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531 · Jan 2015
WING(S) 2
Sally A Bayan Jan 2015
)   )   )).    )
        ). ).   )  ).    ).  ). . )
   . )  ).   ).    . )     ). ).   ).  ). )
  ) ).    ). ) ).       ).    )    )      ) ).  )
It won't stay..or stop..g o e s::::.)
fleeting..beyond our ..control :::)
::   ).  )::::::::::::::) ) ::::::::::) ):::::::::)
).  ) ::::::::::)  ) :::::::::::( ::)   )::::::)
Dwell not on lost chances::)
Alas, precious energy is :)
wasted.::::) )   )   ):::::::::)
::::::)):::::::::) ) ):::::::::::)
Nurture LIFE:::::::::)
LIVE!!! :::Regret::)
n o t h i n g::::::::)
Remember::::)
How fast ::::)
T I M E ::::)
FLIES! ::)
!!!!!!!:::::)
!!!!! ::::)
!!! ::::)
! :::)
:::)
:)
)




Sally

Copyright 2015
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
529 · Mar 2019
Flowers and Seeds
Sally A Bayan Mar 2019
:::¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥:::

Easily, another week went by
11:30 pm, another day's end is nigh
gratitude fills my every sigh...
before bedtime, comes introspecting
...... always leaves me wondering :
:::::
did   i strew new seeds of love today?
did i water the growing ones that sway
so they may harden, spread and multiply?
:::::
did flowers of sympathy and understanding
grow within me this day?
did   i ignore someone crying
did i make a sad face  smile? beaming ,
like  those amazing wildflowers along the way?
:::::
there are nights, i could easily fall asleep
then there are nights that leave me in doubt,
my conscience and my thoughts  debate,  keep-
ing me awake....through  yet, another dawn
:::::
a new day, a new chance for my soul... to heed
a small voice ... to give flowers, to plant new seeds.
to  not trample on wildflowers and unwanted weeds...


Sally

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
March 26, 2019
525 · May 2014
HOW DO WE?
Sally A Bayan May 2014
(Whispers)
~~~~~~~

can you feel us?
do you know we are just beside you?


how do we make you feel we are, right now,

patting your back, trying to make your tears go away,

telling you how sorry we are for having left so soon?

there are things that happen which are incomprehensible

the reasons, as well, are beyond our understanding.

how do we assure you, enlightenment, acceptance

will come, in God's time?


our hands are so light, we couldn't hold you, like we did before,

our kisses on your forehead, are like a feather's touch,

but never do touch...how we wish you'd feel

how we encircle you with our embraces....


how do we whisper in your ears,

let you know, we are now above all dangers,

here, where there are no more fears, only calm waters

no more fires that ****, only gentle sun shining all over

not even a shred of violence in the minds, in the winds...

we are in a place where the arms of serenity extends...


and yet, we... we find ourselves still unsettled,

we still do not have that perfect peace,

just by  knowing...


how much you are hurting....

~~~~~~~


(for Maria and family)



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
524 · Nov 2014
DIRECTIONS
Sally A Bayan Nov 2014
<----???----->


When we're          
                    D    
                    O
                    W
                    N...... b e l o w......    
                                                                ­              P!!!
                                                                         U _
                       
                                                               ­      
|
             there's no other way, but......_
|




Sally


Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
***what goes up
     must come down
      but, we must not stay too long below
...   we strive...to rise again...***
523 · May 2017
Knowing
Sally A Bayan May 2017
~~~

knowing your joys,
           seeing your smiles,
                   God, i am happiest!

knowing your pain,
                why do i feel them all?
                             why do i hurt the more?

~~~

Sally

   Copyright 2014
                     Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
This is a repost...an old poem from 2014, about.how it feels to be  a parent, esp. a mother...
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS OUT THERE!!!
521 · Nov 2021
The Hopeful Wait
Sally A Bayan Nov 2021
(This was inspired by Pradip's comments on
      an old  poem  of mine,  "Anticipation."
          It's been a year since...and i still
             go back to that poem, to read
                his words.....to recall the
                    countless waitings i
                        went through in
                              my life.)


Pradip Chattopadhyay › Anticipation
Anticipation is such a perfect word Sally for the hopeful wait.
Let's hope we come out of it more resilient more humane.



THE HOPEFUL WAIT

We wait for something to
take place...desperately,
we count the days, the hours,
for a wish to materialize,

a small voice whispers
encourages us to hang on,
to not think of the waiting
as a difficulty,
like, a cross to bear,
because.....it is not...

the waiting time, the passing
hours, are journeys where
epiphanies unfold, and clarify
our dimmed perspectives.

while we wait, while battling
adversity and weariness,
we must make sure to fortify
our faith, our determination,
our patience, and not go the
opposite way...

some may not agree...but, there is
wisdom in what could be, where
none is certain...we see its beauty
when recalling the waiting.....life
teaches us to welcome, to embrace
the uncertainty....to trust the wait.

............
.........
.....


sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
  November 27, 20
(Thank you, Pradip!)
520 · Nov 2016
IN THE DARK
Sally A Bayan Nov 2016
(of domes, towers and gnomes)
              ...a repost...

