The Gazelle

Once there was a young gazelle who lived in a forest near a farm land. 

This young gazelle was told to stay away from the farm 
and spend his time within the safety of the forest. 

The world outside is harsh. 

See no evil. Hear no evil.

The farmer near is a shrewd man. 
He worships profit and knows how to pull strings to gain more. 
He is evil.

But the gazelle is safe - even with the knowledge of this evil lurking somewhere near. 
The forest would protect him.

Or so he thought. 
One day the farmer wished for more land to toil and set the forest on fire. 

The forest perished in flames 
- and so did the gazelle.    

***

Would you rather die fighting evil? 

Or would you be afraid of it until it kills you?

The world is full of many wrong things, let's make it better. 

SPEAK UP.

the heart beats with the wrong tune

It all started with one broken heart, and I guess it would also end with another broken heart.

He, with a conked out heart, wanted some time to think, to breathe and maybe, to forget the pain. With the sun racing towards the horizon, the air started to feel colder, the bright day light slowly turned to bright orange and pink streaks, soon it turned dull, then velvet, sooner the street lamps started to flicker and served as the brightest light around. He was seated for hours that the motorcycle parked near has fallen asleep and the crickets started to chant.

She, with a searching heart, came with a book that comes with the title How to be really really HAPPY. She sat at the bench and for hours read the pages of the book until the sun raced towards the horizon, the air started to feel colder, the bright day light slowly turned to bright orange and pink streaks, soon it turned dull, then velvet, sooner the street lamps started to flicker and served as the brightest light around. She was seated for hours that her shoes had already fallen asleep and the crickets started to chant.

He soon met her. And she, met him halfway.
They’ve met on a windy twilight; this bench knows the entire story.

Soon, he was driving fast to the park and she would wait at the bench. He would cry his heart out, and she, would listen with her heart, slowly being filled up. He talks, she listens, up until the street lamps become the only brightest light around.

Soon, the bench smelled coffee, pizza came in too. It saw some smiles, soon, laughters.
And so, he found her, and she found him.

But alas, she found herself falling.

But, one day as they were seated at the bench, she came – came back.
She has never seen him that happy; but she, found herself never been so sad but now.

He took the drooling motorbike, its engine, alive again, he rode off, with her.
And she, was left with her book and a memory.

Minsan, the heart beats with the wrong tune, 

but that doesn’t mean it’s not the song of love. 

Yakapin ang sakit, at hayaang tumibok ang puso. It’ll grow tired soon, and move on.

the hunter and the hunted

[fiction] originally written: 10.5.10

It was a rainy day and I was on my red hood running through the wet forest floor off to the south were the trees that grows beehives trod. I was running fast that I didn't notice her innocently trying to find her way in that forest, trying to counter follow the track that I am hastily running on. I was hurrying and she was slowing down – then there was a bump. 

Ouch! - and so that’s how I first saw Snowwhite.

I didn't like her for that; she made me roll on the ground and mess my red hood.

But for a while, I got used to seeing her, she found her niche in this forest we were both trying to consider home. Sooner, the forest became warmer, the trees greener and the sun soon was able to kiss the forest ground that calling it a home was meaning it.

Sooner, she found her friends - that included me.

And sooner than soon; she even found the hidden garden where she met this hunter. The hunter was, like all other hunters, rough and tough. But Snowwhite saw the child in him. She saw the beauty his fierce eyes. And sooner than the whole forest dwellers knew, the hunter wooed the damsel who despite her bewitching charm was equally charmed by the man.

Soon, roses grew and the bloomed red.

For long, the hunter and Snowwhite made every forest dweller equally charmed and envious of the love that binds their souls that the world soon revolved around them while the rings bind tighter and stronger.

Until one day, the hunter announced to Pooh and friends that the ring of passion between them has finally died that the roses has withered.

And so here I am, sharing my honey jar with this damsel in distress, seeking the best words, giving her my warmest hugs and trying hard to tell her that the sun shall soon shine while deep in my mind trying to figure out what went wrong.

The hunter hunted the forest’s most beautiful, 

and just like all hunters, left her for another game.

I just don’t understand why others settle for second best.

SONGS from a PIANO

The auditorium looks ghostly, just the way you like it.

