After – Rain Skies: A Million Stars [Update]

Here is another excerpt from my book “After – Rain Skies: A Million Stars’

 

In Memory

 

In memory of the woman

Who screams silently

The secrets of her soul

May she rest in peace

With her lost words

And intimate beauty

 

Kayla would have been just a manufactured memory to her family, friends, and children, had she not taken the courage to walk away from her abusive husband.

Kayla’s husband portrayed her as the best thing on the planet to ever happen to him, that he loved and adored her, and they had the perfect family. And she was outspoken as a child, so people believed that if something was wrong, she would definitely speak up.

They were married for five years, and though he was very controlling from the moment they met, the abuse really started after she had their first baby, and her husband never left her alone with anyone, so she couldn’t speak about what was being done to her.

Kayla had no idea that it is possible to get help and even leave her abusive husband. She was a young bride when they got married. She was never allowed to find a job herself so that her husband provided everything for her.

She had no idea police would get involved and care, or that anybody else would care. That had been one of the main reasons she did not attempt leaving him. If she had known that she had the option, she would have left a long time ago.

She found out she could leave only after he tried to kill her.

Her mother, brother, and uncle went to the hospital and spoke with a hospital social worker, who told them the story her then husband was telling them about how she was burned. He told hospital staff that Kayla’s scarf had caught on fire while she was warming herself, as she is a Muslim.

But her family thought something wasn’t right.

What he actually did was pour turpentine on her and set her on fire.

It was that same fire that ignited the flame inside Kayla to leave her abusive husband for good. It wasn’t easy though, as her husband had long been prepared for the day she would finally have the courage to fight back. He had prepared his own supposed truthful and almost believable version of the story to cover up the abuse. But it didn’t stop her from getting help and finally seeking for a restraining order.

 

P.S.

I want to say “A MILLION THANK YOU” to all those who purchased the book and helped in our advocacy.

Special thanks to Mal Das  and to Mei Kuan of Ipoh Echo 

 

More poems and stories of abuse and violence are available in my book “After – Rain Skies: A Million Stars”

Books are available for sale at

The PWW Centre
15 Market Street
30000 Ipoh
Tel : 05-2469715

https://www.facebook.com/PerakWomenforWomen/

https://www.facebook.com/1MillionStars/

Stars Fled from Your Eyes

 

Stars Fled from Your Eyes

 

stars fled from your eyes

and the shadow of death
cast upon your face
on this dark gloomy night
filled with goodbyes
and unending sighs
of a once promising life

stars fled from your eyes
and you stop dreaming
of what could have been’s
and what if’s
a future you may never see
for it has become so bleak
and gloomy

stars fled from your eyes
and it may never come back
unless you take the courage
to speak up
seek for help
and maybe, just maybe
start anew

stars fled from your eyes, but you’re not done yet

 

Things that break on earth don’t reach the clouds above us. Burning villages don’t change the schedule of sunsets. And stars remain stars, no matter how much land we destroy.

But when the sky loses all of its lights and unleashes a thunderstorm, everything drowns.

Erin was a vibrant, happy, and joyful woman. To her many boyfriends, all of whom mistreated her verbally and physically, she was patient. To Sufi, she was a great human being, and an even better friend.

To herself, Erin was unfair.

She grew up believing she only deserved the kind of love that did nothing but hurt her. And Sufi watched her pick partner after partner that mentally burned her out, and repeatedly destroyed her heart.

Still, Erin’s aspirations, inspiration, imagination, wonder, dreams, pursuits, creative brilliance, her magic, remained bright as stars on a cloudless evening, always. Until they didn’t.

Abuse is not at all clear cut. But Sufi remembered with perfect clarity when her best friend lost the sparkle in her eyes.

First, the silence. Even though marrying the love of your life should be a nervous, excited, rambunctious affair.

Then, the realization of her colleagues that Erin was living with a man who was comfortable with sending his wife to work with bruises and a black eye.

And the dark understanding of the weight of Erin having a son, and nowhere to go that felt safe enough to risk her husband following them, and breaking them worse than he would if they stayed put.

Sufi suffered watching her, but all everyone that genuinely loved Erin could do was love her, until she began loving herself enough to see that she too was deserving of better treatment.

It took years, and all their support, and the kind of bravery you only learn while trying to fight through a thunderstorm, but Erin gained the self-respect she needed to leave the one that was drowning her light.