The day is at its end
the towers and domes in the city
Are all closed...all hushed up
Abandoned....a lonely sight,
The gnomes of the day are mostly gone
Beware.... the gnomes of the night
Have woken and are now energized
Raring to prowl the dark halls and corridors
Out to the unlit backstreets and corners
Cloaked by towering shadows
all set to play havoc to unknowing  passers-by....

In the dark,

....where all restraints are set free
Where unconquered demons
Take centerstage....

In the dark,

....where the dead gets to live again

In the dark

...where anything goes, unnoticed
In the shadows, where
The dark sky is the limit...................
............................
...........­.................
............................
Until the first shafts of light come in
............................
When all secrets stand to be revealed
.............................
------The dark takes a rest-------
-------as a new day unfolds------


Sally

Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
...a repost from 2013......edited a bit.....

              Happy Halloween to all!
520 · Aug 2021
Forest
Sally A Bayan Aug 2021
/|\ /|\
/|\ /|\ /|\
/|\ /|\ /|\ /|\ /|\
   """""  
Whether  composed,
ailing...or up and about,
i'm always roaming
in this untouched forest,
where trees are tall with
inspirations...abundantly
blooming with lovely
words and phrases...and,
i always find you there.

i see you peeking, at the start
or, in the middle,
at the end...even between
the lines of a poem.

you're bound to mind
by indestructible ropes
made from vines and roots
of a durable tree...you seem
to be, unthinkably permanent,
not  even Chopin's etudes,
or Schubert's serenade
could unbind you.

you emerge from buckets i fill
with water, or from the ***
where i make meat sauce...you
rise amongst tangled leaves of
the asparagus fern, or the crisp
and fragrant oregano plants.

