BEATING HEART

BEATING HEART
"Many a beating heart is silenced by the tyranny of indifference." ~Michael Faudet

THE PUREST PLACE

THE PUREST PLACE
"Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart… where your hope lives. You’ll find your way again.” ~Everwood (Trust Your Journey)

The Bible says

"a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth."

16 January 2025

LIFE IS A CHESSBOARD

Lifted from Melany

As a chess enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by the game’s wisdom and how its lessons extend far beyond the board. Each piece, with its unique power and purpose, mirrors the complexities of life, teaching us strategy, patience, and the beauty of thoughtful actions. Inspired by this, I’ve written the following poem to reflect on life’s parallels with the game I love.

Life is a Chessboard
By Melany Amante Mabao Maguindanao 

Pawn moves slow, its steps are small,
Yet persistence leads to standing tall.
From humble roots, great things arise,
Dreams transform before our eyes.

The knight leaps wide, unbound by line,
It finds new paths where stars align.
Creative minds will always see,
A way through life’s complexity.

The bishop glides with focused aim,
A visionary in life’s great game.
With clarity, its reach expands,
Shaping futures with steady hands.

The rook stands firm, a pillar strong,
Its steadfast path both sure and long.
Reliability builds the trust,
A solid foundation a must.

The queen commands, a leader true,
Balancing roles, both bold and new.
With strategy and heart combined,
Guides the way with a brilliant mind.

The king moves slow, yet holds the key,
Protecting purpose, our "why" to be.
For in its heart, life’s meaning lies,
The core we cherish beneath the skies.

Each piece a role, each move a part,
A lesson in life, a work of art.
On the chessboard of life, we learn and grow,
Strategic steps in the paths we sow.

15 January 2025

PERSONAL LINKS

From different sites

https://www.facebook.com/IKWIR1950?mibextid=ZbWKwL

7 January 2025

DAYBREAK DRIZZLE

8 January 2025

Daybreak Drizzle
by Melany Amante Mabao Maguindanao 

Everyone I know is fading away,
This heart bends under sorrow’s sway.
The pitter-patter upon the roof,
Mourns a rhythm stark and aloof.

The cold seeps deep, an unyielding toll,
Creeping from the depths of my soul.
Is this the burden of time’s cruel art,
To feel every absence tear at the heart?

Perhaps it’s not just age that I find,
But the shadow of loss etched in my mind.
The fleeting moments, so fragile, so rare,
Now linger as ghosts in the thinning air.

The rain, like tears, descends in despair,
A dirge for the love no longer there.
Through the storm’s lament, one truth remains,
Grief is the echo where love sustains.

In the quiet hours before the dawn,
I sit with my coffee, alone but drawn,
To the silence of thoughts, tangled and free,
Allowing myself to get lost in me.
A cig burns, and the world stands still,
As I drift in the quiet, lost at will."


Admin.
Fleeting and flowing. The rhymes are perfect with excellent threads weave in eloquence. Let me just admire your enchanting penchant for words so effortless to come forth from your well of bottomless knowledge and wisdom. Thank you Mel. I am in awe of your special gift.

2 January 2025

DON'T WAIT TILL I'M GONE

3 January 2025



"Don’t wait til I’m gone
And then stand up to speak
About all the things 
That you loved about me

Don’t sing all my praises
Through all of your tears
When I am no longer 
Beside you to hear

Don’t leave all that love
Like a secret unsaid
But tell me tomorrow
Or right now instead

And I’ll tell you too
Of the things I admire
About who you are
And how much you inspire

I’ll speak from my heart
Whilst you’re still here to know
“You are” not “you were”
Or “it used to be so”

I’ll speak of your light
Whilst you’ll still hear the words
And not leave that love
In the darkness, unheard

So tell me tomorrow
Or right now - don’t wait
Because we don’t know 
When it might be too late

Because we don’t know
When our time might be up
And we need to hear - while we are here -
How we’re loved....."

@Becky Hemsley Poetry 


Artist: Bettina Baldassari - BettiPigna

AREN'T WE FORGETFUL?

3 January 2025

Aren't We Forgetful?
By Melany Amante Mabao Maguindanao 

Beneath the sky, a garden lay,
Where dreams were sown in earth and clay.
By hands of old, its roots took hold,
A haven green, a tale retold.

Seedlings sprouted, tended with care,
A promise of plenty, a future to share.
But greed crept in, with careless stride,
Shadows fell where hope once thrived.

The caretaker’s hands, they thought gentle and pure,
Turned selfish, blind, to wealth's allure.
He stripped the soil, he drained the streams,
He shattered, generations' dreams.

