God Said No...

GOD SAID NO…!

 

I asked God to take away my bad habits.

God said, No. It is not for me to take it away, but for you to give it up. 

I asked God to make my sufferings in this world disappear.

God said, No. I can make you whole; your body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations;

It isn't granted, it is learned. 

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, No. I give you blessings;

Happiness is up to you. 

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me. 
I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful. 

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. 
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things. 
I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...

Ahhhh, finally you have the idea. 

My Life’s a Tapestry...

And yet oh God, You are our Father

We the clay, You the Potter
We are the work of your own hands.

Alas, my life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colours
He works steadily.

Oftentimes He weaves in sorrow
And I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will He unroll the tapestry
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needed
In the weavers skilful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern God has planned.

"The Layers" by Stanley Kunitz translated by Alice Cuenca

Quoting Victor Hugo..."I think of you most of the time, no matter how the oceans seas divide us apart" (from E. Gabay Agustilo)

Snce I have set my lips to your cupful, my sweet,
Since I my pallid face between your hands have layed,
Since I have known your soul, and all the bloom of it
And all the perfume rare, this love will never fade.

Since it was given to me to hear one happy, while
The words within your heart spoke all its mysteries,
Since I have seen you weep, Since I have seen you smile,
Your lips upon my lips, your gaze upon my eyes;

Your flying wings may smile but they can never spill
The cup fulfilled of Love, from which my lips are wet.
My heart has far more fire than you have frost to chill
My Soul more Love than you can make my heart forget.

May Fate, whatsoever it shall be, find thee ever
Strong.  May tomorrow be as sweet as yesterday.

I, dreaming of thee, only seek to scan
And fathom all my soul's sweet love to you,
Love, sweet and powerful, and everlasting
And find that the great sea is small beside it.

To you my friend (poetry by Alice Cuenca)

Because a stone is glowing
where your heart is carved,
I can outlive the storm in
the alley of darkness.

"a stone true to itself
as I am true to you"

I traveled through the rugged
terrain of my innermost being.
Stumbled down the steep hill
of my conscience.

But the heat of judging eyes,
I cannot be seared
In this battlefield, I wil be left
unwounded...

because of you, I will survive death.
Because of you, I shall overcome.

"hubga ko" poem by John Zabala

Sanguis Christi, inebria me.

Kuhaa kining kaigmat.

Dawata kining kahait sa panimuot.

Putla ang tumoy sa baraw niining kaalam.

Limbasi ang suwab sa punyal sa kinaadman

Sama sa habol ug dumpol nga sipol

Sa nagibang nga pundol sa sundang--

Ang bangis nga berdugo sa kahibalo,

Ang mangtas nga mamumuno sa kabubut-on,

Ang mapintas nga bakunawa sa diwa.

Wala nay gahom, wala nay kalala,

Wala nay kaisog pagdagmal, paghasmag,

Pagluba, pagdunggab sa himalatyon

Nga kalag sa paninguha, pangindahay,

Panikaysikay nga nanlimbasog,

Nakigbangi sa kublan, gikubalan

Nga palad, way puangod, tig-a,

Dili madutlan bisa’g gisulay’g adlip

Sa tayaon nga silab sa labahan nga gidat-ol

Sa aping sa baga’g nawong nga tigtagay--

Mitunol na sa’g busloton nga baso.

-- JOHN K. ZABALA

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

For Sale

FOR SALE


(poem by Adonis G. Durado)
Bangkok, Thailand

 Kasingkasing sa balakerong daku. 92 bpm. Slightly used pero in good condition. May daghang garas sa gugma, apan kusog lang gihapon ma-in love. Dunay ipataban ngaaccessories: multi-tier defence mechanism system, ultrasonic superego booster, automatic self-denial lock system, hypochodriasis synthesizer kit, ug hi-fi inflatable humor. Negotiable ang presyo (ayaw intawn kaikog og hangyo). Free delivery kung dili hangakon. Kadtong interesado, palihug og e-mail: adonisdurado@gmail.com.

In This Time and Age...

Our Communication, Wireless

Our Telephone, Cordless

Our Cooking, Fireless

Our Youth, Jobless

Our Food, Fatless

Our Labor, Effortless

Our Conduct, Worthless

Our Relation, Loveless

Our Attitude, Careless

Our Feeling, Heartless

Our Education, Valueless

Our Follies, Countless

Our Arguments, Baseless

Our Boss, Mindless

Our Job, Thankless

Our Salary is Very Less.

I bargained with life for a penny,

And life would pay no more.

However, I begged at evening when I counted my scanty store.

For life is a just employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,

Only to learn dismayed,

That any wage I could have asked of life

Life would have willingly paid.

From the Editor's Inbox: Every Writer’s Prayer…

May every life experience teach me only courage, forgiveness, and love,

That I may always live my life

As fervently as I pray.

And I pray with all my heart and all my love

that words I choose be blessed with the grace of God

who makes all things possible, all moments right.

May He, who allows me to experience pain

so as to think more deeply and act more willfully,

help me reveal my life’s learning and longings,

that I may touch a life and help it heal.