there, you dwell pensively
within my forest of thoughts
because............because,
you are the poem,
the longest, i ever wrote.
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~
~~~~~
sally b


©Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
August 22, 2021
520 · Apr 2024
Rivers
Sally A Bayan Apr 2024
(haiku x 3)

Life is a river
we swim, we drift...a cycle
of rising....falling.

equanimity
is ******* soft riverbed
we reel....sometimes drown,

we give up, they dry
we fight...we breathe....rivers flow!
ripples do follow.

Sally
Copyright March 2015
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
(Wrote this a long time ago, and while writing, I thought of a fellow poet, our good  friend, Harlon Rivers.)
518 · Oct 2014
WEIRD FEELINGS
Sally A Bayan Oct 2014
(A list that doesn't desist.)

1.  These sleepy moments drive me crazy....for, sleep, i can't...
2.  When I close my  eyes, try to relax my mind, that's the time I cant.
3.  Teasing images dance inside this head of mine.
4.  No choice.....I open my eyes again,
5.  I stare through the dark walls and ceiling,
6.  In the dark, the truth is so stark,,like the devil, guffawing.
7.  You sway, smile, you call me, you torment me.
8.  Haven't  got that kind of eraser, to delete your face, your memory...
9.  There's no way out...you are indelible.
10. No amount of distraction could help, not even solitaire,
      crossword or    sudoku.
11. I get paper and pencil, and start a list,
12. What could I do? what couldn't I do?
13. Exasperated, I reach for old journals, turn back the pages, 
14. I read through drafts, my eyes take me to crumpled pages, so wet      
      with sad memories,
15. The painful journey starts all over again...



           This time around,
           so cruel is the  night....



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
***a midnight write...***
518 · May 2016
CORPUS CHRISTI
Sally A Bayan May 2016
I see a thin wafer cake, baked flat and fine
round, like a dime,
called the Body of Christ
i think of it as the bread of life

beside it, a cup...with red wine
known as... the Blood of Christ
quenches all thirsts in our earthly life.

one can't be without the other
never bread, without wine
never blood, without the flesh

i have gone this far in my life
i cannot be without both.


Sally

Copyright May 29, 2016

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
511 · Jun 2014
GHOSTS
Sally A Bayan Jun 2014
Ghosts

Children's voices from a nearby school
have softened
and slowly faded away...
the streets are cleared: no more school buses,
all gone
for the day...
people, stray dogs and cats are free,
roaming the streets,
having fun in the fading light,
even as the dark spreads...
faster, and
wider...

evening quickly creeps upon us,
the dark descends lazily on our
weary minds and bodies...
it roosts on our self-confidence,
too long at times...filling spaces
between moments of fresh air
and deep sighs...
sending in unwanted thoughts
things we would rather not remember...
but---
dismal light from a lamppost
sneaks in through the windows,
and creates shadows that sway
and dance on the wall...
dormant figures gain consciousness,
dragons unconquered start to waken...
out in the dark they emerge:
blag!  blag!  .blag!  
heavy footfalls bringing tremors,
breathing out red flames,
and start spreading terror...

in the midst of a spacious arena
is where we find ourselves...
vulnerable, stripped of our courage,
hiding.....from these blinding,
fiery and scary scenes...
from earthbound ghosts of a dark past
that cower over us...
it is true, darkness fades with every morning,
it is also true,
ghosts come visit every once in a dark evening...

tonight is dark and quiet,
out here in the cold
and pitch black darkness,
i know they would come,
i could feel this weird coldness,
from a weird ghost of the past...
night of all nights!

i must not fall...

i am not alone in the dark!



i am not alone in the dark...

i am not...


for


warm is your one hand, now under my elbow,
the other, lightly resting on my shoulder...
you came, my dearest.
oh, please, let not your hands learn to
hold another's warm body.

may your eyes never stray from mine,

may your arms never falter,
may they never slide,
may they never
fall,

may you always,
a l w a y s,
hold  me right
never loose, never too tight
just hold me
firmly.






Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A Bayan
506 · Sep 2018
Bursting Thoughts
Sally A Bayan Sep 2018
(haikus)


Steel brushing...annoys
but this odd, soft sound.....haunts me
i peeped through the drapes,

thought of gum bubbles
imagined one bursting......as
bullfrog's huge throat shrunk...

Sally


Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
September 24, 2018
I heard the soft sound of a bullfrog one rainy night...I could almost inagine it there hidden among the wet plants...on the wet ground...
503 · Dec 2018
Gems
Sally A Bayan Dec 2018
It had been days and nights of rain,
sun shone this morning, and gave
sparkle and luster to tiny drops
on leaves of the Norfolk pine.
shafts of rays revealed
crystals and diamonds
upon layers of green.
what lovely gems,
the sun creates.

Sally

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
December 31, 2018
503 · Nov 2014
POETRY...is...
Sally A Bayan Nov 2014
(10W)


...........a   h e a l t h y
........p o w e r f u l
i m m e n s e l y
b e a u t i f u l
...f o r m   o f
........h u m a n 
..........c a r b o n
........d  i  o  x  i  d  e.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

-----------------------
***...I am a plant, a tree, an herb, a bush, a ****
the ants on a trail, the Blue Jay, the cicada, the lizard,
growing, roaming...in the green forest, that is your mind
i could be the wind, the rain, anything that comes out with your sigh...***
497 · Feb 2021
Coherence
Sally A Bayan Feb 2021
(10w x 4)

<3  <3  <3

Why do lovers
find coherence
in whispered
silly sweet nothings,

even just
the warm breath
of the one
who whispers,

every "ha?" and "hmm?
uttered
means the universe
to both...

there is more than
coherence
when gazes meet
and lock...
::::::::::::
::::::::
:::::
(who needs words?)
:::::
::::::::
::::::::::::


sally b


© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
  February 14, 2021
Happy Valentine's Day to all, esp. the lovebirds!
493 · Sep 2022
Moon Glow
Sally A Bayan Sep 2022
A cold midnight wind blows.
underneath a moon glow,
silhouettes of leaves, sway
with an enchanting grace,
while “Sabor A Mi” plays.


sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
September 21, 2022
492 · Nov 2018
Changing Hats
Sally A Bayan Nov 2018
Maybe, we're just walking...or working,
merely going through our daily grind,
suddenly, the unexpected pops up,
something hard to ignore...we react...

when circumstances call for it,
mothers and fathers become doctors,
other times, to  plumbers, or carpenters,
even ministers of the church...

some folks, after their nine to five stints,
volunteer....to mingle with despondent
souls, like prisoners... reach out to them,
as priests or trusted friends do......
some swim, or paddle through floodwaters
to give food and supplies to flood victims,
others cross through fires to save lives,
others care for orphaned, or abandoned kids...
nurses, doctors,  even ordinary citizens,
walk the extra mile...help those lost in their
own illnesses.....to find themselves back.
............................the list never ends...

"mysteries" always unfold before us,
their purposes are incomprehensible, but,
they turn us into healers, therapists, carers,
we, at times become miracle workers...

even cold-hearted people were born
with seeds of love embedded within them
in some mysterious ways, the willingness
to change hats occurs, when the need arises...


Sally

Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
October 29, 2018
489 · Dec 2016
Melted Snow
Sally A Bayan Dec 2016
(10W X 3)

Snow covers the grass...now,
Like frozen tears, melting
Graying...

Fallen dry leaves...trapped,
Buried underneath white,
Cold wind bites.....

Sunlight dazzles,
Brownish grass breathes,
Crystal meltings flow,
They sparkle...


Sally

Copyright December 19, 2016
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
...out in the cold, watching snow melt, setting grass free...
484 · Apr 2013
Madly In Love...
Sally A Bayan Apr 2013
The night is low
I could have drowned  
In nocturnal sounds
But they seem not enough
My cradle doesn’t send me drifting.
.
It is like a bout of vertigo...
The moment I close my eyes,
My head starts whirling
My thoughts start spinning
Up there in the ceiling,
I see your face, smiling,
Teasing,
Pleasing,
Ripping my heart apart
Leaving me alone in the dark.

Cold hands, cold sweat,
Unfocused mind...restless feet,
How could I have allowed this
To happen to me?

Why did I?
This is insane.

They say there is beauty
In all these senseless folly,
But it is one I am unable to see.
It surely *****, to be in love...so madly.

Sally


Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
484 · Aug 2024
Here On Earth
Sally A Bayan Aug 2024
Most of us grew up believing
that after death is when one  
gets to face heaven or hell;
but, as the earth gets older,
people's eyes and minds
change with the times, turning
deeper, coming up with various
analyses and conclusions.

Some fight for what they think,
that there already exists
heaven and hell here on earth.
to experience any of the two,
we......don't have to die.

While here on earth, we see
and live...we experience
the good and the bad, and
whatever is in between; we
breathe a mix of fresh and
stale air...survive countless
hardships, physical, mental
and emotional struggles,
are we already being
rewarded, maybe being
punished, for whatever
we deserve?

At this point, i remember
my folks words:  reward
and punishment starts
here on earth, while we still
breathe and have lucid minds
to identify the colors of our
past actions and decisions,
were they right or wrong?


sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
August 29, 2024
484 · Sep 2020
Second Half
Sally A Bayan Sep 2020
⚡️🌧🍁🍂🎄

July was a sweet surprise...half way into August, and the
next fifteen days...proved to be a ghost month....its days,
painted with somber colors, and difficult times, the hours
moved slowest, the sun hesitated to shine this September.
October is uncertain.....definitely, apple pie and cinnamon
scented winds will blow.....November's cheers shall segue
into the last thirty one days of the year....December is the
busiest month, a perfect time to put on hold, sadness and
pain...a frail, fragile joy, dormant as a Rose bush in winter,
shall rest, to breathe again, to bloom again in early Spring.




Sally

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
September 19, 2020
484 · May 2016
WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN?
Sally A Bayan May 2016
C-hoose prudently...let crazy faces be imprisoned in the past

R-ecall...relive moments we went cold with fright and terror

I-nsouciant, we become, when problems are resolved...but, we cannot

S-idestep old fears, sorrow.......Let's do something, for change...We've

E-ndured hardships...we've become sun-baked adobe bricks...For once, let's

S-eek space...meditate...focus on lessons learned...from past CRISES.

                            (six lines of ten words)


     |||||||| ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ |||||||| ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ |||||||| ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ ||||||||




Sally

Copyright May 5, 2016
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
***elections are nearing...***
477 · May 2023
In Repose
Sally A Bayan May 2023
(last night)

The day’s raging rains
finally stopped,
humid summer winds,
cooled into soothing breezes.
:::::::::::::::::
a pink, purpled sky
quickly darkened,
calls of crickets,
croaks of frogs
they got lost in the air.
the day’s noise segued
to a soft echo of voices,
.............f a d i n g
..........g r a d u a l l y
::::::::::::::::::::::
'til burning worries
of the mind were calmed,
forgotten for the night.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
lights turned somber
and amplified a spreading,
much awaited
silence.

All found their places,
their own shelter
in the comforting dark.
nature...was in repose.




sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
      May 17, 2023
477 · Dec 2019
Rap-Tap
Sally A Bayan Dec 2019
(The Chaos)



Sing your blues in rap,
let restive feet start to tap,
rap'n tap your gripes!

a touch of humor
should lighten..ease discontent,
learn to rap...and tap!

words and steps can rhyme
find tempo ’midst the chaos
chin up......rap, then, tap!

in the Christmas air
rap your blues...sky will hear, as,
heels, toes ...touch the floor

the world suffers, too,
find ways to save our planet
speak...dance...let's rap-tap!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::


Sally

Cop­yright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