Coming home should be the safest thing we ever do in this life. Where we lay our heads at night should be where monsters will not reach us. And yet, so many find themselves making homes with monsters instead.

P.S.

More poems and stories of abuse and violence are available in my book “After – Rain Skies: A Million Stars”

Books are available for sale at

The PWW Centre
15 Market Street
30000 Ipoh
Tel : 05-2469715

https://www.facebook.com/PerakWomenforWomen/

https://www.facebook.com/1MillionStars/

 

 

Stars (A teaser)

 

Stars (A teaser)

Things that break on earth don’t reach the clouds above us. Burning villages don’t change the schedule of sunsets. And stars remain stars, no matter how much land we destroy.

But when the sky loses all of its lights and unleashes a thunderstorm, everything drowns.

 

P.S.

A special project is coming out soon in support of PERAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY. And before it would even come out allow me to thank my very special WordPress Family, who helped me share this advocacy through reblogs and by sharing their creative brilliance.

May your stars shine upon endlessly ….forever….

Deepa of https://syncwithdeep.wordpress.com/

Lorraine of https://blindwilderness.wordpress.com/

Nanette of https://puzzlesofthesoul.com/

Punam of https://paeansunpluggedblog.wordpress.com/

Gina of https://alifelesslivedblog.wordpress.com/

Winnie of https://dailygrindofastayathomemom.wordpress.com/

Kate of https://aroused.blog/

Ivor of https://ivors20.wordpress.com/

Nikki of https://under1000skies.org/

Andrew of https://thelonelyauthorblog.com/

Chuck of https://thereluctantpoetweb.wordpress.com/

Irma of https://iidorun.wordpress.com/

Jonathan of https://bythemightymumford.wordpress.com/

Rosema of https://areadingwritr.wordpress.com/

Jade of https://jademwong.wordpress.com/

Jenna of https://thesunshineartist.com/

Tom of https://tom8pie.com/

Carolyn of https://doesitevenmatter3.wordpress.com/

GH of https://garfieldhug.wordpress.com/

And to Jules of http://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/
http://julesinflashyfiction.wordpress.com/
http://julesstorypageswhirl.wordpress.com/
http://julesgemsandstuff.blogspot.com

Thump-poem

Thump-poem

 

As i lay in bed last night
I dream of you and slept tight
And in my dream i got thump
I felt a huge gigantic hump
Over my shoulders
I shed some tears
I am pushed away
And off i stay

The banging
And thumping
Continued
I cried
It pains
It hurts
Heavy
Steady

Woke up in a dream
Oh how my tears run in stream
I painfully cry
I could die
That huge gigantic hump
I felt i got thump
Was my heart beating in agony
You left me in dismay.

 
Note:

This is in response to Diana’s photo prompt for February – a Pixabay image by Marianne Sopala.
You can check out her February challenge here
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/47652712/posts/2157235242

February’s Speculative Fiction Prompt

I wanted to write something about the elephant and the cute little mice on its literal sense; but i realized it would be so much fun to give this adorable elephant a different life and a different persona (so to say).

A Great Tragedy (Dectina Refrain)

 

A Great Tragedy

My
soul died
My tears dried
words unspoken
Of yet one great love
My heart cries my soul bleeds
Of yet another true love
Never really was meant to be
A great tragedy, of greatest love
My soul died, my tears dried, words unspoken.

P.S.

This one goes out to the lovely couple seated next to me on a plane. I wrote this with the hope that the universe will come together and give them peace of heart and mind as they embark on their lives separately.

P.S.S

In response to 10-line Poem Challenge #19: Dectina Refrain.

Dectina Refrain

The Dectina Refrain looks exactly like an Etheree, but with one distinguishing characteristic, as we shall see. This form was created by Marion Friedenthal and named by Luke Prater.

Like the Etheree, it is a decastitch (10-line stanza) with an emphasis on the syllabic count of each line.Also like the Etheree, the syllabic count ascends: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10Like the Etheree, it is unrhymed.Line 10 is the distinguishing feature between the Etheree and the Dectina Refrain. In the latter form, line 10 is comprised of lines 1-4 all together and sometimes enclosed in quotation marks. Hence, the refrain.

Faithfully (Etheree)

It’s
Over
Yet i feel
Deep in my heart
I long and i cry
By my side you will be
Friends, let’s not be! Oh hear me
Listen to what i say, dear please
My soul wants you, my heart desires you
Forever this will be, yours faithfully.