Workers murmured, their voices low,
As fear took root where flowers grow.
“The garden fades,” their whispers said,
“The fruits now rot, the earth lies dead.”

Corruption thrived in seasons past,
Its shadow long, its lessons vast.
Remember the father brought soil to grief,
Yet, now his offspring leads as the chief.

The Senior has long been dead,
Though whispers of ruin and shame still spread.
Son vows to mend, yet shadows remain,
For history repeats, and lessons wane.

Yet gardens live when love is sown,
Not greed that claims it for its own.
It takes a spark, a voice, a stand,
To heal the scars upon the land.

Shall they bow to despair’s cruel art,
Or rise as guardians, strong of heart?
Together, they could tend and mend,
The garden’s tale need not yet end.

For every leaf, for every bloom,
Chase away the creeping gloom.
A single spark can light the way,
And turn the night to brightest day.

So will they fight for roots and shade,
Or let the garden's glory fade?
The answer lives in every hand,
To guard the soil, reclaim the land.


Admin's Note:

Epic and sad saga applicable to the recent times and events. Humans are just a cycle of how it was in ancient days.

30 December 2024

ACCEPTANCE

Lifted from English Literature

A poem by Robert Frost "Acceptance" 
Robert Frost

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
And goes down burning into the gulf below,
No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud
At what has happened. Birds, at least, must know
It is the change to darkness in the sky.
Murmuring something quiet in its breast,
One bird begins to close a faded eye;
Or overtaken too far from its nest,
Hurrying low above the grove, some waif
Swoops just in time to his remembered tree.
At most he thinks or twitters softly, “Safe!
Now let the night be dark for all of me.
Let the night be too dark for me to see
Into the future. Let what will be be.”

A Collection of Poems by Robert Frost 

29 November 2024

COFFEE GOES WITH MEMORIES

30 November 2024



MEMORIES 
(November 30, 1987)

Coffee goes with memories
Some are nice and some are not 
I keep the nice ones
I incinerated the not-so-nice ones. 

Today, I am looking back
My days as a Pharmacist 
Working in the busiest hub
In Quiapo, Metro Manila -

Thinking what would life be
Should I choose to stay 
In my homeland... which Today
Becomes a beleaguered country. 

The enemies of truth are out
In the open, no more in hiding.
The masks are taken down
To reveal the way of the clowns.

----

I brew coffee in that ritualistic kettle;
From a black kettle then pour into a pot.
A pot is calling the kettle black
The taste can never be justified. 

---

For the storms keep encircling 
Raging like monsters in the night 
The sleeping logs are stirred
They're torn apart slain and dead.

---

Destiny took me away from chaos 
Fate has me survived from misery 
Today, I found myself somewhere 
Holding my morning cup of coffee.

©️ Leah C Dancel 
30 November 2024
Orange 🍊 NSW
AUSTRALIA

24 November 2024

I DO NOT LOVE YOU

Lifted from FB

I do not love you... 
~ PABLO NERUDA 

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, 
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. 
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, 
in secret, between the shadow and the soul. 

I love you as the plant that never blooms 
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; 
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, 
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body. 

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. 
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; 
so I love you because I know no other way than this: 
where I does not exist, nor you, 
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, 
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. 


16 November 2024

TO RISE ABOVE A COMMON GROUND

17 November 2024

A plea from a brother, a father, a grandfather... for the sake of peace who hasbeen deprived from being close to his own immediate family especially his growing grandchildren.



To one who seeks harm, and wishes us gone,
May love and light, awaken your heart's tone.
Why choose destruction, over compassion's way?
Can't we address mistakes, in a brighter day?

My son's young family, with dreams so bright,
Two little girls, shining with innocence light.
What drives your anger, your heart's dark night?
Can't we forgive, and walk in love's pure light?

Confront us, let's heal, with open hearts,
Embracing morals, decency, and love's sweet starts.
Fear God's wisdom, and choose a higher path,
Let kindness guide us, through life's turbulent math.

May your heart soften, and love prevail,
Let's break the chains, of hatred's heavy gale.
Let's rise above, and find common ground,
In peace, forgiveness, and love's profound.

10 November 2024

SEEKING THAT PLACE

Late upload
Written a year ago today 
11 November 2024


I am seeking that place 
Where I can see the breeze; 
Fanned by the southerly wind,
Where the sun intimately feels my skin 
That mimics my cheeky grin.
A place that can sense my inner joy,
Secretly lurking beneath my Soul 
Bereft with conflict the world is known 
But happiness the day  exudes 
Upon my countenance it shall prevail.

