Friday, September 28, 2012

Unfinished Symphony



I had a strange dream last night:
about you, me, and how I tried to write a symphony.

First the strings:
haunting, serene. Gently breaking the evening silence.
Followed by flutes, clarinets, and the rest of the wind instruments.

But somebody dropped the baton! And the notes resonated within my veins
as you turned into a comet, blazing across the G-clef sky, turning into a purple streak
until no longer in sight.

Now I just remember you as a fading melody, leaving traces of sighs
among cobwebs on the piano in this empty studio.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2011


[Thanks to Gianna Omenetto for the photo, entitled Solo Piano]

Firefly



Just for tonight
I will be a firefly:
I will dance among trees
To the humming chorus
Of frogs and cicadas.

Just for tonight
The moon sits in bliss
As I flicker and glitter
And frolic in mid-air
Casting random neon patterns
Amid grass and flowers here and there.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2010


[Thanks to Masahiro Miyasaka for the photo, enitled "Firefly which looks at Milky Way".]

Ten Years, Five Letters



Dear E.S.,
I enjoyed being with you.
You were thoughtful and I appreciated everything so dearly.
But I was too young when we met, and I did not realize your effort to win my heart.
Forgive me for my selfishness.

Dear G.C.,
You brought me joy and I loved you passionately.
But I failed to help you move on from your past.
Thus the distance between us grew immensely through time.
I apologize for leaving you during the lowest point in your life,
because I thought you did not love me, only to find out I was wrong.

Dear M.A.,
Thank you for your devotion.
You were kind and gentle.
Your smile lit up the sky with the promise of tomorrow.
But I was too unsure of myself, too afraid I might hurt you, too naive to care.
I regret letting you go.

Dear C.P.,
We had so much in common and you are aware of that.
We had a world of our own, and we lived in it for love.
But your pace was overwhelming, my wings were not as fast.
You were too strong for me.
I wanted you to carry me but I was afraid I would slow you down.
We knew we would part someday, but we did not expect that day to come suddenly.
Now I just admire your wisdom for understanding me.

Dear M.R.,
You knew I was a foolish wreck when we met.
But you loved me for what I was and you saw the good and beautiful in me.
Then you left without saying goodbye, because you were lost in the labyrinth of your own confusion.
I tried to reach out but you were never really there.
How could you do this to me? My angel! The retribution for my sins.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2007

Obsession



I am he who loves you from afar
Reaching for your shadow
Embracing your trail
Caressing the wind
That whispers your name
I kiss the footprints
That you leave behind
Run if you will
But where can you hide
I close my eyes
And you become mine.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2007


[thanks to jordan k for the photo]

Goodbye, Mr. Anonymous



Goodbye, Mr. Anonymous
You said and I just smiled
So long, Mr. Nameless
And thank you for the ride.

Farewell and take care
Whoever you may be
The crazy night is through
And sadly so are we.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2005


[thanks to manuel atienzar for this photo]

With A Sigh In My Heart


These are the cries of my heart
That may never be hushed
For we have to part
For the rest of time
I feel so sorry for myself
To realize that I
Am once again alaone
I love you with a sigh in my heart
Because I know
You can never be truly mine.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2004


[Thanks to elliot23 for this photo]

Ruins



I kept your memory
In the ruins of my heart
A colorless portrait
On fragmented canvass
Your hazy eyes
Stare at empty space
Your misty smile
And your lovely face
Haunt me in the shadows
Of utter loneliness
But when all portraits
Have crumbled to dust
I shall be strong and fearless
As I make a new start
I learned the lessons of love
From the ruins of my heart.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2004


[thanks to Michael Shepherd (aka PixelDaddy) for this photo]

Road



Once in a while
I think of you
And the road
We have gone through
Then helplessly
I become surrounded
By a cloud
Of overwhelming sadness
As the road ends
In pitch-black emptiness.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2004


[thanks to Ed Arquiza for this photo]

Perfect Love Affair



I tried so hard
To make myself believe
That there was such a thing
As a perfect love affair
That there were knights and princes
And castles in the air
Then I came back to my senses
With the closing of a door
This is were the dreaming ends
I don't love you anymore.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2004


[thanks to jamie wilmott for this photo]

Longing



I shall wait for you in my dreams
Hoping that your presence
Would break the moonlit silence
Of my solitude.
Let your demons be gone!
Take away the spell
You have cast upon my heart
And stop this longing
That imprisons my soul.
I shall wait for you but until then
I keep believing that in my dreams
I am sure to see you again.


- John Emmanuel T. Manalo, 2004


[thanks to rhoel alcantara for this photo]