“Phenomenal Mother… that’s you.”

Many people ponder where your secret lies,
For you seem to have been born to be a mother with strong ties.
They ask how you can possibly do what you do,
Day in and day out you slave over what was blessed upon you.
Being a mother leaves one marveling at the many changes in life,
But many others still wonder how you take your job in stride.

I try to tell them,
It’s all in the reach of your arms,
That never seem to tire as you catch me when I fall.
I try to point out,
It’s all in the curl of your smile,
That seems to forgive my many faults and trials.
I try to explain,
It’s all in the care in your eyes,
That seem to look at me as if I were a gift in disguise.
I try to make them see,
It’s all in the love in your heart,
That forever seems to reach for me.

But they just don’t seem to understand,
What your infinite patience,
And endless sacrifices lead you to be.

A phenomenal mother, that’s what you are,
A phenomenal mother, it’s what you do,
A phenomenal mother, that’s you.

By: V.S

The Diary of a Newly Wedded Woman

On the road to somewhere

Somewhere... somewhere unknown, or so it seems. The reality of my life now begins to break through my composure. I am no longer who I was. Yes, I agree, it's nothing so dramatic as losing my identity. I am still how I was, yet not the same. Facing situations I'd never had before, confronting myself through each experience, figuring out my emotions and thoughts under such occurring as I'd never had a chance to do on a previous occasion. The change I'd awaited for so long to arrive is solidifying before my very eyes... quite rapidly! I feel as if I should be torn between my past and my present, between what I used to be and my new roles in life. The world seems to be spinning faster than ever before, and I'm somewhere in it, holding on by my fingernails. And yet, even though I may be incredulous most of the time and my fears may get the better of me in all the other instances... I can't force myself to be alarmed. I'm on the road to somewhere, there will always be a realm of possible outcomes ready to jump out, good ones as well as bad ones. So, I think to myself: somewhere... my guess? I'm on the road to living, to moving beyond the happy ending in fairy tales, to learning and being shaped by the choices, actions, lessons and experiences my life will now have to offer.

By: V.S

What it takes to hope

I hold my breath and I close my eyes,
Struggling to hold on to this blissful feeling
And stay true to my heart’s wishes,
But all my attempts flail under the heavy hand of reality

Against the glare of civilization I am left bare and vulnerable
Denied the solace to dream
I am urged into the gray barrenness of indifference,
And sunk under the insistence of self-discipline

Threatened to be uncovered and branded as unacceptable,
I withdraw into myself
Not for comfort nor relief,
But because I find no welcome anywhere else,

Afraid to want, I step back
Afraid to become a slave to my desires, I refrain from voicing them
Afraid to be shackled by the obsession of my yearnings, I’m ruled by guilt for owning them
Afraid to reach beyond the surface, my will grows frail with obedience...

But in the furthest recesses of my heart,
Omitted from society’s oppressing pessimism
A flicker of hope rises with unexpected force
Enlightening my adventurous soul against the tide of reason,

The rich exotic taste of hope instantly lights the suffocating darkness,
consuming the brutal emptiness that threatened to envelop me
Until I feel my breath catch
And my heart skip with untamable joy,

with a vengeful rush, my blood surges
my body resurrects with the gift of existence
through a drowning fracture of sensation I am abruptly freed from a nation’s parameters,
and given the chance to experience, to desire, to dream

I feel myself grow stronger with the power of belief
A shaky smile graces my lips,
as I’m revived by the fire of life
Touched, I come awake from the treacherous grip of submission

I breathe and laugh aloud
and feel my heart soar so high I will never know another heavenly moment like it
lifted from the clawing shadows of self-doubt and fear,
I fly without remorse, with the strength to carry on in my freedom to hope

By: V.S

A high priced craving

The lust for money is a treacherous gamble; it is deceptive in its simplicity to draw you close and risky as it can poison you with greed. It may call to us, in disguise as the answer to all our problems, but under closer study, it is merely the source of many of our troubles…

Money can hand you the world, yet you’d still be empty handed.
The promise of possession is a powerful drug, strong enough to blind you from the fortunes you already have and illusory enough to deceive yourself into thinking it’s what you really want.

Money can endow you with riches, yet you’d still have nothing.
Expecting to receive the universe upon its knees, yet few things can please you from within, until you realize that having so much can mean having so little in return.

Money can give you the keys to many doors, yet you’d still feel locked out.
So many opportunities are open to you, you can go anywhere and be everywhere, but standing where you thought you wanted to be can feel like being nowhere at all.

Under the illusion of being superior to others because of your wealth runs a pricey risk of loosing your true self to the superficial façade of fortune and fame...


By: V.S

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

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