Thankfulness is a candle

Lighting another candle

And another candle–

Giving sun a rise at midnight

brighter than brightest

warm, light–but not scorching.

A masterpiece of art,

In which,

the face

Is a pristine canvass

Of day and night crescents.

Soft supple rosy pair of clouds

Envelop nose,

Embossing, illuminating

On both sides;

On all sides–

Heaven reigns inside–

–Where good thoughts

Are pink mists in cloud nine

And in moments in time, they become confetti of presents tag “To thankfulness, the new kind.”

–Where snows and precipitations

Are fallen intruders lost in commotions;

Who’d quick abandon their pry–

For the cold natured will never stand

The warmth of joy—

The very climate inside–

The royal,

Yet humbled kingdom

Of a thankful person.

The sore angry ungrateful’,

Is but a crumpled paper,

Empty, wrinkled,

Tossed by its own filthy angst–

Trashed without regard–

Didn’t even made it to can–sad!

 
 
 
 
For every flower that blooms;

For all leaves, which kiss the ground in embrace of doom;

For every ripple that is chased by sands;

For all breezes, which caress the trees and heal hard working men—

Thank you,

Wonderful life!
 
 
 
For every morning and beginnings;

For the hard days’ nights and courage to try and try and keep believing;

For every crowing rooster that pays respect to the rising of majestic Sun;

For the horizon that spreads red carpet in bluest sky, dignifying the Majesty’s going down;

Thank you,

Wonderful life!
 
 
 
For every warm food on our table, and the frozen ones in defiant of expiry in refrigerator;

For the eight glasses of water and a Tall Latte, which fuel up this tiny me all day;

For every knitting family gathering and candid photographs of my everything;

For the consensus we reached, which means meeting in between—

Thank you,

Wonderful life!
 
 
 
For every friendship that makes our challenges light–friends are burning candles in our darkest nights;

For all loves, we cherish and nurture–no matter hard the fights–and floods of cry;

For every caffeinated hello to lovers and friends that we’ll never get tired;

For all solemn bades of goodbye in kisses and hugs, and in faith of the good times—

Thank you,

Wonderful life!
 
 
 
For this world, in black and white;

For this living, in glories and strife;

For the laughters and tears, and wisdom therein lies;

For this paradise, I live;

For this hope, I sing;

For this blog, I care;

For the truth, I share–

Thank you,

Thank you,

Wonderful life!

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Is it lingering at the apex
of a snowy mountain?
Is it frosting underneath the sheets
of glaciers?
Is it kissing the gray clouds while
tormenting the blue sky,
creating havoc,
leaving god of heights asking, “Why?”
 
 

Is it idling in the ocean floor
of a catatonic sea?
Is it hiding in the corals
in fi’ty shades of pink?
Is it shying like pale pearls,
. . . so hidden in bold oysters;
. . . so wanted by mistresses in red;
. . . so ignored by pickpockets
. . . all so in love with golds and silvers?
 
 

Is it up
in the bruised infinite arc?
Is it seeping the inflamed cut
of horizon uncut?
Is it among those stars
not in sight:
Sirius,
Polaris, Ain,
Vega, Deneb, Castor,
Rigel, Canopus, Altair, Alphard—where are those dancers who can make this right?
 
 

Is it in kaput,
in abyss?
Is it in the very bottom
of Elysium?
Is it just for the dead?
They’re getting flowers and candles,
the prayers and longing;
While us, alive, and we have nothing?
Why it seems so wrong to perfectly breathe and living without it? Why is it unwarranted for the heart to throb just for itself? Should Cupid and stupids be summoned for the answers?
 
 

It’s more than forty-eight hours since this painstaking search begun; why can’t missing emotion be filed at this time? This heart, though suspected of interest, is rallying in silent tears for the answers.
 
 

Is it in the corner
of dawn?
Is it at the forefront
of twilight?
Is it in rainbows’ end
so unreachable even by the fittest feet willing to climb and bend?
Is it at the far left of sun?
Is it in the closest right of moon?
Can I get there soon?

Oh no, monsoon!
 
 
 
 
Related

Where, Where, Where Is Love?
https://ainabalagtas.com/2015/01/01/where-where-where-is-it/
 
 
 
 
 

Pull a chair,

Come closer,

Meet the eyes without a blink,

Clasp hands between palms,

Speak without a slur, an aah or umm–

Obsolete sincerity gauge,

So overrated!

What comes with About,

Is the voice, and courage.

 

Hate not

Because things are virtual.

Hate not

The bloggers

For being unseen and unusual.

Hate not

For the differences,

Indifferences,

And creating a difference.

Hate not

For posts yet to publish

Or put in private–

Hate not

Any exercise of entitlement.

Hate not at all.

Hate is hate

Anywhere you go.

Hate is cursed–

Always hurt–

At least two

Or more–

More forevermore.

 

Limit not

the vision

to what nickel-sized eyes show;

they can’t show the world–

neither all you need to know.

Limit not

one of warmth

from palms so worn.

Limit not

The hearts

To great things

That can be done

To live and evolve.

Limit not

The prayers and hopes

Of good thoughts.

 

 

Limit not the bloggers

for their greatest posts

yet to fold.

Limit not the bloggers

of any definition

of meaningful posts.

