“why? i don’t know. maybe i was young and naive. perhaps i was young and injudicious. maybe i was young and haughty. or maybe, i was trusting you’d fight for me, for us.
but you did not. you let me go without fighting a damn good worthy fight.
with tears in my eyes, i sauntered away. i walked away with pride in my mind and remorse in my heart. i marched away with a love i not once get to say.”
Locker – A Collection of Poetic Flash Fiction Stories, releasing soon worldwide in all platforms in all formats.
thank you India đźđł, with love and gratitude from the Philippines đ”đ
“In celebration of extraordinary talent and profound influence, The Update India, a leading news and awareness website in India proudly unveils the illustrious recepients of The Utkrisht Prena Puraskar- The Global Award 2023. The coveted award bestowed upon individuals who have left an indelible mark in their respective domains, recognizes the impact they have had over the years. “
Powerhouses of Excellence: Meet the Recipients of The Utkrisht Prerna Puraskar – The Global Award Of 2023 By The Update India
My poem “That Firewoman”, a poem I wrote in celebration of the International Firefighters Day last May 4, 2023 is nominated for Publication of the Month on Spillwords Press NYC along with other brilliant pieces from amazing poets/writers worldwide.
Thank you to Dagmara K. and to the entire team of Spillwords for publishing my poem and for their support to all of my works.
Thank you too, to all my loving and loyal readers for their never -ending love and support and for making this poem “That Firewoman”, trending/popular post on Spillwords leading to this nomination.
If you love the poem, kindly click this link to vote.
you may need to log in again if you are a registered Spillwords user; otherwise you need to register to vote. To register, you may use your email or fb account.
such a good news to wake up to on a hot Wednesday morning đđđ
thank you “The Update India” for this feature story.
“In addition to her poetic prowess, Michelle is captivating readers with her latest book, âLocker,â a collection of fictional stories that promise to ignite a range of emotions. Calling its success âanticipatedâ, Michelle expressed her excitement, stating, âThis new book of fictional short stories holds a special place in my heart, and I knew it will resonate deeply with readers, much like it has resonated with me.â
Michelleâs literary achievements are unparalleled, with four consecutive books making their way onto Amazonâs best-sellers list, including âI Will Love You Forever, Too,â âAfter Rain Skies, 2nd Edition,â âIt Ainât Winning If Without You,â and âI Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark.â Moreover, three of her books have secured the coveted #1 spot on Amazonâs Hot New Releases/New Releases list.
As a distinguished freelance content writer and blogger, Michelleâs online presence has flourished, amassing over 100,000 hits on her blog. Her poetic contributions have graced the pages of esteemed international literary magazines and anthologies such as Spillwords NYC, MasticadoresUsa, and MasticadoresIndia. Notably, her poems âHolding Handsâ and âLove Happensâ were crowned as Spillwords Publications of the Month in November 2021 and December 2022, respectively.
Michelleâs talent extends beyond her individual work, as she has made significant contributions to award-winning poetry anthologies like âHidden In Childhoodâ and âWounds I Healed,â further solidifying her status as a luminary in the literary realm.
Having earned a Master of Education degree with a major in English from the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City, Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her craft. Previously serving as a college professor, she imparted her wisdom in literature, speech and oral communication, creative writing, drama, and theater arts. Furthermore, Michelle holds a degree in Mass Communications, majoring in Journalism, from Centro Escolar University, Manila.”
two buckets of water, over her shoulders buckets of water, to quench her little ones left at home.
hard labor, a mother does to raise her children, providing for their needs never an easy feat.
two buckets of water, over her shoulders buckets of water, fetched from a distance, not minding the strain over her shoulders.
hard labor, a mother does truly admirable.