It’s almost eight and I know in a while I would hear your songs again. Isn’t it funny, I don’t even know what those melodies are called, but just like you said in our Humanities class, music does communicate better when it’s left nude, I need not hear a word to understand that you have a heart that keeps many secrets, the music you play is enough.

I can still remember that day when you said that, you were seated at the back of the room, denim pants, white shirt and glasses on, you were like the coolest nerd I have ever seem. You were one of those guys, the ones whom I love to listen to in class, the ones that are so mysteriously sexy, sort of.

Since my past relationship, I have never fallen this deep – writing you letters for me to keep, watching you from afar, dreaming of holding your hands. Ah! You’re the biggest joy and pain that my heart had. But I know our situation, you, Adrian Chen, are a university jock, you’re one of those guys that girls here would go crazy for. And I am out of that league, probably nobody to you. We attended the same high school though, but aside from that, I have no other connection with you.

Kaya naman, for almost a month now, I have been doing this. It’s quite pathetic but lurking here at the backstage seems better than watching you play in front of a large audience, your songs here seem more real, more conversational, more meant besides I think there are some songs that you only play here.

These were the thoughts running on my head when I heard that voice, that familiar voice.

‘I would like it better if you stop lurking here, there’s a chair near the piano, I don’t mind having company’

For a moment, or maybe longer, I was speechless.

You know I watch you practice? – was my smartest response.
Damn, I just admitted my crime.

‘Since day one’

Crap! He knows, since day one, that I have been sort of stalking him? My, my, I just want to melt and disappear. But I had to face the situation, and him. I stood and turned around, faced him, who to my surprise was smiling, childlike – a rare thing.

But before I was able to say something, he took my hand. Adrian took my hand! I was breathless.

‘I need no explanations’ – ¬was the only thing he said before he offered me a seat, and played.

I was head over heels. He played ‘I will’ a Beatles classic, a song dear to my heart, a song though which I have never heard from him before.

I have a confession to make. – he said after the song.

To me? I asked.

Yes to you.

You know me? – was my confused response.

Since day one – he smiled, and looked at me in the eyes.

What do you mean? What’ is it you have to, err, confess?

He took a paper out of his pocket, looked at me and started to read.

The paper looked familiar, and I have known why when he started to read.

My T-shirt Guy,

Forgive me for looking at you, from afar.

Forgive me for dreaming of holding your hands.

Forgive me for loving you, hopelessly loving you…

He was not able to finish because I grabbed it off his hands. It was a blog post, at a blog that only my closest friends know, friends I know are not friends with him. Damn, I was really melting then; my eyes were befriending the floor already when he held my face.

Look at me.

I am not good with words, he said, that’s why I play the piano to say things. I play my songs here, where no one hears, where the one I have wrote it for isn’t around. Because just like you, I made sure I would not really be heard. But I was wronged, you were wronged. You have heard my songs, just like I have found your blog.

Confused, I whispered ‘I don’t get it.’ 

Before I fainted, I heard him say –
Gab, I was looking at you first, from afar.

a puppy tail's tale

Once there was a curious little puppy that stays in a cozy little doghouse with his mom. Being an only pup, he learns almost every essential thing there is to learn from her.

One sunny day his mom told him to go and play on the grass. He obeyed in delight.

Running to and fro, he took delight in chasing little bugs and butterflies. When he grew tired, he was treated with a refreshing drink of water by his mom on the patio.

For the entire summer he enjoyed chasing things. He even learned that little kids enjoy throwing balls and sticks which he would then fetch and return. He gets little treats for doing so, like a cookie or a crunchy chip. Chasing things is rewarding, he learned.

And so to say, he enjoyed and mastered the art of chasing.

One night he asked his mom where happiness is. He got curious when he saw a poster that says "I am in pursuit of happiness". The little pup is determined to chase it too, if only he could know where it is.

His mom said; it is in your tail.

 

When morning came, he went running into the grass and started chasing happiness, his tail.

But to no avail, he took the entire morning trying to chase and catch his happiness but he ended up tired and exhausted. At lunch, he asked his mom why he can’t catch his tail, his happiness.

His mom said simply; there is only one way to catch your happiness; stop chasing and move on, then your happiness would surely follow.