a glow once in a while

An unexpected turn of events last week felt like something just gave birth to another side of me. As if after an indefinite time had passed, I’d been shaken up from some deep rest.

This has been my home for ages. There was, however, another refuge on Tumbler which had laid dormant for so long; basically functioning as a photo album — one of the sites where I fling my selfies for storage. Surprisingly, the beginning of this week found me with two new Tumbler sites.

The ending seems tragic once more. But the moon will be coming for me in the evenings … always willing to heal and sweeten a half-tired existence. And I am feeling the splendour, through the motion of words words words which keep framing the legend of the once-upon-a-time girl who has perpetually toted around a silly sentimental heart.  

Time, defer your flight. Hear my heart pounding. There’s a dance I would like to go to. Let me burn a bit much longer with the stars in the night. — geena, march 2018

Maybe a prose but never a poem (2)

I seek inspiration either from mundane affairs

or as you say, from imagination to imagination….

Somehow the beauty of your words slips in

and the shifting scenes of our lives

begin to increase through the night

coursing past worlds that had never been aligned

 

i had wanted to put you behind me

but the arrow of your diction would fly straight to this heart

as if you knew me fully well

yes, your sentiments repose in genuine tenderness

as from a waterfall with all your wants and needs

pouring over an affection that grows in deeds

 

how could I end up feeling what’s inside your very soul?

Perhaps you, too, find rhythm upon a love so true.

 

It makes me hope for a someday

when you’ll come to release the essence of your words,

your mind, your grandness –-

surrendering to the bounds of a woman’s love.

 

***

-geena 2015

Thoughts On Writing

Some of the best bloggers write with profound depth and a certain delectable flourish I may never acquire in this lifetime. I’ve a good sense to know they belong to an elite league I can never hope to join. And I’ll be okay with that. Nice thing that I’m one of the most ardent readers in this world, and so what I cannot attain to write I will read in all relish from other more naturally endowed writers.

Love letters and sappy poems I have written and occasionally reread either make me smile or feel sheepish. Inspirational author Sarah Ban Breathnach had said writers often write letters meant to their beloved but always end up seducing themselves instead. That simply validates the magic of the printed word, doesn’t it?

I enjoy sprinkling my compositions with adjectives and adverbs. Likewise, writing in pyrotechnics style can be counted as one of my brash endeavors. I’m wary things might get over the top yet I don’t want to restrain myself either. I intend to be venturesome in some of my approaches here. Not to worry, I’ll make an effort not to go overboard. I can be critical at how I put my words together too. And if ever I’d goof up or overdone it, I would simply hope for the good grace of my readers to forgive and bear with me.

I admit to being guilty of committing more than a few writing sins. Among them is indulging in the use of clichés and hackneyed expressions. I also constantly battle with the problem of dealing with identical words appearing in the same sentence or an adjoining one. Reconstructing a sentence is said to be a sound solution here which I aim to become more at ease at.

I’m not exactly a fan of writing rules and advice, even if they come from the gurus or well-known writers. The use of the passive voice, and running to the thesaurus for assistance have been disapproved by some. I don’t exactly get the reasons why.

I personally believe you can be on your own when it comes to this art and your particular class of readers will simply find you. You eventually evolve with your writing and style. The possibilities are endless. Your capacity can be limitless.

All in the name of good writing I hope.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned: “The most original modern authors are not so because they advance what is new, but simply because they know how to put what they have to say, as if it had never been said before.”

A writer has to have a rich vocabulary to make an impact on me. If your flavorful vocabulary is arranged in the right places, the prose becomes more spirited and spellbinding. I believe too that brevity and simplicity aren’t obligatory in the pursuit of sound writing. As long you can hold my attention and interest with the flow of your delivery, then write on.

My site stats have improved reasonably as of late. Sure I’m like all the other bloggers who glimpse at their stat sites every now and then. The rush I get in watching the numbers climb can be exhilarating. To think that I didn’t even bother to touch this account for some four months last year because I was engrossed in my job teaching a certain someone who badly needed my help.