Author’s note:
i am from the Philippines which is primarily an agricultural country with a large portion of Filipinos living in rural areas and supporting themselves through agricultural activities. there are areas that do not have access to a decent drinking water system like in most urban cities. thus, mothers (who are the homemakers) fetch water from natural sources like rivers, lakes or ponds; which are usually farther from where they live. having clean drinking water is one of the problems Filipinos from far flung barangays and villages are facing.
the photo may look like a work of art or a product of creative brilliance of the photographer; but it actually depicts one of the most jarring realities in my country.
i need a poem that’s heavy on consonance; i don’t know if this counts ‘cos my heart’s heavy in pain, deeply strained it’s bleeding, oozing in agony, massively strangled with branched chain.
i need a poem that’s heavy on assonance; i don’t know if this counts ‘cos my soul’s losing control, it’s true i do love you; damn that just won’t do, the ache just won’t go.
consonance or no consonance, assonance or no assonance, heavy on both; heavy on both, my heart, my soul wanting to burst, it’s heavier, heavier each time, it has to break open;
crack open, the soreness let the agony be prickled out and split maybe then, maybe then the hurt won’t be heavier, or be heaviest.
The Evil Out of the Basket, I Let it All Out (after e.e. cummings)
my hand reached out for yours, sadly you refused to choose the need to take a stand, a battle i tried to withstand; in my solitude i do nothing but grieve in silence ’till i can hold my tongue no more, you don’t understand.
your slightest trigger provokes the bad in me though i have chose not to take the evil out of the basket you always find a better way, to let it all out (with little or nothing at all), the worst just flashed out.
if you wish to understand this heart of mine i, will make you see the life that i long thee as every wind blows the dying petal each day so as my light dims slowly, fading away;
for nothing in this world can diminish the light within my soul, but the power upon which you have control, so take me as i am, or let death be my eternal respite.
(i don’t know what it is about you) that makes my knees weaker than it has already been, my strength is your strength; my love is your love, my life is your life; despite everything.
Hereâs our prompt for the day. Begin by reading e e cummingsâ poem [somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond]. This is a pretty classic love poem, so well-known that it has spawned at least one silly meme. Todayâs prompt challenges you to also write a love poem, one that names at least one flower, contains one parenthetical statement, and in which at least some lines break in unusual places.
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond (e e cummings)
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience, your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me though i have closed myself as fingers, you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens (touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly, as when the heart of this flower imagines the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility: whose texture compels me with the colour of its countries, rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens; only something in me understands the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
Finally, hereâs our optional prompt for the day! Start off by reading Arvind Krishna Mehrotraâs âLockdown Garden.â Now, try to write a poem of your own that has multiple numbered sections. Attempt to have each section be in dialogue with the others, like a song where a different person sings each verse, giving a different point of view. Set the poem in a specific place that you used to spend a lot of time in, but donât spend time in anymore.
Todayâs exercise asks you to do something similar, but in the interests of creativity, rather than ill-conceived âcorrection.â Find an Emily Dickinson poem â preferably one youâve never previously read â and take out all the dashes and line breaks. Make it just one big block of prose. Now, rebreak the lines. Add words where you want. Take out some words. Make your own poem out of it!
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun (764)
BY EMILY DICKINSON
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – In Corners – till a Day The Owner passed – identified – And carried Me away –
And now We roam in Sovreign Woods – And now We hunt the Doe – And every time I speak for Him The Mountains straight reply –
And do I smile, such cordial light Opon the Valley glow – It is as a Vesuvian face Had let itâs pleasure through –
And when at Night – Our good Day done – I guard My Masterâs Head – âTis better than the Eider Duckâs Deep Pillow – to have shared –
To foe of His – Iâm deadly foe – None stir the second time – On whom I lay a Yellow Eye – Or an emphatic Thumb –
Though I than He – may longer live He longer must – than I – For I have but the power to kill, Without – the power to die –
Today we close out the first three weeks of Na/GloPoWriMo! Weâve just nine days left to go until April comes to a close.
Our featured participant today is clayandbranches, where the âfuture archeologyâ prompt for Day 20 brings us a lecture from the Cephalopod Academy.
Our daily resource is the BBCâs archive of poetry-related writing, where youâll find essays and articles aplenty, exploring different poets, poems, and poetic forms.
Last but not least, hereâs todayâs (optional) prompt. Begin by reading Sarah Gambitoâs poem âGrace.â Now, choose an abstract noun from the list below, and then use that as the title for a poem that contains very short lines, and at least one invented word.
đ my take, i chose the word honesty and in honor of my country, the Philippines i am using the poetic form hay (-na)ku invented by a fellow Filipino poet Eileen Tabios.
and instead or using invented words i used Filipino words in the last stanza:
michnavs 