Aking Ikaw

Sa ika-pitong beses kong pagbagsak

ika-labing apat Mo akong sinalo

palaging sobra ang bigay Mo

kung minsan ay nag-uumapaw pa ito

Ikaw ang ilaw, sandigan, at lakas

ang tanging kapit sa mga paghakbang

inari Mong Sa'yo 'di dahil karapatdapat ako

kundi dahil sa kung sino Ka at ano ko Sa'yo

Sapat nang marinig ang lagi Mong sambit

"Hindi ka maaagaw, palagi kang sasamahan"

"Mahal kita mula pa nung una, 

ngayon, at walang hanggan," nawa'y 'di ko makal'mutan.

Ethereal

I heard you cry and beg for my life, 

like it was something so precious and fine. 

I've felt the pureness of your desperation, 

a plead that reached my soul and became one with yours. 

And perhaps, you made Heaven glance at you and I,

because everytime I'm supposed to leave this life,

your prayers resurrect me before I even die.

And for that, perhaps, you will always be my Ethereal,

A love that expands to the realm of heaven and beyond,

something I could not grasp yet remains realest of all,

a heart that sees the impure so precious and fine,

that I am worth saving all the time.

But, you, my Ethereal, will always be,

always, the one precious and fine.

Stayed and Waited

If you're going to ask me what kept me going

or how I survived the chaos I've faced,

It's because someone told me:

"Just stay where you are,

I'll come for you,

I'll be there."

And that's all I did,

Stayed and waited,

and if you are wondering if he arrived:

he did,

he always does,

and always will.

Between Or

I have been asked:
If you are torn between the two,
Tell me what would you choose
To love what you do or do what you love?

If you have asked me this decade ago,
I'd say it's futile to choose the first,
But perhaps I have become wiser now
And so this is how I supposed to answer that:

Love what you do then do what you love.
Polish those shoes then paint on the canvass you bought
Wait tables on weekdays then on weekends be the skater that you are
Be the rockstar, be the poet, be whoever you love to be

And if as of now, you can't yet do what you love,
Learn the art of finding joy in what you do,
Use it as a ladder that leads to your passion
Love what you do then do what you love.

But if you have asked me this decade from now,
Perhaps this is what I would say:
The goal is not to love what you do,
The goal is to do what you love.

And perhaps I'm wrong,
But I know, this one thing is for sure
To love what you do, you must do what you love,
In order to survive the cruelness of life,

Sweetheart, 
please save yourself
from a life 
that is so depressing.

Spoken Words Poetry: Pasko sa Buhay mo

Lukas 1:30-31

(30)At sinabi sa kaniya ng anghel, Huwag kang matakot, Maria: sapagka't nakasumpong ka ng biyaya sa Dios. (31)At narito, maglilihi ka sa iyong tiyan, at manganganak ka ng isang lalake, at tatawagin mo ang kaniyang pangalang JESUS.

Madalas kong masilayan
tuwing sasapit ang kapaskuhan,
mga palamuting makukulay at naggagandahan
Masasayang tugtugin kahit sa paligid na matamlay
Mga taong abala na tila ba sila'y masaya
Masaya… Sa paparating na wari ba'y isang hiwaga

subalit ako'y napapatanong sa kabila ng magandang representasyon
Matanong ko lang ang kasalukuyang henerasyon,
Ano ba talagang meron dito sa okasyon?
Bakit nagpapagal tayo isang imbitasyon,
Kagaya ng meron ngayon dito sa ating lokasyon?
Anong ganap ang meron ngayon?

Dapat bang magdiwang ng Pasko
Dahil ito'y isang bakasyon…
Bakasyon? Pero bakit tila ika'y pagod?
O marahil abot tenga ang ngiti
Dahil 13th month at bonus ay nakamit…
Nakamit? Ngunit bakit parang kulang pa rin?

Siguro nga'y tama ang sabi nila…
Ang Pako ay para lamang sa mga bata.
Hilingin daw kay santa klaws ang iyong nais…
Makakamit depende kung naughty or nice…
Sila ninong at ninang ay kamustahin,
Tiyak yan na mayroon sayong nakatabi.