I confess though that earning a reasonable number of readers is not what I really came here for. To reiterate, this blog I have always intended to dedicate to my only child. My all-time favorite American icon Steve Jobs had told his last biographer Walter Isaacson, whom he had chosen and personally asked to pen his life story, he wanted his children to know him as a person. Hence, Isaacson’s authorized biography of Jobs was realized soon after the latter’s death. I had wanted the same thing for a long time now, albeit I wouldn’t want to wait until I’m at death’s door to pen and wrap up my life saga.

It had got me thinking; wouldn’t it be wonderful if my son knew what his mother was like when she was young or what had gone through her mind at certain times?

I guess I need to get the ball rolling very soon as the slowing down of my mind might come in the not so distant future. One of my biggest regrets in life is I didn’t keep a diary in my younger years which means I’ve been struggling from scratch nowadays.

You may ask, ‘why do it in the blogosphere?’ 

Because of the chance that I may elevate the quality of whatever writing I hope to produce here, knowing the possibility a few kindred souls might unwittingly take a peek.

WordPress has advised not to spotlight too much on the “me, me, me” side of blogging if we want wider readership. But 90% of the blogs I’ve subscribed to and enjoy nonetheless are about the bloggers themselves, their lives and all essentially about them, them, them,.. which I certainly don’t mind.

So I intend to start anytime soon. Things will snowball perhaps. I just pray I won’t grate on my readers’ nerves.

 

Sundry Reflections on this Delightful Blog Universe

I confess to the occasional taking for granted on my part the joy our blog world has been bringing me. But a recent happening that left my heart wistful yet smiling sweetly with gladness.. courtesy of this “virtual land” we inhabit as bloggers has got me pondering  how much our blog universe or whatever you call it has benefited our writing skills and, more importantly, our inner lives in a variety of ways.

My original purpose for setting up this blog; To blog my random thoughts about whatever comes naturally with substantial anonymity. It was my son who opened this account for me, which means I didn’t participate much in the details of its creation. Funny that in my earlier years, I managed to complete courses in Cobol and Dbase programming with flying colors, not to mention even attended various mandatory computer seminars, yet these days I get clueless in the latest technology involving cyber matters. Most often, I’m reduced to simply turning on my netbook hoping nothing ever goes wrong.

There are times when I get tempted to include exquisite, eye-catching photos like what the majority of creative and resourceful bloggers do, but I always end up deciding against it for two main reasons; First, I want only my prose to highlight my entry. Second, searching for the right images might take up too much of my time (read: I’m lazy to do it.). Ditto for links and other blogger paraphernalia. Now you know why this particular abode of mine is totally unadorned.

I get to look at Freshly Pressed blog posts once in a while. Some are good, some are mediocre. I mean, maybe they’re not just my cup of tea. And it got me thinking what it would really feel like if one gets to be featured up there. Honestly, I believe it can be daunting. I don’t think I might want that many readers or followers who would expect the same quality of output in my succeeding entries as a consequence. One case in point, a pretty gifted blogger who’s probably a couple of years older than me got to become so popular in the blogosphere after figuring on Freshly Pressed. I began to get enamored of her site that tells about her colorful yet tumultuous life punctuated by her witty and brilliant sentiments on the truths of life, lost loves, passionate romantic encounters, hopes and dreams, and even her bipolar tendencies. Those were her previous subjects. A selected number of her literature had me going “woo hooo..”  Then her writing gradually changed. Until one day she suddenly bid her followers goodbye giving personal excuses about certain family problems. I sensed that she might have felt overwhelmed by the sudden deluge of readers and felt obligated to write more about urm, wholesome topics. I’m still waiting for her to turn up again one of these days.

Different strokes from talented writers with interesting personalities and dazzling writing styles. Oh you’ve no idea how often I get blown away by these delightful circle of bloggers and their incandescent works in the blogosphere. I tend to get absorbed in their stories and perspectives, reading non-stop until my eyes start bleeding from the glare of my computer monitor, or when the intensity of their tales or convictions makes me want to lie down for a while.

So who needs TV when the world of blogging has much more to offer? Definitely not me. Magnificent blogs continue to bloom around everywhere. What a bonanza for readers and writers alike indeed.

That convinces me we’re all fortunate to have each other here.