MY WOMEN

By Ikwulono Mohammed Senison

My Women 

You are why I'm myself.

How then can I just know 

Myself on a particular day ?

Nay, I'm myself every day

And you made me this fine.

From my father, you shaped me

Into this form that defines my nature

I can't celebrate you less, dearest mother.

Yours is a continuous celebration 

You are always in my every breath, 

Lovely mama into this being 

You handed me over for feminine care.

I celebrate you every day, my angel 

Not just on a day, set aside

Because you're my existence 

Thus, so long as I exist

Celebrating you  is  a routine.

My mother's replica, I treasure you 

The worth I always long and live with

I can't just celebrate you on a day

Like blood and breath that keep me alive

You are celebrated in every passing second.

Happy Women's day to you, my Wife and my serene Mother.

Sir I'M Senison.

SAMPAGUITA

By Uncle Em

SAMPAGUITA: THE FLOWER OF HONOR

When night falls over tropical gardens in the Philippines, small white stars begin to open.

Their fragrance is soft but unmistakable.

Sweet. Calm. Familiar.

This is the Sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines.

Simple in appearance.

But powerful in meaning.

A Flower Crowned by History

On February 1, 1934, Frank Murphy officially proclaimed the sampaguita as the national flower of the Philippines.

It was chosen not for extravagance, but for symbolism.

Its white petals represent:

Purity

Humility

Fidelity

Strength in simplicity

These qualities have long been admired in Filipino culture.

The Flower of Devotion

The sampaguita grows easily in warm tropical climates and blooms throughout the year.

Its small star-shaped flowers are often woven into garlands known as sambulay.

These fragrant chains appear in many Filipino traditions.

They are offered in churches to the Virgin Mary and saints.

They are placed on graves during remembrance rituals.

They are given as welcome leis to honored guests.

They are worn during ceremonies and celebrations.

In these small blossoms, devotion becomes visible.

A Legend of Loyalty

Filipino folklore tells the story of a young princess named Maria Sampaguita who waited faithfully for her beloved to return from battle.

When he never returned, she remained true to her promise.

From the place where she died, a white flower is said to have bloomed.

People believed the petals whispered her vow.

“Sumpa kita.”

“I promise you.”

Over time, the words softened into a name.

Sampaguita.

A Flower Shared Across Asia

The same species, Jasminum sambac, appears in several Asian cultures.

In Indonesia, it is known as melati putih, a national symbol of purity.

Across parts of South Asia, the flower is used in perfumes, teas, and ceremonial garlands.

Yet in the Philippines, the sampaguita carries a unique meaning tied deeply to everyday life and tradition.

Small but Powerful

Unlike many national symbols, the sampaguita is not grand.

It does not grow tall like a tree.

It does not bloom in bright colors.

Its strength lies in something quieter.

Persistence.

Even after storms, the vine blooms again and again.

Just like the people who chose it as their symbol.

The Fragrance of a Nation

The sampaguita reminds Filipinos that beauty does not need to be loud.

Sometimes the most powerful symbols are the simplest ones.

A small white flower.

Opening in the dark.

Filling the air with something unforgettable.

****

Note: The image shown is AI-generated and is used solely for visual storytelling purposes. It is not a real photograph, but an artistic representation created to help illustrate the narrative.

DIASPORA HEART

I carry home in my bones,

though miles stretch like oceans.

Hands know the weight of distance,

eyes trace the shape of absence.

I build my life in fragments,

diplomas, canvases, daily routines —

but nights whisper of the tribe I left,

the safety I once breathed.

I am strong, I am steady,

yet small storms rise in quiet rooms,

when care is brief, or far away,

and the heart remembers who is missing.

I am diaspora —

a soul split by maps,

mending with my own hands,

painting love into the spaces between.

©Cheryl Quejada Canning.

