Thursday, December 23, 2010

Goodbye Riley

For the first time it seems, I'm the one saying goodbye. This time, I'm the one staying behind. I'm the one who gets to see a loved one move further and further away from me. I can't help but to watch, and wait, and almost helplessly wish for him to turn back to me... his absence is clearly marked from my sight, yet I still can’t tear myself away from the very last spot I saw him from.

I know I should go, but my body refuses to move; my mind is not quite ready to accept that I have to count on memories to hold and keep me warm from now on; and my heart… my heart continues to beat, even though I feel it slow to an almost muted thump.

Finally, finally, I leave. Yet as I do, my feet drag, a sense of grievance settles over me, it's actually difficult to breathe from the ache pressing into my chest. No one seems to notice though, as they move about in accordance to their agendas. People pass me by like a STOP sign on the side of the road, completely ignoring my presence. And I know, the one person who does care, just had to walk away from me. So I too slip away, reluctantly though, and like all the strangers around me, I pretend I'm alright, that it doesn't feel wrong to be separated from someone who's come to mean so much to me, that I'm whole and a part of me did not just leave the country. The only problem left is that I’ve never been a good liar.

By: V.S

Life comes at you fast… it did for me!

I’d always known this phrase existed and could be applied to for different occurrences in one’s life. However, it wasn’t until recently that I ran into it face first, the reality of it hitting me like a bulldozer. I suppose it always seemed slightly distant, this promise that my life could change so drastically. I expected it to happen eventually, but would never have imagined to be caught so wholly off guard. It was like closing my eyes for only a second, and then opening them to come face-to-face to a world altering decision. Even now, it’s as if I’m standing on the very edge of a cliff, looking down into the unknown, my breath held in fear and suspense, and some unseen force daringly whispers to me: jump! The temptation to do just that makes me inch ever closer; readying for that careless spring. And I know, I KNOW everything will change once I take that leap… the way I wake up in the morning, the places that greet me when I go out, the people I’ll run into in the street, how I’ll get ready for bed in the evenings… basically, I will change. Chaotic indecision suddenly wrestles with a rising desire to jump and be free, leaving behind all concerns and insecurities.

But I have a choice… accept that, change will come, and that, perhaps, this is my time to take a chance and soar… or to step back from this, leaving behind the risk of falling, and quite possibly denying a great opportunity to do something incredible for myself.

By: V.S

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A breath of Italy



Italy…


I want to say so many things about this beautiful place:
How leaves sparkle with green and gold colors in the morning sunlight,
How thick trees rustle invitingly through afternoon strolls,
How grapes practically glow with ripeness along the vineyards,
How mountains tower undauntedly, almost proudly, in the horizon,

I want to remember so many things about this peaceful place:
How there was an air of uncomplicated serenity once stepping outside,
How a sense of home always precede upon entering the nearest village,
How the languid Italian-lifestyle waits quite patiently to be enjoyed and appreciated,
How the simplicity of taking pleasure in a day could be so fulfilling it was easy to smile,


I want to cherish so many things about this inspiring place:
How the historic structures mark the passing of time in each town,
How a spirit of kind cordiality is emitted through the people that inhabit them,
How the touch of the Italian language can feel so right when conversing with others,
How the past can be so respected and valued through yearly traditions,

Italy…


By: V.S