December 24, 2019
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!!
474 · Feb 2017
WITH THEE
Sally A Bayan Feb 2017
(Edited...reposted)


Time and past circumstances keep us in fetters
Long ago, I sketched this place on paper...
.............a beautiful oasis......
Where trees with long swaying branches surround
Along a placid stream, where crystal waters abound.

This is where i go
When feeling sad, or aglow,
I simply close my eyes
And easily....I am in an isle...

A place created by me
Not just you or I exist, but WE,
It could only be shared WITH THEE...
This, I have aply named, THE ISLE OF WE...

While working on this magical space
My brush strokes just fell into place
Not one, not two ever strayed,
With hues of aqua-blue, foam green...never blae.

I'm between a dream and reality
It is where you are, it is where I want to be
When I keep to myself, when I close my eyes
I am instantly here, in this isle
Perfectly...beside you,
Holding hands, we take in the view

Paradise is here,
In this unknown sphere,
From this isle, I would never flee
Where only I, exist.....WITH THEE.

    


Sally

Copyright February 9, 2017 (edited)
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
Love poem # 5
:( blue, gloomy day, right here, right now :(
465 · Oct 2017
ITCH
Sally A Bayan Oct 2017
(Candles)

A different kind of wind murmurs
a humming repeatedly echoes
restless birds fly round and round
a ball bounces up, down...back and forth
all of these, amassed in one's awareness
like an itchy patch on the skin,
...nagging...

there're many reasons for sobbing
but few are heard,
cries of discontent, of despair,
of mourning, from waves of violence
man-made, and natural disasters...

babies are born under the sun, 'neath
bridges...growing up, bathing, under the
falling rain, in floodwaters of many seasons,
in rivers without warmth and passion...
they get older...get used to those waters,
becoming dark-skinned...red-skinned,
some remain fair-skinned, with disheveled hair
faces aren't smiling...not all are willing
to share their questions...just their needs...
they need plenty....they seek free time
free knowledge, especially food and shelter,
whatever could be spared...and shared
for them to survive...
the world needs new avenues, new routes
for those reaching out, but could not...

a spark...is where it all starts...
the world needs candles to light
keep them burning bright,
flames, be enforced...empowered
protected from being blown...to resolve
even a bit, of the nagging itch...

one would think...it's kinda impossible
yet the thought is countered right there and then

    with God...nothing is impossible!


Sally

Copyright October 7,  2017
rrab
464 · Oct 2014
RECALLING AN AUTUMN PAST
Sally A Bayan Oct 2014
It is showering outside, the air, now colder,
for the first time, i see a tree quiver,
leaves are falling, and blown towards the gutter,
amazing! to have witnessed our own version of fall,
a strong wind blows, shaking off leaves from a tree so tall...
no orange leaves, no fuschia or purple, not even yellow ochre...
this time of the year, they are verdant still, so alive are their colors
mostly yellow-green, some, brown, red, others are like feathers,
falling lightly on the ground, where grass...is always greener.

We are in the last quarter of the year,
soon October ends, comes November...
i am reminded of those cold, cold nights
i had painstakingly survived,
exactly the time i came down with the flu
after roaming a backyard so wet with icy dew...
But this is one season i want to experience anew,
the freezing mornings i always woke up to,
looking forward to oven-toasted corn bagels
and steaming coffee on the table...

I recall that walk through the rumble...
when it rained, i ran and almost stumbled
while searching, imagining a place
where i could chance upon a face...

It mattered not, the anxiety and fear
i felt the longing to be near...
there were only strangers in the view
no hope, not even a trace of a clue...

It was enough to be standing there
in that immeasurable open air,
looking down to the theatre...
i couldn't breathe, the truth was so stark
it choked me...i left before dark...
my enthusiasm was in vain,
like the falling rain...
it flowed, deep...down the drain...

Dream had finally ended...done...and gone...
the day, saved by memories of the late John Lennon..

Before silent nights and silver bells become dominant tunes,
i would like to rise to a similar morning...feel that cold day anew
hear the whispers of the wind, of an Autumn i once knew,
an Autumn past that echoes to this day...haunts me in my solitude...

Sally
Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
459 · Mar 2019
Crack
Sally A Bayan Mar 2019
1:00 am, 3:00 am ... most nights,
thirty minutes without warning,
restless air, chokes the pipes
when controlled, it explodes in bits
of yellow, orange , dark red and gray
skull seems to crack ... or , is it breaking now?
a darkness follows a wheezing,
desiring to spew all malaise  
expelling bad air, while chasing fresh air
praying a stillness soon rules .... . but , no,
the painful exertion persists
that  disturbing noise just goes on,
and racks one's whole being ... one's world
every rib quivers ... every fiber throbs  
eyes and veins start to bulge
as if to burst on their own...

,, ,, , for a while, a calm occurs ... yet ,
another dreaded episode lurks...

on a dark, restless night such as this,
one can only imagine
~ ~ ~ the undulating waves ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ and the blue waters ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ of the tranquil sea ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~
Sally
~ ~ ~

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
March 20, 2019

#dreaded episodes  #malaise  #severe cough
457 · Jul 2019
Haikus In The Dark
Sally A Bayan Jul 2019
🌑

Through a DARK, treed space
a selfish beam lights slim path
this DARK, moonless night.

something stirs...'midst this
spine-tingling DARK....the wind warns:
"a thousand eyes...w a t c h..."

skin is all goose bumps
cold, scared of this patch of BLACK
my pupils dilate,

six steps back, to run,
should i hear evil whispers
.........o'er hungry voices?
:::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::­:::::::::::::::::::
"whsh, whsh, whsh......kitties?"
green, grey eyes rush...one limps, yet,
all share the fish......."meow..."


Sally

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
    July 19, 2019
(A scary night on a scary vacant lot...)