There I will catch my breathe 
While basking in the beauty of the sunset.

©️Leah C Dancel 
Copyright ©️ 11 November 2023
All rights reserved 

NB
Written while in transit (train) to Cronulla, a spontaneous decision hoping to watch the sunset there but to no avail. It's my first time and apart from the sunset, I wasn't disappointed.  There's a next time to revisit the place again. 

Photo: 
This castle crown photo was captured as we passed through Regent Street at Redfern on our way home with my family.

9 November 2024

HEROES REMASTERED

11 November 2024
On REMEMBRANCE DAY 


Yes, I miss my poetry... 
but my muse is still asleep.  
The seeds of inspiration lay dormant 
Not for long I hope and pray. 
My stubborn ilk lingers on
Finding that oasis somewhere 
Looking for healing of a drying fluid obscured by vagrancy 
of knots and crosses I can't win.

Yet...

Let me pause my quill aside 
Let me whisper a silent sigh 
Today, I remember the heroes 
Dead in blood for courage sake.
There in kachana Mediterranean Coast 
Their souls were laid to rest 
a hundred years and six years more!

©️ Leah C Dancel
All rights reserved 
11 November 2024
SH NSW AUSTRALIA

RAPUNZEL'S LOCKS

10 November 2024
Late upload 



Rapunzel's locks
Tresses in brunette 
Long to comb and braid
A climbing rope against the wall
Of  a secluded castle in sylvan's lair 
Forgotten by legends
Till a handsome Prince came  
To rescue his maiden fair 
From the wretched fairy
And took her to his kingdom. 
To be his queen forever more.

 ©️ Lola Inday 
11 November 2023
Ala mode

18 October 2024

THE ARROW AND THE SONG

18 October 2024



PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE

Lifted from Eng. Lit.
18 October 2024


Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

By Christopher Marlowe, 
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

7 October 2024

SUNSHINE

08 October 2024



5 October 2024

SILENT HOUR

Lifted from English Literature Info


“I love the silent hour of night,
For blissful dreams may then arise,
Revealing to my charmed sight
What may not bless my waking eyes.”
Anne Brontë - Best Poems of the Brontë Sisters.

Anna Billing


1 October 2024

AUTUMN AURA

Quote:
“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” ~Lee Maynard



AUTUMN AURA

Midday draped the heart of silver crisps
Beckons far from the horizon 
I draw a joy of radiances in the fluffy clouds 
Seasoned happiness transcends 
When I illuminate a canvas of jubilant expression 
I embrace a dream of amber hues 
Meticulously, it grows to the Northern Sky
A flurry of zephyrs arrives with Autumn aura 
Traversing through a century of kisses 
That’s when a ripple reverberates on my body 
Riding over the moment 
With an abundance of joys

(C) Hum Ale 

PC: Google

"Enriched by a vocabulary, a flurry of descriptive autumn beauty that buoys the imagination of both the writer and the readers' spirit, this certainly is a place to go to." ~Admin. 

25 September 2024

WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR

Posted at FB a year ago today
23 September 2023




Where the Mind is Without Fear
@Rabindranath Tagore 

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action–
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Photo by Rado Gatchalian at Macquarie University,  Sydney visiting Rabindranath Tagore place of Silence.

22 September 2024

MICRO POEM: PEACE

By Leah C Dancel 



MICRO POEM 

Homefulness imbued peace
Serenity in place 
Alone and nonchalant 
Of vagaries at large.
Home defines me
Love and gratitude exist.

©️ Leah C Dancel 
23 September 2024
#ILA

14 September 2024

EMPTY

By Estelle Cortes



Today would have been your 93rd mortal birthday Tatay Medes. The last strong grip of your hand before you closed your eyes forever. You are one with the Force now. Hasta pronto Papa. Te echo de menos. 💔. Here's a poem I wrote for you which is now a part of my published poems. I regret that you did not get to read my book. You who loved books so much. I wish.... If only....
(My father passed away 3 years ago. Today I am honouring him for what would have been his 93rd bday)

Empty

I have to wrap my mind around
The emptiness between us now.
Empty chairs, empty bed
In an empty house
Near an empty river bed.

Empty spaces in between
Empty words.
Empty laughters devoid of joy,
Empty eyes that once 
Housed a brilliant mind.

Then like a ray of sunshine,
In your world of gloom,
A moment of lucidity,
Perhaps a precursor of doom?

