Thursday, July 8, 2010

Change

Two wrecked strangers,
Brought together:
Two hearts to mend.

Change, they want to
Dream, they both do
Try, they strive to.

Patch the same boat,
Cross the vast sea:
Searching for land...

Cry, weep or wail
Laugh, startling gale
Sing, raise the sail.

Two wrecked strangers
Are no more:
Newly found souls.




~anamellie,  070810

Friday, June 4, 2010

Remorse

I hope I will not be able to say this again but... I'm sorry. I have wronged you. I have been as selfish as a dream snatcher that I've allowed you to dwell into the world of the past and made you pick up what you can barely get from your failures. You became sorry for some of the decisions you have made for yourself. There were also times when you thought that the events of the present could not have happened if a certain decision in the past branched out to the opposite of what you have picked. There were times when you thought you deserved the path you were treading on yet you were still mumbling to yourself that you could have chosen better. I admit it was all my fault.

If it weren't for me, you would be happy with wherever and whatever you are right now. If it were not for me, you would not cry yourself to sleep while dousing the feeling of being able to live. You developed a habit of always looking in retrospect and thinking that you badly misunderstood yourself when you thought that that dream would make you whole; or for your supposedly impeccable thinking that that other dream was just a phase and that more things are in store for you. I know that you can never have time back. This is why I am apologizing to you.

This is just the way I am. The past is my strong comfort for I dwell in it. So don't blame me if I speak more of it than others you know.

My eyes are filled with tears and my heart is in pain and anguish as I write this. Please believe me when I say that I deeply remorse the things I've done. If I were to turn back time, as you would have (deeply influenced by me), I would have chosen differently. I would have chosen a path that would've put a smile on your face and would forever set you in high spirits.

Having to decide between two things is a very peculiar thing, because you either choose wrongly or you choose the right decision. Either way, something is lost. And my influence on you made you think that your one decision caused you to lose a dream you deeply cherished! What kind of being am I? I deprived you of your secret longing; the thing I knew most about you. I can never give you anything; I can never undo the wrong. All I can offer is a silent prayer and a desire that deep down, you can somehow find a way to make things right despite of me. A friend of mine said that you are tough, for you have survived loads of adversities and foes. You can still make your life bearable, if not perfect. As for me, I have gone a long way. I have wronged you and it's time for the punishment- my punishment that I would humbly accept and embrace with open arms. I will be forever gone in your life as deep anticipation erases me from your presence. I will become just a memory, a talisman, like a reminder of how you scraped your knee, or of how your mother scolded you when you couldn't get to write a simple circle on your three-lined paper. I will be forever gone. And in my absence, I will ask someone to take my place. Please welcome her as you have welcomed me. Learn from her as you have learned from me. Challenge her, feed your memories of her and you would somehow be close to receiving what you truly deserve. Instead of me, the antagonist in your perfect story.

Please do not anymore remember me. I opt to be forever out of your life. For good. Really for good.

Sincerely,
Regret

PS. Please open your heart for Contentment now... before it's too late.




~anamellie, 060410

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Absence of

I was busy surfing the internet, looking at Youtube videos, commenting on my friends’ posts on Facebook and typing some diarrhea of words at my Blogger when it happened. The lights went out all of a sudden and sheer silence and darkness ruled the whole atmosphere at eight twenty-two in the evening. On top of that, I swear I could almost feel my sweat boiling (seriously not exaggerating here). No, we didn’t fail to pay our electric bill. Nor did my brother play his usual prank of switching off our main power supply. It was (insert drum roll here please) the schedule for power saving blackouts!

I and my four siblings hate blackouts. For my two younger brothers closest to my age, blackouts mean putting the electric guitar to a rest. My younger sister doesn’t want to miss her favorite TV show either and that I think is reason enough to justify her loathing for not being able to turn on “Panasonic”. The youngest of us, our little brother hates -not fears- the dark; I know this because he explained in detail that he fears ‘what is in the dark’ and not ‘the dark itself’. My six year old brother is like that and sometimes, I wonder if someone switched his kiddie brain with a grown-up owned one. I mean he’s so good with reasoning than other kids close his age.

Anyway, the four of us eldest blindly sought the dark to secure our flashlights while my little brother screamed for “Mommy!” who minutes ago was doing her needlework. All of us gathered for supper with only the candles (and the flashlight) to at least make us see the food we were eating hurriedly. After that, we all decided to make time pass by sharing stories with each other which was strange because we usually sleep our way through blackouts. Much to our little brother’s chagrin, I had so much fun telling ghost stories. I would lower my voice and give them an animated narration and with the dramatic use of the flashlight, I would achieve a haunting effect. Similarly, but with different ‘approach’, my seventeen year old brother was so good at telling jokes and lame stories that we ended up laughing our way despite the semi-darkness. My mother told us her childhood experiences and we gained wisdom from her witty and interesting attitude on storytelling.