452 · Mar 2018
CIGARETTE
Sally A Bayan Mar 2018
::::::::

...measured footsteps were hushed
....but the floor squealed and creaked
......door slowly, carefully was opened,
.........the hinges...all but squeaked...

cool sea breeze rushed in,
through the glass windows
...and half-opened door,
...stoking the ember of a cigarette
...resting on an ash tray....barely half-smoked...

flowered curtains danced and swayed
cigarette smoke snaked......and spread
within the small space of the sala,
white smoke...blended with the room's gray mood,
...and the low lamp glow.....while on the radio,

Miles Davis' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,"
........................played on...

there was too much noise
in the silence  that wrapped
the cottage........thundering...yet,
unheard, by the lady seated on the floor,
silent...with a cold gaze...agape...though, not
of splendor...from the creamy full-moon above,
her one hand, a few inches from her throat
that hurt so much....fingers reaching,
...towards her slim, silky neck....gasping,
....catching precious breath
'til there was no more......just death...
smoke was fading,
from the cigarette's dying ember...

.............radio was playing,
................"Every Breath You Take."



Sally

Copyright March 12, 2018
rrab
"Every Breath You Take" sang  by The Police...
Sally A Bayan Nov 2013
D i n n e r    d o n e...

                  W i n e   d o n e...

               D e s s e r t   d o n e...

                       D o n ' t   n e e d   d a r k   c o f f e e......


     Sally

       Copyright 2013
        Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
445 · Sep 2014
Whispers
Sally A Bayan Sep 2014
(Love letter 2)

Dear Wanderer,

Already many months have gone by
Hurting times are slowly passing by
Trying moments, I hardly get by.

What could you be thinking of at this moment?
Don't you feel pricking pain in your chest?

I sense your nearness
I can't see you, but, I feel you.....
The air seems to tell me you are close by...
Tell me, why can't the past seem clearer,
Things are blurry, like windows on a stormy weather,

I imagine you,
Staring at me with wide-eyes
And I, staring back at your azure eyes...
I know Somebody up there hears my prayers,
But you...
Why do you seem deaf to my whispers?

My soft gentle words are carried by the wind,
To your ears, why can't they be destined?

Where have you gone now, dear wanderer?
When will you ever hear my whispers?

Why did your smiles
Last just for a while?

I am getting wearier,
One day, I may no longer wonder...

Please, we don't have forever,
Come fetch me now, dear wanderer
Now...or it may be never.

Me-

Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
441 · Jan 2015
LIGHT ALONG THE WAY
Sally A Bayan Jan 2015
A
S
w e
.tread
....along
...the paths
.of life,  comes
a time when roads
t u r n   to  z i g z a g s
sometimes beaten, painful
to walk on...and the blue sky
darkens to gray...and the clouds
hide from us, and the sun sets, and
we need some rays to guide us through.
]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
From nowhere
.........any hour
y o u    appear
b r i g h t     as
morning  s u n
your   BEAMS
ILLUMINATE
you are a light
that guides us
.....through the
[[[ D A R K ]]].

...For Timothy...

Sally
Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario
My humble gift to you Timothy...Happy birthday!!!
Sally A Bayan Aug 2014
Coming home
From a hard day's work,
Exhausted from the noise, stress
And confusion of the outside world,
Where silence and comfort are nowhere,
The pool caught my weary eyes...
Its aqua-blue water, as always, invites as it undulates,
Soothing the eyes, the mind,
Healing the soul, even by just watching
Its noiseless and slow movement...
Its call...I can never resist...

Toes feel the water, then dip both feet up to ankles,
The coolness permeates every pore on my skin...
Finally, I plunge into the cold comfort of the giant puddle....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I close my eyes

I give out a sigh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace cradles me, as the clear blue water moves me, here...there...
I don't want to fight the swaying current...
I just want to stay there, floating, for a while...

Released am I, feeling so pure, dripping wet under the shower...

When I am so sick or too tired, nothing beats a splash of tap water on my face...
Why is that?

My restless feet are soothed and stilled when soaked in lukewarm water...

Why does a small pail of water, when poured over my head, my whole body,
Miraculously, brings me back to my senses?
Like a new born ME has come into this world.....


What is it about water?


Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
*** Many thanks to Sjr...I read his "The Bells Of Civilization," and two words caught my eyes. ***
(nothing much to offer, but something to ponder on...)
438 · Feb 2017
THEY SAY.....
Sally A Bayan Feb 2017
....love is a gamble
relationships are a gamble...
they say,
"tis better to have loved and lost
than never to have loved at all,"
it's a quote cliched...overused, but,
countless times, proven true...

for, no man is an island,

we weren't created to be alone...
we were taught, brought up...to love,
to pass on, the love we were given...

it is a wheel...a process
an inevitable cycle,
love comes....love goes,
it ebbs...and it flows...
there are those who have hurt,
are still hurting.....
yet, they still go on, trying...loving...

for, what is life, without love?

it is death, it is hell...without love...

they say' it's nonsensical....it's foolish,
yet, we humans...take risks
the human heart, most times, forget,
it gives...without counting the cost,
It fights..unmindful of the wounds
it loves...in the shadow of God,

for, our faith always teaches us,

"Love is patient, love is kind.
   It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails..."

(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)



Sally

Copyright February 14, 2017

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
(Happy Valentine's Day to all !!!<3 )
437 · Sep 2015
Shower Therapy
Sally A Bayan Sep 2015
(a repost...from 2013)

/ //| \ \ \
/ / /  | | | \  \ \
/ / / /|/||| \ \ \
/ / /   / | \|\ \\

I am underneath
My eyes closed
Its warmth cascading
Refreshing
Alleviating
My soul, reflecting
Its touch, soothing
Cooling
Calming
So relaxing
I am extending
For my blues, I'm chasing,
Away~~~with the water flowing
