waking up to beautiful Taal Lake

The weekend before my son Juaqui's wedding brought the entire family to an extraordinary house.  Called T house, this was a family abode that was a dream home built by the owner himself.   It was dark when we reached the place so we did not have the chance to look around.  We had no idea what was outside.  No idea at all!

Morning came and behold, this was what we saw!  We woke up to scenic Taal Lake where the volcano sitting on a volcano was serenely waiting for us!

 Instantly, my heart whispered a prayer.  There could only be but a happy wedding for Juaqui and Anne and a happy life too.

 The house was extraordinary! It was one of the most beautiful sculptures that I ever saw.

These pictures say a thousand words.

Juaqui in reverie

We were quiet and content.  Filled with beauty and great anticipation of the wedding, we sat and enjoyed the company of family.

memories of an empty space

After my daughter moved in to her new home with her husband and two sons, the basement of my house where they used to live, seemed to be wondering where the usual mess and noise were.  The walls were waiting to bounce off the children's gleeful noises but there was nothing to echo all of a sudden.

No dishes were being washed in the kitchen sink nor dirty hands to clean.  The washing machine was dumbfounded to be silenced!

 The bathroom that was always occupied has nothing left except for two rubber duckies and a washcloth.

A flower headdress was waiting for its owner to bring it to its new place but the table seem to be content to at least have something to remember Jacob by.

And Jose...

Wabi sabi

here i am in a place of abundance where life is quietly simple and spiritual, a contrast between exquisite perfection and earthy ruggedness. i left my masks at home- my beads, my books, my clothes and shoes and name.

i am  nourished by the durian, marang, rambutan and santol scented-air, sunlight and food- beans, unpolished rice, leaves and fruits. i now begin to feel like a plant and a hydrogen atom.

i laugh like the river nearby and i bask in the love and light of friendship.   i do not know anything from now on.  i am empty and full. and i have acquired the grace of being one with the soot-covered pots and pans from where great food is cooked,

and the stillness of cups and mugs in between being kissed by lips and held by a hand.

 i now pray in front of an altar where the canisters of sugar and coffee and assorted pictures of dearly beloved nephews and nieces are, and i wonder...

 i feel more connected to the grounds where life springs from, and where it reaches the heavens more than how i used to know how and where to pray before..

An ode to a bridge

First, there was a bridge.

It was a bridge from childhood dreams and wishes.

I think I prayed for it.

I saw it in my mind's eye.

A bridge to connect and not a wall - that was clear.

I was certain I wanted that.

the bridge that connects the bedroom to the kitchen

there was only Jasmin at first

I wanted a bridge that would tell a story

and indeed, it does not only tell a story

It sings!

It sings of its beginnings

and of the people who walk on it-

of  family and friends

of kindred spirits.

It sings in celebration of a beautiful life,

the babies that were born one after another

and the joy they bring.

It sings with the birds and the ferns that caress it.

This bridge fulfills its being.

It welcomes our footsteps in the morning

and witnesses the last of the evening.

then Jacob, our first grandson was born

years after, it is now adorned with ferns that naturally screen the sun

and is happy with  Jose, our second grandson and
charmed by beautiful Soleil.

here is where we all love to flock.

It patiently waits for those we both miss

and would be first to welcome the return of those who left.

It has heard O so many stories

and is amused by the fluctuating moods

of its inhabitants.

sympathetic and a great listener

this bridge records the history of our lives.