Ngunit bakit iyon ang isinisiksik sa kanilang murang isip?
Magsabit ng medyas sa hating gabi
O di kaya'y magabang sa ilalim ng Christmas tree…
Bakit di na lang sinabi ang totoong pangyayari?
Na sa araw na ito'y may higit na niluluwalhati?
Higit sa mga nais mong makamit…

Itinuturo sa paaralan ang history
Kung ganun ba't di natin palaganapin ang Christmas History
Yung pangyayari na may regalong dumating
Regalo na dapat ay buong puso nating tanggapin…
Isang pangyayari na sa kabi-kabilang ng ating paghingi at pagangkin...
May Isang nagbigay at sumapat sa lahat ng kulang sa atin…

Ating alalahanin ang kapanganakan ng Tagapagligtas natin?
Yung sanggol na pagasa ng sanlibutan na sadyang kay dilim
Balutan man ito ng mga makukulay na palamuti,
Kumikislap na ilaw Kagaya nung namamasid natin sa gabi,
Itodo man natin ang lakas ng masasayang tugtugin sa tabi
Mabangi man ang kapitbahay mo sa Pamasong awitin
Hindi mo maitatanggi na ang mundo'y madilim
Nababalot ng lungkot kahit ang lahat ay may salo-salo…
Kung walang ang Kristo na sentro ng Pasko..
Mali… Kung wala ang Kristo sa sentro ng buhay mo.
Dahil dapat ang Pasko ay hindi lang bukas o ngayon.

Ano nga ba ang nasa puso natin?
Kamusta ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko sa iyong buhay araw-araw at gabi-gabi?
Para ka bang bata na nakatuon sa hinihiling at nais makamit?
O para bang ikaw yung nagpapagal, naghahanda ngunit nasan ang iyong ngiti?
Saan ka ba nakatingin? At sinisunod mo pa ba ang kanyang tinig?
Espesyal pa ba ang Pasko sa buhay mo Disyembre man o hindi?

O baka nakalimutan na natin…
Na yung Sanggol na isinilang para sa atin…
At Siyang Tagapagligtas na namatay din para sa atin,
Ang tunay na kailangan natin…
Siya yung sapat na liwanag na dala'y tunay na saya sa ating Pasko Disyembre man o hindi...
Liwanag sa mundong sadyang kay dilim at higit sa kahit anong palamuti…

Kung wala pa si Kristo Hesus dyan sa Pasko sa loob ng puso mo…
Bakit hindi mo siya alalahanin at papasukin?
At iyong mapagtatanto na araw-araw pala ay Pasko..
Yung tunay na Pasko… higit sa palamuti at magagarbong disenyo.
Ating tanggapin at ipalaganap ang pinakaimportanteng regalo…
Yung pag-ibig ng Diyos na nagbibigay kaligtasan sa kahit sino
Na Siyang namatay upang tayo'y matubos
At iyon ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko -- kung saan si Hesus ang sentro…

Akda nina: Berto at Shella

Virtues: Hope

Photo by: Shella Salud

Why do you swim against the current?

                where you feel alone and different

                where things are tough and unkind

                where tears may fall but no one finds

Why do you still hold her hands so tight?

                when she have told you to let her die

                when she have pushed you so hard and far

                when she have given up and never want to fight

Why do you put up that smile on your face?

                while deep inside you’re so much in pain

                while thinking that everything’s not okay

                while believing that later it won’t be fake

Why do you live as if you really own forever?

                though you know you can’t stay any longer

                though life often tastes sour and bitter

                though happiness may turn to never

Why do you still care for this world?

                you see how it rots everyday

                you despise the justice they prevail

                you witnessed how humanity can fail

What is that thing that keeps you going?

                Is it the heart that doesn’t stop beating?

                The passion you always have deep within?

                Or the so called Hope you never stop holding?

Why do you keep on closing your eyes?

                bowing your head and bending your knees

                clasping your hands as He catches your tears

                crying your heart out as He hugs you so dear

Help me tell the world where to get that kind of Hope.

                Because I think everybody needs to know

                Because then maybe the world won’t be so cold

                Because finally they’ll see that with God there is Hope.

Virtues: Hope

YOU Never Get Tired

                                                                                                      March 7, 2012

You never fail to give me hope

I could cry and start to lose my faith

But you never get tired to revive my soul

So here I am praising You above all.

I could write everything about life

Or about two hearts that beat as one

And they can say how awesome and alright I am

But the thoughts I write and the words they say come empty

For without Your glory, consuming me, everything is vanity.

I know indeed, that the best poem I could ever write

Is the rhyming of Your awestruck love and power in my life.

And the best story I could ever create

Is the story of how You saved my soul in the dark

And how You never get tired o give me hope all the time.

You are always true to Your every word

You hold me tight so I wont fall down.

Jesus, I’m gonna shout Your miracles in every town

You never get tired to make me alright

And so I am standing still for Your grace is on my side.