My pain...disappearing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~­­~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHOWER  THERAPY

   by

  Sally

      Copyright 2013
     Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
436 · Feb 2018
Wednesday Morning
Sally A Bayan Feb 2018
Am

looking at the ceiling

eyes are fixed on the

white rotating blades

turning around slowly

......oh so slowly

......the monotony

..........hypnotizes me



everything around me

every sound or action

is moving like a snail



the ticktocks of the clock

are droning

the water inside the kettle

is boiling without a sound, i think

thin slices of pork marinated

in soy sauce and lime...frying,

doesn't scare me...the fight between

heated oil and soy sauce

is not as noisy...not as violent

as it had been in the past mornings



i feel them all...slow and hushed

..........as a snowfall in winter

i am thinking of winter this early hour

...yet, it's summer...so hot and humid

...........hot coffee has failed to alter

.......the weary, and dreary airs

....of this early wednesday morning...





Sally



Copyright Feb. 21, 2018

rrab
something that came up at 3 am...
435 · Mar 2014
SEARCHING...ENHANCING
Sally A Bayan Mar 2014
(A Five-in-One...)

The seasons have been dreary,
My eyes are now weary...
I have read a lot, though i still read...
peace, following a good deed
seems so far-fetched..
though the days have stretched...
a tiny voice, i hear...
a whisper, and i quiver
telling me of malcontent...asking me what i want
what i am looking for...for long, not just this instant
there's time, it said
of a road i must tread...
something is lacking
can't explain this wanting...
it unsettles,
i end up in frazzles...
a feeling of vacuity arises
signals the inception of crises,
even more magnified ......
as i search my heart deep inside
looking through my soul
almost sure to find a hole
it must have been rended
waiting, to be mended
must patch it up with new beginnings,
anticipating enhanced endings...
these thoughts leave me with a sigh, questioning,
one that is continuing... never ending...

WHAT MUST I DO?
WHERE DO I GO?
HOW FAR?

NO GREAT LAUGHS LATELY...
ALL EMPTY, THESE  ROARS AND GIGGLES...

MISSING THOSE BEAMS...
MY INNER SMILES OF JOY
PEACE, CONTENTMENT...

far...or near
by air, land or sea,
i shall travel that road
i must seek the light,
the voice,
the answer...
to give way to
the winter of my discontent...

Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
432 · Jul 2017
Shackles
Sally A Bayan Jul 2017
The mountain wind this evening, spreads
its cool fingers on my short hair, like a comb,
brushing strands, away from my face....while
my own fingers are tiptoe-ing, back and forth,
seeking comfort...and freedom,

they're a mix of purple and burgundy
hues and shapes that clash perfectly
they're cold, round, and heavy...
i am weighed down by colorful shackles
my wrist, choked by red, green and gold crystals
the gray of doubt and fears pull my heart lower

"O, please give way,
let my fingers, and my body sway!
let my arcs, loops, and crossing strokes
make their own moves, like frogs must croak
like cats must purr and meow...
leave the rooster alone, let him caw....."

left hand slides them one by one  on the table,
wrist...now bereft of  natural crystal shackles
shortly, this dry spell would turn into a surge
night could offer a ditty or a dirge

free hand, black pen, unicorn paper weight
crisp yellow pad....old lamp, still bright
newly sandpapered desk of pine
all are ready, one busy night...a glass of wine...


Sally

Copyright July 23, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
...kinda dry tonight,,,playing with strands of agate, sodalite, tiger's eye,
   goldstone, and other semi-precious stones...all cold to the touch...
431 · Nov 2014
SEASONS CHANGING
Sally A Bayan Nov 2014
Seasons Changing
  (14X10)


First five months, things are taken in stride, everything easy,
One day at a time...summer sun makes me lazy...
June, July, and August are unpredictably sunny, rainy or stormy...
Days start to become dreary, the downpour affects me deeply
Yet, my heart beats faster now...these months stir anxiety,
Reminders come regularly now, as the hours pass by swiftly...
Expectations, rising... I meet September winds with much longing,
As I count the hours, the days, the weeks approaching...
The moment is here...busy October has gone, finally over,
I feel the chilly winds of December, in early November...
My whole body shivers, almost surrendering to this bursting cold,
As a blanket warms me and my socks-wrapped frozen toes...
Autumn colors, snowy sights, and freezing nights overcome me...
But somber thoughts, moments, travel with me, on this evening flight.



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
425 · Feb 2021
French Windows
Sally A Bayan Feb 2021
(one Tuesday morning)

Small circles of steam rise
from seething ground shiny beans
soaring just within
touching the glass surfaces
of the french windows,

celebrating mid morning blessings
sun is bright yellow, kindly shining,
simultaneously, it showers
touching...nourishing
hydrangeas, purplish wood sorrels
snake plants, lilies...and my soul.

there's laughing and hurrying to gather
near-dry clothes from the clothesline,
the rush adds fun to the day's delight,
forgetting for a while life's sad plights.

sun and rain, together,
influence my day, my life, my future
there's a small voice i always endure
i listen, though, with some pressure
to possible changes in my future

i ponder, but my eyes are captured
they stray further, as two yellow birds
perch and search for food
upon the sturdy pine tree.

eyes blink on, trying to recapture
earlier thoughts...i see, there are

no more circles of steam
to reflect on....they
have now vanished,
found their way
::::::
out--
::::::
of the
french
windows...
:::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::


sally b
© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
February 24, 2021
422 · Nov 2017
Broken Trail
Sally A Bayan Nov 2017
...words,  at times,      f
                                       a                    
                                   l
                               l

                          in   a    

                        c
                      r
                        o
                             o
                                  k
                                e
                            d
                                  row...


when gathering thoughts
when establishing a message