P.S.

This poem is dedicated to a fellow blogger https://idolwandererblog.wordpress.com hop in and check his site and you will find out you…

Ikaw (Bangko Part 3)

P.S. It’s the last day of August. We culminate today the Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) So, i am posting my finale of my short story. Enjoy guys.

P.S. (again) Thanks to a really good friend who was my inspiration in writing  this story.

Ikaw

Parang eksena sa pelikula kung paano tayo pinagtagpo ng tadhana after 7 years.  Nakita kita sa malayo. Sinadya kitang binangga sa pag aakalang hindi mo ako kilala. But to my surprise, tinawag mo ako sa aking pangalan. 

Ngumiti ka at ako’y natulala.

“Kumusta ka” ang iyong tanong. 

“You look good”, ang wala sa lugar kong sagot. Kasi naman you really look good.

Doon na nagsimula ang lahat.

After all, kilala mo din pala ako. Yours was a story of a man na natorpe lumapit. Cliche ika nga, but, well version mo yun.

Sabi mo nga ” you are close to being perfect, and i was….never mind”

Insecure…torpe… whatever your reason maybe, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Pasta ang inorder ko the first time we had lunch together. After which we had coffee. Masaya kang kasama. Magaan. Para bang we’ve known each other for a really long time. 

We were like long lost friend.  Walang adjustment na nangyari. 

Nasundan pa ng maraming beses ang lunch natin. Hindi ko na din mabilang kung ilang beses akong omorder ng pasta. Pasta sa Monday, sa Tuesday, hanggang Friday. Red, white and green (I meant pesto) na pasta. Favorite ko ang pasta. Di kasi ako marice. But believe me; yung unang beses na nag lunch tayo, yun na yata ang pinakamasarap na pastang natikman ko sa tanang buhay ko. 

Masarap kang kasama. It felt so good and so right. 

Bakit marami ang nahuhumaling sa kape kahit nakakapalpitate ito? 

Bakit marami ang may gusto ng pasta kahit fully loaded ng carbs ito?

Kahit masama, dahil masarap okay lang.

Bakit laging puno ang bangko? kahit mahaba ang pila okay lang kasi we need to save up.

Parang ikaw, I invested on you… and now, i am able to take it. My bonus pa.

Ikaw and pasta ng buhay ko. Di maiwasan, di matanggihan.

Ikaw ang bangko ng buhay ko. My deposit. My withdrawal.

‘Twas worth it after all.

What is it about you? Truth is, after three years, I really don’t know. I just love you and I believe that’s just how it is.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

You (Bank Part 3)

I finally met you, after seven years. And it was like a movie scene. You were standing from a distance. I went past through you intentionally, believing that you will never (or you never did) recognize me.  But i was so surprised to hear you call out my name.

You smiled at me. Twas the sweetest smile. 

I froze.

“How are you?”, you asked me.

“You look good”, I said. “Twas the lamest answer i have ever given (I should have said “fine”). But you really looked good though. 

It all started that way.

After all, you knew me. 

You didn’t know how to approach me, you explained.  A dork, maybe. 

You said ” you are close to being perfect, and i was….never mind”

I ordered pasta the first time we had lunch. Then we had coffee after. It felt like we knew each other for really long. Or twas like, we were long lost friends. We hit it off immediately. 

We would have lunch then almost everyday. And whenever we have lunch, i would order for a pasta. Pasta on Mondays, Tuesdays till Friday. I cannot anymore count how many pastas have i ordered during the first month we were together. 

I have tried so much and so many pastas; but i tell you, the first time we had lunch was probably the most delicious pasta i have ever had in my whole life. Weird, but that’s true. 

I love being with you. It felt so good and so right. 

Why do we love coffee even if it triggers palpitation? 

Why do we love pasta even if it’s fully loaded with carbs?

It doesn’t really matter whether it triggers palpitation or if it is fully loaded with carbs. It takes good. It’s delicious.

And you are just like that. You are my pasta; my coffee

Why do we deposit our money in the banks? Why do we take time lining up to reach the teller? It’s necessary. We need to save up. We need to invest.

And you are just like a bank. I saved up. I invested. Now, i am having the best time of my life enjoying my savings.

‘Twas worth it after all.

What is it about you? Truth is, after three years, I really don’t know. I just love you and I believe that’s just how it is.