SIP YOUR TEA, NICE AND SLOW

Shared by Nestor Punzalan Crisostomo:

A poem by Prof Anne Lee Tzu Pheng (Singapore Cultural Medallion winner). She was formerly in the English Literature Dept in NUS. This is a powerful poem on human friendship and loving one another.

Sip your Tea

Nice and Slow

No one Ever knows

when it’s Time to Go,

There’ll be no Time

to enjoy the Glow,

So sip your Tea

Nice and Slow.

Life is too Short but

feels pretty Long,

There’s too Much to do, 

so much going Wrong,

And Most of the Time 

You Struggle to be Strong,

Before it’s too Late

and it’s time to Go,

Sip your Tea

Nice and Slow.

Some Friends stay,

others Go away,

Loved ones are Cherished 

but not all will Stay.

Kids will Grow up

and Fly away.

There’s really no Saying 

how Things will Go,

So sip your Tea

Nice and Slow.

In the End it’s really

all about understanding 

Love 

For this World  

and in the Stars above,

Appreciate and Value 

who truly Cares,

Smile and Breathe

and let your Worries go,

So Just Sip your Tea

Nice and Slow."

When I'm dead.

Your tears will flow

But I won't know

Cry with me now instead.

You will send flowers, 

But I won't see

Send them now instead

You'll say words of praise 

But I won't hear.

Praise me now instead

You'll forget my faults,

But I won't know.....

Forget them now instead.

You'll miss me then,

But I won't feel.

Miss me now, instead.

You'll wish You could have spent more time with me,

Spend it now instead

When you hear I'm gone, you'll find your way to my house to pay condolence but we haven't even spoken in years.

Look for me now. 

 

*"Spend time with every person around you, and help them with whatever you have to make them happy, your families, friends and acquaintances.*

*Make them feel Special because you never know when time will take them away from you forever.*

Alone I can 'Say' but together we can 'Talk'.

Alone I can 'Enjoy' but together we can 'Celebrate'  

Alone I can 'Smile' but together we can 'Laugh'

That's the BEAUTY of Human Relations. 

We are nothing without each other 

So Stay Connected!

🙏🙏🙏

Brief review:

"Composed by the Singaporean poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng, this remarkable poem dwells on the nature of time and the relationship humans share. It invites the reader to be present in the moment rather than losing oneself in regret and guilt about the incontrovertible nature of time and lost opportunities. This poem is to remind us to take our time to live life and appreciate the value of life and memories that lives on beyond time and death. " ~Mohona Banerjee, STILL STEEPING, Blogger

SONGS OF SORROW

By Crispulo Tappa

SONGS OF SORROW

The call of duty beckons one

To join the army of nations,

The trumpets of war have blared,

Hurried goodbyes are made,

Race to a war not their own,

The enemy lines are drawn.

The enemy's lair determined,

Rockets laid and positioned,

Humans are cannoned, 

Buried under ruins, dead

Songs of sorrow, overheard

War-shocked, living-dead.

Sing the songs of sorrow

Of orphans and widows, 

No tears, dried up by fears,

Rebuild their lives in years,

Songs of sorrow, no refrains,

Rubble of dreams remains.

Trumpets sorrowfully blared,

Dead soldiers honored and laid,

Wrapped in their nations' flag, 

Mothers will miss their hugs,

The folly of senseless wars,

Awards are medals and stars.

Songs of sorrow fill the air 

To remind men to play fair,

War is the last instrument

For men to settle any argument

Over resources of the earth,

Domains, humankind's hearth.

********

Crispulo Tappa

All rights reserved.

26 November 2023

CTTO: Photo

THE WILL of LOVE

By Jeffrey Cejero

The Will of Love 

by jepoy

In my whole life,

I never thought what lies beyond time and space

A mystery, impossible to trace.

Only gods could fathom

While mortals couldn't even grasp the phantom.

But the first time I met you,

I witnessed the flow of seasons moved in rhyme.

Though it was a cold December, 

The season showed a myriad solidification of hope

That I wanted to hold.

It was a manifestation of spring

Giving me the chance for new beginnings.

You melted the coldness of my life

And your smile was radiating like summer.

You also had majestic beauty of autumn.

You made my life experienced the prismastic hues of life.

The space between us turned to be our own world

That small place seemed to contain a living universe

My once dead and broken void

Now turn into Eden, no longer destroyed

There was also a time, when we were separated

And I started pulling the time for me to meet you sooner

Not seeing you makes my day like a dead silent night.

Our deep bond alters the cyclic movement of moon and sun

But still, the stars continue to shine 

And our love is enough to light the whole world.

Though we are separated by mountain, land or sea

And sometimes, even heaven,

Nothing, even hell could stop us.

Our connection is so closed like two souls that meant for each other.

No time and no space could hinder us

Our love transcends the law of the universe

And could even shatter the rules set by heaven

When we are together

The flow of time 

And every space in the universe

Turned insignificant and became the disciples of our hearts.

Beyond space and time is our will of love.

pic from pinterest

25 November 2023

SMILE

Lifted from Estelle Cortes

She looks through old pictures and the smile she once wore. 

The smile everyone said was beautiful.

The smile she assumed would stay forever.

But it didn't stay forever, and now she wishes she could find it, or at least something that looks like it.- 

          Stephanie Bennet-Henry

#fightingdepression

HALF A LIFE

By Khalil Gibran 

Do not live half a life

and do not die a half death

If you choose silence, then be silent

When you speak, do so until you are finished

If you accept, then express it bluntly

Do not mask it

If you refuse then be clear about it

for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance

Do not accept half a solution

Do not believe half truths

Do not dream half a dream

Do not fantasize about half hopes

Half the way will get you no where

You are a whole that exists to live a life

not half a life. 