when trying to put words
in their right places
...they sometimes end up
............in   w e i r d    spaces

..................r h y t h m    
is messed...it's neither a poem nor a hymn
.....falling backward
..........it sounds   a
                                    w
                                k
                                     w a r d

......everything else doesn't     j i b e ...
...........time is not ripe....
the poem's moment...is yet to arrive...


        Sally

Copyright November  5, 2017              
rrab
421 · Aug 2019
Universe
Sally A Bayan Aug 2019
On starry nights,
i think of the comets and meteors
that graced the starlit skies of past nights,
of falling stars i chased, as i uttered my wishes
before they disappeared at the far end
and somewhere out there....exploded

all these...were mine...they used to be mine
to hear you say, i was your rainbow...was divine
i was your sun, your source of light,
your moon...your accompanying glow at night...

.............you said..................

day or night, it wouldn't matter...
nothing could shield my glitter
we were bound by long strings of glowers,
ties.....that could never be severed

for, i.....was your universe.

yet....the moon, the sea and the tides,
the wind and the rain.....all connived,
all decided: for now, things musn't jibe
all worked together...to create space
all made the earth move, on a different pace.

we used to be rich with all the things,
.....suddenly, we ran out of everything.

our world...slowly crumbled
our paths followed suit, and swerved
yes, we were clearly breathing
but, WE....had stopped existing,

promises, declarations, then uttered,
became platitudes...stale, and dead.

i am now,
my own Universe.



Sally

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
June 3, 2016
The monsoon season is truly affecting my poetry,
this is an old,  super sad, yet, silly love poem:)
Thank you, dear ones, for bearing with me.
419 · Mar 2017
Winter Haikus
Sally A Bayan Mar 2017
Let not freezing winds
numb, or paralyze your thoughts
give them tunes...write them!

Let the warmth of words
melt frozen inks of winter
spring...is setting in...

Sally

Copyright March 19, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

>>>>><><<<<<
418 · May 2020
Better Days
Sally A Bayan May 2020
Orange and pink hues of sunset
are nowhere...rain pours
trees are talking, leaves are fighting
the violent wind...the shutting of doors
and windows startle...and disturb

no more candle lights on the altar...prayers
have been said, tinged with whispers and
hushed giggles...the tingling of china and
silverware float in the air...the radio is off,
no more worrisome news.....what's left is,

a soothing feeling....the cool wind
makes the curtains dance...a sweet
silence breathes outside my room...both feet are
flexing...relaxing on the bed....waiting for

midnight...to end another virus-stamped day,
the rainy dark comes with a sacred stillness,
we're not over the woods, yet...but, it would be
nice to hear about less, and more:  a decline
in cases, a flat curve...a rise in recoveries...a cure,
a vaccine would disable the claws of the
evil virus......meanwhile, we keep the faith,  
as we wait...and look forward
to
better days.
>-<
tomorrow is another day.
>-<


Sally

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
May 15, 2020
417 · Apr 2020
The Feeling is Nowhere
Sally A Bayan Apr 2020
The sun has become harder to bear
this late April morning.....under
a perfect blue sky, the sun is bright as ever,
it slightly ****** the skin,
grass takes all the heat but is just as green
and still sways to the blowing wind...

we're showered with many tribulations,
bombarded with dim scenarios...revelations

of despondency, death, desperation,
......and of man's evil inclinations...

fear and confusion filter through holes
and tiniest crevices of grounds and walls,

we make do with small corners,
just to create spaces apart  from each other

we hear warnings...talks in apocalyptic
tones...we learn of events cataclysmic,

yet, we ignore earth's stormy winds and waves,
telling us.....begging us to change our ways.

we breathe, we can see, we have ears
clearly, we choose what to see and hear...
........................................................
­.......................................................
.........­.................Spring's sky is all over,
but, the lilt, the spring feeling, is nowhere
.......................................................
.­......................................................




Sally

Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
April 5, 2020
(forget the beach, be safe on home shores
  lest you get the virus and.....be abhorred.)
416 · Jan 2017
Rock Salt
Sally A Bayan Jan 2017
(10w x 3)

:::::
people see in you
what you wish them to see
:::::

:::::
but your mirrors don't lie,
truth radiates
its own light...
:::::

:::::
you may show rock salt,
.......i still see sugar granules
:::::
:::::

Sally


Copyright January 31, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
415 · Sep 2017
Sunday Dawn
Sally A Bayan Sep 2017
(3:00 AM)


Just a few hours of sleep not a fiber of strength felt  in a body lying supine the mind so awake a rapid flow of rebelling ideas could not be contained thoughts quake needing a break in the dark of this 3am morning with the ipad providing light the body seems to languish in its own inertia only the chest rises and falls in silence behind the hills sunday dawn glows

Sally

Copyright October 1, 2017
rrab
414 · Jan 2019
Still There
Sally A Bayan Jan 2019
...it's never gone, just silent...blending,
off and on...surfacing
when at ease, or, unwinding
as grown ups....closing, opening palms
while hearing, or sharing words of wisdom...

that smiling carefree soul,
always captured...always held in awe
by colorful arches of rainbows
and swings and seesaws...
drawn to the sandy sea shore
in the spring or summer
while watching big and small kites soar
savoring freedom up in the air------
...floats upon sight of lighted Christmas trees
and red poinsettias...quivers on a cold breeze,
thrilled, when snow falls and it starts to freeze..

a fresh kicking energy within, glows,
it musn't stop....no one needs to know
about this soul...mellowed, yet young... hidden,
but not imprisoned
there're a thousand and one reasons
throughout life's alternating seasons,
the child in you and me,...must live on...


Sally

©Rosalia Rosario A. bayan
January 21, 2019
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