusto ko nang kumawala —
Hahanap ng pluma
At kakatha ng isang tula.

Isa na namang piyesa
Susulpot na parang bula,
Mawawala nang kusa
Lilisanin ang mga tugma.

Alay ko ang aking awit
Minsang mga bala’y mapanakit.
Isisigaw na may dawit
Ang sukli’y kaakit-akit.

Ilang libong mga salita,
Papalibutan ng mga katha.
Isang araw ng pagkukusa —
Isang obra ang maipipinta.

022924

Minsan ka nang lumuha’t
Nagtiis sa mga salıtang binato ng mundo.
Minsan ka na ring napatid at nalunod
Ngunit bumangon at sumikap pa rin.

Sinisinta kita
Sa kabila ng iyong mga pagkukulang.
Pagpapatawad at pag-ibig
Umaapaw buhat sa aking kaibuturan.

Batuhin ka man ng lahat
Ay hindi kita iiwan.
Hindi ito isang pangako,
Bagkus ito ang aking puso.

Patuloy kitang ipananalangin,
Hangga’t sa kaya ko pa.
Hindi kita susukuan
Ako’y yuyukod sa Maykapal.

0202824

During Your creation,
You rest not because You’re tired —
You rest but the details were hidden to us,
You do things because You are God.

Most of the times, I do not understand You
And yet You have never failed me —
You have never left nor forsaken me.

My life is short, Lord…
Let no one ****** me from You.
Remove those that isn’t for me —
My great desire is more of You and less of me.

The battles I face, I drop them down
I won’t carry any sword but I’l run to You.
I’ll run to my Father’s arms and tell You,
“Lord, I am so tired…”

I know You can see me —
You even listen to conversations
You keep away from my own ears
And it’s how You protect me.

You have never abandoned me
But You gave so much meaning in my life
And even if the world shows me who I was,
You unveil the truth and set me on fire.

The heavy curtains and the puffy clouds,
You remove them from my vision.
You form new things more than I ever imagined.
And You mold me with Your willing hands again.

I cry to You, my God
I cry for help coz I don’t need somebody else.
I am desperate when I call You —
I am willing to live for You,
So bury me in Your arms,
In Your loving arms.

022724

Wings glide as He hovers and covers me,
The Alpha and Omega has come
And He shall reign forever and ever!
His throne will be established!

All thrones and all crowns will bow down,
All powers will lose their might,
No pride left for any tribe
But just one hymn will be in harmony and collide.

Between the darkest space,
I have found the abyss too hard to find —
Too hard to dealt with
But no strong tower can deny the Greater Power!

To the loneliest place on earth,
To the empty space where hearing
And beating of splendor resonates,
I will call upon the Lord…
I will exhalt Your Name forever!

022524

Kalakip ng bawat “oo”
Ang mapapait na “hindi” ng Tadhana.
Kung sa’yong palad ko ikakahon ang sarili’y
Mauubos ako sa sarili kong lakas
Habang sumusuntok ako sa buwan.

Mananatili akong aliping
Nakagapos sa sarılı kong mga pangarap
At marahil ito ang maging mista
Ng tuluyan kong pagkabulag
Pagkat sarili ang aking naging Lupang Hinirang.

Ni hindi masasaklawan ninuman
Ang bawat sumisirit na imahe sa aking balintataw.
At walang sinuman ang makapag-papahele
Sa akin hanggang makaidlip
Pagkat iba ang ritmo ng Pagsintang aking kinapapanabikan.

Kung sarili ang magiging lason
Ng aking pagkalimot sa aking unang sinumpaan…
Ay mas nais ko nang tuldukan
Ang bawat silakbo ng damdaming
Hanggang lupa lamang ang kasarinlan.

022524

Everyone holds their own containers
And the Day 1 of your life
Will make your cup overflowing —
You will be so, so full of life.