~Khalil Gibran 

(Book: The Prophet)

Source: ENGLISH LITERATURE 

A JOURNEY INTO THE EDGE

By Gus Perez Amio with permission. 

Lifted from FB

14 November 2023

A JOURNEY INTO THE EDGE

(Dedicated to all my friends treading on the same beaten path)

Lonely days are unheard of

If friends are all around

Delightful in anticipation

Of an event that's about to come

Aches and pains just seem to disappear

As the planned shindig draws near

You even rummage from the closet

The best attire you have to wear

Party time swiftly turns into a blast

Belting out old songs from the distant past

There's even the gleeful dancing spree

Cha-cha, tango, and even the "maskipaps"

Endless chatter is the order of the day

Various health issues come forth to stray

Vertigo, acid reflux, diabetes

Rheumatism, hypertension and prostatitis

But all of these pale in comparison

To the pleasure and delights of the occasion

" Let's live the moment!" they all chanted in unison

"Forget the burden and the load, let's all move on"

Such is the fate of those living on the edge

Of life's afterglow, the twilight of the day

Though we have to endure all the pains and sorrow

Our true faith in the Almighty will save our souls.

"GLIMPSES"

Posted at FB

14 November 2023

Thank you Poetic Hearts for featuring me in your "GLIMPSES" COFFEE TABLE Magazine.

I'm honoured and humbled.

Thank you Jadj Dancel for your generous time and effort in handing this to Rado. Thank you Rado Gatchalian for bringing this precious treasure to me all the way Down Under from our Mahal na Inang Bayan.  💖

On REMEMBRANCE DAY

By Leah C Dancel

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNSELFISH SERVICE TO THE WORLD AT LARGE 

I have you in my heart 

I have you in my thoughts 

I have you in my prayers 

I wish you goowill, 

And a will to mend 

From brokeness that befell you. 

Though no words my lips have uttered

I know deep inside me

God will heal you completely. 

Even in darkest time of day

Everything will shine brightly

Just like this Rose in my garden -

That overcomes loneliness 

As it stands alone in solitude 

Because faith,  hope,  and love 

Will encompass  adversity. 

©️ Leah C Dancel 

11 November 2023

SH-AUSTRALIA 

On REMEMBRANCE DAY

THE SOUND'S OF PARADISE

By Gordana Andalovska

The sounds of paradise

Soul filled

with stellar beauty

which the whole world carries

as a treasure in self ..

Sounds ..

They resemble the song of angels..

Choir, almost inaudible, 

which resonates in the soul..

Blessed is the one,

which he can feel

the sound of beauty 

in yourself and in others ..

Like an invisible hand

which gently descends 

on your head

along with a sounds of noise

on the angelic wings ..

© Gordana Andonovska

         Macedonia.

SOMETIMES

Lifted from Gerry Javier, Jr

These Beautiful lines by Robert Drake are worth many a repeat…

*Sometimes,*

I feel I want to go back in time... 

Not to change things, but to feel a couple of things twice..

*Sometimes,*

 I wish I was a Baby for a while... 

Not to be walked in the pram but to see my Mother's smile

*Sometimes,*

 I wish I could go back to school... 

Not to become a child but to spend more time with those friends, I never met after school..

*Sometimes,*

 I wish I could be back in college... 

Not to be a rebel but to really understand what I studied

*Sometimes,*

 I wish I was a Fresher at my work... 

Not to do less work but to recall the joy of the first pay cheque.

*Sometimes,*

 I wish my kids were younger.... 

Not because they grew fast but to play with them a bit more.

*Sometimes,*

I feel I still had some more time to live... 

Not to have a longer life but to know what I could give to others.

*Since the times*

that are gone can never come back, let's enjoy the moments as we live them from now on, to the fullest..

*Let's Celebrate our Remaining Life - Every Moment and Every Day.*❤️

ctto: thanks Abet

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW

By Crispulo Tappa

WILL YOU STILL LOVE

ME TOMORROW

When my teeth are gone

and can't smile

When my knees are weak

and creak

When my mind is fuzzy

like crazy

When my tummy has lost

its form.

Will you still love me

tomorrow

When you have your

own family

Found a place you now

call your own

That demands your full

attention.

Will you still love me

tomorrow

When life is as hazy 

as my vision

With all the body pains 

and aches 

A memory has lapsed,

almost erased.

Will you still love me

tomorrow

When I think and talk

like a child

And need help to move 

around

To be assisted in every

small task. 

If you can't love me

tomorrow

Then tell me now so

I won't expect

The same love that you 

and I have shared

When everything was

alright.

CTTO: Photo

MY SWEET CHILDREN

Lifted from The Soul Journey 

By Sarah Moussa

My sweet children,

If those you've surrounded yourself with don't build you up when you're with them or when you leave the table, they're not your tribe.

If they don't cheer loudly for you when you find success or cry with you when you've lost, they're not your tribe.

If you have to change who you are to be accepted, invited or included, they're not your tribe.

If they make you question your worth, tear you down or make you feel defeated, they're not your tribe.

Who you surround yourself with matters. They become part of you. You might start to act like them, think like them, behave like them or view life through their lens. 

Don't give up on who you are. 

Don't become a byproduct of someone else.

Don't dim your light so they can shine brighter.

Don't leave yourself behind.

Keep being YOU. Keep doing what you love. Your tribe will find you. Even one good friend is far better than a bunch of fake friends. 

Don't settle for less than you deserve. Surround yourself with those who shine as brightly as you do. 💜💜💜

Raising Teens Today