Soon, everyone was playing with the shadows cast from flashlights. It was amazing how all of us could be creative at showcasing our shadow-casting talents using improvised 'materials' (hands). It was so entertaining that each of us almost had the same look on our faces when the electricity surged again at eleven thirty... and that was disappointment. Our dream world may be short-lived but its end created a new bond within us. It wasn't really all thanks to the inventor of flashlight. And it mainly wasn't for the power outage that things have been different. If we chose to sleep our way instead of opening up with each other, none of the surprising things would have happened. We would have experienced none of those thrills and excitement. I felt like a child again as I realized that most importantly, If we didn't welcome each other, none of us would have shared the individual lights burning within us. I would never forget that moment as slowly, each one of us leap to our beds as we said our ‘good nights’.

Almost an hour had passed, but I was still unable to sleep.

All the lights were turned off. I left them as is, grabbed my flashlight, pen, and notebook, and went out of the house. This was my way of battling my insomnia attacks. In a moment of sudden inspiration, I was about to write a poem about unrequited love. I beamed the light to the notebook I was holding. Then I felt as if someone was looking down at me, and I faced the dark sky and looked upon the glitter of stars scattered like silver dust on a black blank page. Then I knew I was up for a new topic. I mentally crashed out "unrequited love" and the earlier events of the night flashed through my head. I drank in the sight of the twinkling diamonds, muttered to myself, and scribbled on my notebook:

“Without the dark, we’ll never see the stars...”

I smiled to myself, and I smiled at that someone looking at me from above, because I knew it was true.





~anamellie, 060110

Authors note: Thankfully, this post is a brownout survivor!

Friday, May 28, 2010

An Unusual Summer

I was a pampered princess.

My parents may not own a vast kingdom, or it may not be our obligation to feed a whole country, but I was born with people caring for me and giving me the best. We are not rich but my dad earns enough to provide us with our needs and sometimes our wants. But still, being the eldest child of five, I am expected to help my parents when I graduate from college which is, to put it in a cliché way, so near yet so far.

Near, because I am expected to graduate this March; less than ten months from now. This is to say that I have to qualify for the requirements and comply with the necessary units and credits. Far, because there’s this low self-assurance that I would even be able to graduate at all. Being an Octoberian graduate is not even far from possible in my case. Pessimistic though it may seem, I sometimes doubt about reaching my dreams. If you were in my shoes, you would comparably feel the same feet as mine- cold. You see, I was not an excellent student. You be the judge if I was even an average. Lately, I’ve flunked most exams as often as you can say “Facebook!” and I never made it to the Dean’s list. My grades were a parade of 2’s and sometimes 3’s. Oh, I do get 1’s sometimes. My grades were not really that “balanced” as my mom put it (Haha! Nice Accounting pun). But the greatest shock (or maybe it was an expected reaction after all) was getting my first ever cinco, an ugly 5.0 in my transcripts. Need I say more?

The greatest heartbreak I experienced, despite Gibo not winning the presidential elections (another story), was having to take summer classes to save myself from academic distress and being able to graduate on time. Imagine, I was in my Advanced Accounting class while dreaming of smelling the salty sea air and looking forward to the summer adventure I am so eager to experience only to find myself on the same class weeks later, studying the first chapters the same course has offered me one semester ago. To experience such a back track was heartbreaking.

I and my parents’ discussion led to the finality that I should “balance” my “depreciating” grades and “carry forward” the mistake I had and learn from it. Seriously, learn from it because as it may not permanently burn a hole in the pocket, “it is still an extra expense!” as my dad put it. So there I was, still studying Consolidated Financial Statements, computing for Goodwill, Consolidated Retained Earnings, Net Income etc.  while logging on to Facebook once in a while to drool, for lack of an extreme word, at some of my friends’ (the lucky people) photos of their escapades to beach so and so. Don’t get me wrong, having to take summer classes was not really bad in a darkness-engulfing-the-whole-world way. I guess it was because I was not used to engaging myself with academics while the sun blazed its hottest and the temperature warmest. It’s not as if our classrooms are not air conditioned. But still. You get the point.