But when the Time comes
And the Overseer checks what’s in your hands…
Will He be pleased that you left nothing for yourself?
Or be dismayed coz you’re still full of yourself?

How will you measure yourself?
What is your standard?
Will you pass the testing?
Will you pass the fire and be the purest gold?

022024

I hear the slow whisper of the air I breathe —
And then, I breathe in the Heaven’s atmosphere.
You call me in a different kind of peace,
An elevation where I had never climb up yet.

I see the beauty that I once forgotten —
Even the joy that sprouts within me…
The pressure of this world will no longer drag me
To the depths of where I’m not supposed to be.

I am more than myself
Coz there’s greatness in me.
And it’s You who see the value
Of my real identity.

You chose me
Even before I began to had my eyes on You —
That blazing fire that met the hunger of my soul,
And so I began to thirst for more of You.

You gave me purpose
In this dying generation…
My flesh decays with the worldly desire
And even my bones will not enter
The rest and the Place that my Spirit longs for.

There’s a gift You give —
A fresh start with Heaven’s dew.
As the rays of the sun kiss my skin,
And I will radiate as the morning does —
To radiate from inside out.

021824

Ikaw ang Buhay, ang aking Hininga
Ang nagdudulot sa bawat pintig
Na noo’y nais nang mamahinga.

Ikaw ang Pangakong aking panghahawakan,
Ilalaan Sa’yo ang lahat
Nang walang hinihinging kapalit.

Ikaw ang Pagsinta
Sa gitna ng mga mapapait na nobela —
Nobelang akala ko’y syang bubuo sa’king pagkatao.

Ikaw ang Lunas sa bawat sakit,
Sa bawat hapding walang ibang makapagpapagaling…
Ikaw ang aking Kagalingan.

Sa libis at parang
Ako’y kusang hahakbang.
Na kahit ang dilim ay walang kapangyarihan.

Ikaw ang Aking Liwanag —
Akayin Mo ako hanggang sa huling hininga’t
Salubungin ako ng pag-ibig **** walang kapantay.

011724



The very anthem of my soul
Is to shed every tear in your arms
And the comfort you shared before
Meant a precious treasure found —
Found in the most genuine kindness
In the most peaceful way
That I can ever calm the storms within me…

My soul longed for time
To bring puzzles into pictures
To depict the beauty I found for years
In the palms of my own ashes and failures.

And in such a span of time and space
That draws me into the vastness of my being —
Then maybe I could say I could just dive
In the ocean’s deep and fear no more.  

If I am to bury myself
And the depths of my heart somewhere,
Would you find this a treasure to keep?
Would you ever believe that I found the half of me…

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Even the oceans welcome me
To be drowned in the depths of Your majesty.
You are the King of Peace, the Lord of lords
And you don’t just sit down
In my mind palace
But you dwell in my innermost being…

I breathe as my lungs dry out
I have no words to utter…
No thoughts to ponder…
But every bit of me
Is like puzzle pieces
Of your masterpiece within me.

When I do good, I recognize it is Your heart
And it isn’t all about me…
My life is not my own…
Every trial makes me human
But Faith turns me back to You —
To surrender in the Ocean’s infinite…
And see that Your way is the best…
Because it always points out to You!

The peace you leave in my heart
Like a tattoo that reminds me of who You are,
And Your Words are not empty…
It is life for those who find it…
The only hope that we can ever boast.

The pain, the loss, the disappointments
I can’t count one by one
But just one word from you
Is enough to bounce me back…
In You, I found my identity
For I know You call me Your “beloved.”

The victories, the joy, the peace
Everything good
Makes Your Name claim its place
A place of Your throne, a place of Your own…
You make a home within me —
Not a tenement, but a temple.

All things depict Your glory
And even the darkness loses its power.
The dead air and the crispy sounds of every fallen leaf…
The melody of hope ignites
As the fire turned to blue…
I am nothing without You,
And I can’t do anything without You…
Bury me in Your arms, Lord…