Limit not the bloggers

to post at all.

 

 

 

Hemingway missed

this World–

In bits and bytes–

Is the finest of them all!

Wand-like fingers

have defied space and time.

Godly brains

have known the unknown.

Cultures

have blended.

Ways of living

Have McGyvered and Einsteined.

Passions expressed in posts

are healing the world.

A blogger’s fate?

You never know.

My closest encounter with depression, was seeing a friend suffer– and I can’t be of help. I tried. It was heartbreaking! Of course, I wished to alleviate my friend’s predicament. Sadly, as a pal, I can only do so much. At some point, I had to let go and turn to prayers.

Regardless of devastation, up to now, I still don’t understand, why amid the availability of resources and advancement of medicine, why many are still suffering from loneliness? Is it true that most antidepressants are even worsening the patients’ conditions? I even know an incident of suicide. To think it’s so curable; but dealing with sadness requires a great deal of mindset. 

Another concern, is how the society labels those who are sick of depression (of any kind). For the harsh reality is, there’s a stigma that comes with calling or identifying those people with their diagnosis; which I think, it is as bad as the disease(s) they’re enduring. 

Personally, being native of a third-world country  and as a mom, I can’t afford loneliness. That for me, to be lonely is a privilege. That having a family to raise; a dream to fulfill, my responsibilities can’t spare me a second to despair. That with all honesty, the most expensive thing for me to wear, is a sad face. It could be a challenge for someone like me who is a world away from the people I love the most. However, God is good, and in His grace; I am okay. 

But to keep my mind in shape and my spirit high, it takes hardwork and faith. Thus, below are my 8 ways to stay up and alive. 
1. I keep myself busy. Sloth is one of the 7 Deadly Sins. Inevitably, an idle mind and a lazy body are too vulnerable to evil. Therefore, if work, or school, or both, are not enough to keep me occupied, I get into a hobby (for example, lately, I’m into digital arts of painting and pottery–art is always a beautiful thing). Volunteering, blogging, reading biographies and poetry, cooking and swimming are but few of my passions.

2. I exercise everyday. And I exercise harder on days when things don’t go well as planned or awry; when I miss home; when I earn a B (I’d bury myself alive when I get a C–just kidding) at school; or when longing, or when sad thoughts are looming. Hence, I believe: A fit body is the key to a stronger mind. 

3. “Thank you for the music!” And “Who can live without it;” for I cannot (I’m sure everyone knows). That no matter what time of the day, and the mood I am into, there’s a song for it. For example, my cardio playlist keeps me going better than caffeine. With it (I only have one, but it’s made of 18 tracks), I can finish my workout on time without behaving like a frantic ant or roach. And comes bedtime, I turn to classical music or lullabies to self-produce melatonin as my day peacefully retires (good sleep matters too that’s why 😴).

4. I meditate. I learned that pure breathing exercises–which are “not subject to any religion” or faith dogma–lead to calmer, more focused mind and a healthier wellbeing. And apparently, meditation complements all fitness goals. Even scientific studies have proven, exercise with meditation guarantees weight loss.

5. I write. Being human, I get upset too. However, with maturity, I know, I need to contain such negativity to the confines of privacy. With that, I keep a notebook. But during a direct encounter, I’d pause if I have to; if it’s a person, I stay away (far, far away). It is such a waste of time. Also, frustration and anger deprive us of clearer minds; They impair our judgments; They lead to more desolate feelings–so consuming of time and energy! 

But oops, I dare not to forget: Writing is healing. That reading the truth, and confronting it with our very eyes and minds, is not only liberating–but it’s empowering! 

​

​6. I turn to love with all its energies and synergies. Because, “Love never fails,” isn’t that’s the old adage? It’s healing. It’s magic. It’s heavenly. That it’s with whom and how we share our humble lives, which make them truly worthwhile. But, if we are sharing beds with pillows and dust mites, don’t worry (beef curry)! Hope–the ever invaluable one–and as expressed through optimism and prayers–is way better than any alternatives.

7. I eat ice cream. Be rocky road, coffee or java, mango or ube (Filipino flavors), in sugar cone or cup, with sprinkles, mallows, nuts or fruits, and fudge, I turn to ice cream for quick dose of joy. I eat it without guilt; but, in quantity my stomach can manage. Now, with you, I don’t know what food drives the monsters in you. But please, dare indulge to pull joy if you have to.

8. I walk. Or, I run three-miles. They are not only forms of exercises; but they are proven therapies to anxious, sad, or weary minds.

So there go my ways to stay happy, I hope they come handy. In doing them though, I try to smile. And I convince myself, it’s genuine all the time. Note there are many ways to trick the mind. One is nourishment. Although, there is nourishment of the body, nourishment of the spirit, nourishment of the heart; but they are all substantial to nourishment of the mind. 

Finally, there is science to (and in) everything. Sadness shouldn’t be our recourse in life; worse, it cannot be our “only thing” to the many things we have to thing. To end, I beg to reiterate my bare minimum: 1. The courage to be happy; and 2. The audacity to be at peace. 

Bottom line, no face too ugly to deserve a frown. Smile is such a pretty crown.

God bless everybody! Happy blogging, Happy Halloween, aloooha everyone! 😘😘😘