We were given a maximum of 9 units to “use wisely” this summer. So in consolation, I was able to take two advance subjects in Law to lessen the burden of my first and second semesters come school year 2010. So going to school for a month where most of your school mates are chilling outside the country or chasing butterflies at the province has its plus side too. My friends and family helped me cope with the pressure and sadness of not having the freedom equating the past summers of my life. I was able to survive the academic whirlwind with my close friends who took up summer lessons too. Usually, after classes, we would play truth or dare games that are challenging, fun and worthwhile. Little though it may be, having to see your crush in the corridor can help in the process too. Well in my case- Waah! I do have the tendency to be off-tangent sometimes. Hahaha… So before I start blabbing something quite in the opposite side of the fence, I guess I'll have to put this one to a close:

Even though I wasn’t able to have the summer vacation I ultimately anticipated, I get to know so many things about myself. I grew with me a new wisdom not only offered within the vicinity of our classrooms. I learned something from the experience. I don’t take it bitterly now. I do admit I may have brought that failure upon myself. Come to think of it, I can never be sure if I’d call it “failure”. I’d say it’s a stepping stone, a wake-up call that I believe God has given to me. He has His reasons that only in time I would be able to understand. In retrospect, maybe the most heartbreaking thing that has happened in this unusual summer (really) is when my presidential bet didn’t win the elections. But as I have said, that is another story.




~anamellie, 052810

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Four Things

Rain. I never thought there would come a day that I would not mind being drenched by it. As I walked on the slippery steps at the pavement, I brought myself instinctively home- managing to survive with at least five cars almost running over me. Tonight, I'm in my own world; a world where red lights, fast vehicles and big puddles of water do not exist. The dreaded pickpockets are not even on my head where they usually do. This cold rainy night, I never expected to see you again.

Heartbroken. You looked at me and I was reminded of how you broke my heart when you ended your promise. You smiled at me as if nothing happened, and I wasn't able to understand why I still love you after going through the last goodbye. Why can't I understand how my heart is still aching after those years you've left me for good? I asked myself this as I cried the bitterest tears.

Wish. If I had one, I would have wanted not to love someone like you. As my heart is broken, my head is in tatters not knowing why I loved you... still love you. If I could only stop my heart from choosing you, I would have walked away without the painful lump on my throat. Is it really love that can't be explained? or is it just the stubborn idea of still setting my hopes up?

Dispute. My heart and my mind is contradicting with each other. If I could forget you, I would have already done it. But the screaming inside of me still continue to make my body shiver. My silent tears continue flowing, blending-in with the raindrops on my cheek as I look up the dark sky...




~anamellie, 051210

Author’s Note: “The Loser” (see previous post) from another POV.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Loser

I could never forget the day you stood under the rain. I saw you staring up the sky and almost never blinking. I grabbed your hand but you pushed me aside as easily as if I were a child. I looked at your rain-washed face but still knew you were crying. I wanted to comfort you, as my mind thought "I told you so," but thought better than even hugging you. So I opened my umbrella and sheltered you from the big droplets of water. My brain chided "I hate her! I hate her!"

She gave you her final words and tainted them with lies. She promised to love you when she accepted your heart. It was all a sham. She left you confused and weak and falling down the sewers. She tricked you with the silly word "forever" and sweet-coated her "I love you's".

For a certain, I feel like an assassin ready to hunt her down. I want to rage like a lion just to get even with the girl who hurt you. But when I look at your eyes still full of love for her, I almost restrain myself- even control my anger.

Almost. Because there's still a part of me that wants to give you a serious blow in the head or even a punch on the stomach! Maybe you would be able to know how you have been acting lately- stupid, perhaps even a loser. She was not worth your tears, she was not even worth your time. A girl like her is someone to be avoided "forever". There! I feel for the word in a way she had never gave importance to it.

When you fake your smile, I still feel your pain because it seems as if I'm the only person who knows the agony you are bearing. You have no idea how much I want to hug you every time someone mentions her name. You don't really have a clue how much I wish I could take away the hurt caused by her. And during those many nights, I cried for you, hoping that you have not left to her the pieces of your broken heart. This girl (I) would have wanted to mend it for you...

Still, you are staring at the distance, on the farthest reaches of your world. A world where I doubt I even exist. You are with her, dwelling in your memories of the past, wishing on stars, singing happy tunes... while I'm here, giving you the kind of love I think you deserve.

Who is really the loser? Her, For breaking your heart as she broke her promise? You, For clinging on to a nonexistent string of hope? Or me, For fixing your broken heart that, in the first place, is still in her possession?

In the game of parity, I will never win against her. You will never learn to love me genuinely. You are stuck in the past, gazing at someone far greater than I am. I am here. You are there. And when you glance at me, I never fail to see how those fragments of your heart will never be mine.

Now there's no question about it. I am the loser... and it's a matter of time I accept it and get over you.




~anamellie, 051010

Author's Note: Just another fictional prose.