A SQUARE PEG

Lifted

She was a story that didn't make sense

Everyone said it was true

A very square peg in a very round hole

They whispered, as crowds often do

They asked her to sand down the parts that stood out

The parts that they couldn't control

They asked her to dampen her spark and her spirit

And trim little parts of her soul

So she tried on the shapes that they laid at her feet -

She learned where to soften and bend

But edges remember the truth of their form

And corners refuse to pretend

So one day she stepped from the circle they'd drawn

And freed every corner and edge

Letting go of the rules that had shaped all she knew

Not realising what lay ahead

She walked into places not built from one mould

Met people of each size and shape

Who showed her that everyone's bound to belong

When nothing keeps anyone caged

She moved into spaces that welcomed her fully

Her edges no longer confined

She breathed in the warmth of a world that accepted

The colours she carried inside

And now, nothing forces her corners to bend

Her soul isn't asked to be small

She fits without fitting, at last standing whole

A square peg - at peace with it all

*****

For all those who have never quite felt like they 'fit in'. 

Becky Hemsley 2026

SILVERY PARTY

10 February 2026

SILVERY PARTY

You've come this far like a glittering star in the sky. 

A life filled with accomplished feats as seen in your eyes.

You've heard, you've seen how the world

 evolved

In astonishing fashion some are hard to fathom.

Here comes the Platinum Year for you 

With brand  new vigour, carefree and uniquely you!

Your feminity and grace are the ones I've been in awe;

Knowing you is like a treasure in the crown. 

The years have gone so fast, but life keeps on the roll;

As you party in the clouds, long lay the scroll -

Showing the scrimmage of the world, not one to ignore. 

The life you're treading manifests everything as you've been there before. 

Yes, party on... that's what life is all about. 

For we know not the hour while the world keeps sowing doubt and discord.

Our presence may not matter to those whom we adore. 

But years of growing silvers are the only salvation to explore. 

Leah C Dancel 

Copyright ©️ 10 February 2026

All rights reserved 

SH-AUSTRALIA

#birthdaytribute 

#misslongstocking 

#LorraineAllard

I'LL MAKE DESTINY SURRENDER

By Jeffrey D. Cejero

I'll Make Destiny Surrender

jepoy

They say good things take time

but time has only shown me failure,

again and again.

I fall,

I break,

I try and it still isn’t enough

because I’m not good enough,

not talented enough,

not the chosen one.

It feels like destiny already made its decision.

Fate whispered my limits long before I spoke my dreams.

It marked my potential.

Drew the lines of my palms

and as if I'm meant to obediently accept the direction of my life.

But what fate didn’t count on was the one thing it couldn’t measure—

my undying will,

my sharp focus,

my limitless perseverance!

So I fall?

Fine!

I’ll fall again

and again

and again.

But each time 

I rise with something more—

more power, more wisdom, more energy!

Destiny may have written my beginning,

but it won’t write my end.

I will keep trying,

keep pushing,

keep bleeding effort

until destiny bends

and fate breaks

under the weight of my persistence.

I’m not there yet

but I’m getting better,

getting stronger,

getting closer.

And one day,

time will come

when I choose the direction.

And destiny will have no choice but to follow.

Because good things take time

and I am becoming something great.

Just one fall at a time!

 #positiveenergypluschallenge by Positive Energy+ 

 #HappyFanFandom

POEM BY TAHLIA HUNTER

Finding Meaning In Tough Times

It was in my brokenness

That I found healing

It was in my confusion

That I found clarity

It was in my discomfort

That I found ease

It was in my anger

That I found peace

It was in my dissatisfaction

That I found inspiration

It was in my pain

That I found contentment

It was in my sorrow

That I found joy

It was in my stress

That I found solace

It was in my loneliness

That I found comfort in my own presence

It was in my regret

That I found satisfaction

It was in my insecurity

That I found self-acceptance

It was in my weariness

That I found energy

It was in my boredom

That I found creativity

It was in my restriction

That I found empowerment

It was in my feelings of unworthiness

That I found confidence

And it was in my feelings of rejection

That I found self-love

And discovered

That true alchemy

Is not turning lead into gold

But creating something beautiful from pain:

Finding meaning in the tough times

And allowing them to shape you

Into someone better, wiser

Kinder, maturer and stronger.

Tahlia Hunter 🌸

POEM FOR THE SENIORS

CTTO