A smile of understanding,
A worried frown
A lingering concern
For one you love so much.

How fragile the mind is,
How often hope is lost, 
How often does the bell toll,
And for whom?

~Estelle~
October 16, 2019

LET THE TREES TEACH YOU

14 September 2024



9 September 2024

TOMORROW

Lifted from Bring Side Page



Today I woke and found myself
With less than yesterday
My life was missing things
I had assumed were here to stay

Things that had seemed little
‘Til they left a giant space,
Left an empty silence
And a longing in their place

And I began to understand
That when push came to shove
I longed for what I’d had
When I’d thought that was not enough

I’d always looked ahead
Was always chasing more and more
Growing so complacent
Of the things I once wished for

Running to tomorrow,
To the weekend, to next year
Forgetting I was lucky
For the things already here

And all this made me realise
That my life can’t buy more time
So maybe I should spend my time
Loving this life of mine

And maybe I’ll be grateful
For the little things I’ve got
That seem inconsequential
But which mean an awful lot

So, tonight I’ll thank the stars
Instead of asking them for more
And I will hope to wake with all
The things I’ve thanked them for

‘Cause now I see that my todays
Are filled with time I’ve borrowed
And I shouldn’t sit around and waste them
Chasing my tomorrows

****

Credit Goes To : Becky Hemsley 2023
Gorgeous artwork by Kristina von Wiesen Art

8 September 2024

THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

By Don Luman-ag



THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
By Don Luman-ag

Though life is not perfect
It is in itself beautiful 
Even with all its flaws
It is nonetheless wonderful

There is beauty and wonder 
In both the great and the small
Life is sacred by nature
Even after man's fall

The proverbial Breath of Life
Money can't recreate
The rights of every being
Must be treated with respect

Each will answer to The Maker
On the day of reckoning 
All your loots and hoards
To the other side you cannot bring

©️ Don Luman-ag
All rights reserved.
September 9, 2024
Samal Island, Philippines

#heavenonearth 
#thirdcollection

4 September 2024

I AM THE SCULPTURE

05 September 2024
Author: Jeffrey Cejero




Doble kuatro ngayong singko

I Am the Sculpture
by Jepoy

Carrrying a heavy load
As if the Earth is on my back,
Never shall I drop my knees
And bow to adversity.

I will make every struggle an opportunity
To build a better future.
I will make every pain,
A catalyst to improve myself.

Just like a workout in the gym,
The more I defeat my weakness
And surpass my previous record,
The more I improve myself.

On this double four as my age,
I've realized I'm the sculpture of my life.
I can carve my dreams and future
Into tangible existence of truth and reality.

13 August 2024

THE PRAYERS OF THE INFIDELS

By Rado Gatchalian
13 August 2024




THE PRAYER OF THE INFIDELS
By Rado Gatchalian
13 August 2024

Here I am praying, at my own free choice, so that the people will know that I do not follow blindly. Hear me for my cause, not that I will be saved, but for me to be free. Free from fear, free from ignorance. 

I call upon all the masters, past and present, for them to graciously bless me with strength that I need, for me to endure all the challenges in life; wisdom, so that I will know the difference between right and wrong; and beauty, so that I will be able to enjoy this gift of life.

I pray that I may not only see the light but to be able to endure its duty to pass on the torch to deserving seekers of truth and humble servants of humanity. Allow me, my Dearest One, The Source, to shine beautifully both in my heart and my outer body. But as I shine like the morning sunrise, may I always remember to remain gentle and humble like the sunset. Then, to remain vigilant, curious, and passionate as I need to start life again in the next morning.

I beseech all my brothers to witness this moment of gratitude as I celebrate this opportunity to serve mankind.

I shall never turn blind eye to all wrongdoings. To promise to always give aid to those who are in need. To surrender to the will of the Order and to submit to a Grand Purpose, higher than all earthly religions and sects. 

But here I am now, a humble servant, silently waiting to listen to the Voice, so deep, flourishing, and powerful. I am waiting. Help me to know how to listen well.

And I pray that I remain vigilant against tyrannical noise and poisonous whispers of false prophets and masters who claim they hold the Truth. 

I pray that I will be given a power, so powerful, that I can be an instrument of peace and a messenger of love and knowledge. 

I pray that in my weakness, I find strength; in my greatness, I find humility; in my agony, I find joy; in my darkness, I find light; and in my ignorance, I find the truth.

Enlighten me, my Gracious One. And in the hour of my death, may I rest in peace and forever be with you - in total surrender to your will, to your compassion.

Amen.