May every glide of my pen be a song of thanksgiving,

each stroke of the keyboard a resounding acknowledgment

of my right to live a purposeful life from my Great God

who is the Source of all meaning.

When you give yourself permission

to worry and cry, learn and love,

you can claim the right to heal,

the gift to write.

Ang Pagpadayag

Ang Pagpadayag

(balak ni Alice Cuenca)

sa dihang gipaila-ila ko
ang akong kaugalingon kanako,
nabulabog ang dagat
sa alingisig sa kanaway
nga nagsalimuang
sa pagtuong
iyang masupil
ang iyang pagkahulog
sa daw batobalaning dagat
nga bisan ang tagum
nga  panganod
way igong gahom sa pagdumili
dihang kini nakig-ambit
sa iyang bulok.

mahulga-on ang tigpa-ila
apan gihangop
ko siya sa halu-ag
nga panabot

kay imo na akong nalipay

kay imo na akong nalipay 

(Balak ni RSB)

sa akong panaw

daghan akong nakit-an

apan wala ka

busa naalaan akong 

buang sa akong tupad

sa bus

kay nakigsulti ako sa

akong kaugalingon

abi ko'g walay namati

pagkataas pa sa akong 

panaw wa ko kabalo

kon asa ang kataposan niini

wa ko kulbai

wa na akoy gikahadlokan

ning akong

taas nga latas sa kinabuhi

gilantaw ko lang

ang lain-laing nawong sa

kalibotan

kon matapos na man

ang pagtuyok

kon mahupyak na ang yuta

kon maabre na ang baba

sa dakong lawod

ug lumsan kitang tanan

dili na ako magmahay

tungod ka hagbay ra akong

mibaktas ning

halayo ko kaayong

panaw

kon mahanaw na man 

ang tanan

dili na ako magmahay

imo na akong nalipay

Life's a Tapestry by Anonymous

                  My life is but a weaving

                        Between my Lord and me.

                         I cannot choose the colors

                          He works steadily.

                      Often times He weaves in sorrow

                          And I in foolish pride,

                          Forget He sees the upper

                            And I the underside.

                      Not till the loom is silent

                             And the shuttles cease to fly,

                            Will the Lord unroll the tapestry

                              and explain the reason why.

                      The dark threads are as needed

                          In the weavers skillful hand,

                           As the threads of gold and silver

                             In the pattern He has planned.

                      

tanghaga sa atong mga kamatuoran

(balak ni RSB)

i

ang mga kamatuoran
nahisama sa gamayng kamot
sa bata
mibukhad sa napulo ka
mga tudlo

ii

hinumdumi ang paypay
nga naghimo og hangin
ipha kon pila ka pilo inig
ablihan nimo ug pila kon
imong sirad-an

iii

walay paypay nga tupong
ang mga pinilo
sama sa mga tudlo
sa atong mga kamot

iv

sa kataposan ikaw
hiposon ko pagbalik
walay pilo
kumkomon sa palad
nga tago

poetry

Sleepless

(a poem by Alice Cuenca)

Hazy dreams have no colors

still, it lingers on 
a moonless night.

what is the use of daylight?

when my eyes are blocked

with the thought of you...

I have envisioned water,

transparent and limpid.

I am a leaf on a pond 

where the sky is submerged

look down! 

against the clouds 

this leaf is flying

in a topsy-turvy world!

Although these words 

stretched like gossamer webs 

where distance appears

 meaningless, 

as much as I wanted,

seeing you now is not 

even an option.

poetry corner

Inward(poem by Alice Cuenca)

a stone should be 

thrown back to the water 

to regain its luster

and if the sun 

dissolves in the rippling,

I'll just close my eyes

to deny the darkness

and submerge to dreams.

This fallacy of words
that both claimed us,
leaving indentations;
enticing to fill the vacuum...

I am still sleepless 
dreaming of dreams.

A Haiku

a haiku by Alice Cuenca

A Haiku

by Alice Cuenca

To Mend Our Broken Hearts by E Gabay

The frown on your face
Used to be a smile

Those dull sad eyes
Were once so alive

Gone is the cheer
Replaced by despair

Not a day goes by
Without you in pain

Please let us not cry
Like strangers in a strange land

Nor suffer in silence
Of our ordeals

Withdraw not away
Behind those walls

For we have the love
That our hearts beacon

You and I
We'll be healed in time.

ang dikotomiya sa tambaloslos nga nangawkaw sa trono ug usa ka adik nga nanghay-ad sa starbucks

Tampo ni Marquis de Kintolimbo 

hingpit nga kagawasan

    (mugna ni Alice Cuenca)

 Sa pagbagtas mo

 sa taas nga panahon,

 miabot na gayod

 ang higayon nga wa

 ka na kinahanglana.

 Ta-as ang gitahas

 mong mga pulong...

 Ang imong panghina-ot

 naanod na dungan sa

 pagsibog sa lapyahan

 Pag-abot unya sa panahon

 nga andam na ang bulan

 nga moyag-yag sa iyang dan-ag,

 Mahingpit na ang imong

 kagawasan nga makighiusa

 sa kagabhion.