NO by Michelle Ayon – Navajas

“Why men rape is unknown to most. No one can tell. Some say it is a pathological assertion of power over a victim. The news would tell us that sexual abuse is usually done by men under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Little do we hear about a perpetrator who is kind, intelligent, compassionate, and good-hearted.
And why? And for what?”
.
.
.
read the full story of Ariel (not her real name), on MasticadoresIndia discover how her “no” gave her a lifetime of freedom and a a lifetime of self-worth.

i am grateful to Terveen and the entire staff of MasticadoresIndia for publishing this story in conjunction of the International Women’s Day; March 8, 2023.

may every woman find the courage to say “no” when needed just like Ariel.

together we can build a stronger and better society where abuse and violence don’t have a place.

if you wish to share your own story of abuse and violence don’t hesitate to drop me a message.

let’s eradicate the CULTURE OF ABUSE AND VIOLENCE, one story one poetry at a time.

if you know of someone suffering from abuse and violence and don’t have the courage to speak up and seek for help, do her the kindest deed and BE HER VOICE.

read more of true and inspiring stories of abuse and violence in my #amazonbestselling book “After Rain Skies, 2nd ed.” available on paperback and kindle file on Amazon worldwide.

its first edition, “After Rain Skies A Million Stars” is available at the PWW shop, 15, Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Perak Women for Women Society (PWW) is a registered, apolitical, non profitable and non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up in 2003 to enhance the status and lives of women in Perak irrespective of their race, religion and social background.

if you wish to help PWW, kindly visit their website for details.

P. S

Thank you so much Terveen for publishing this story.

If you love what you read please don’t forget to subscribe to MasticadoresIndia and get a daily notification for more inspiring and brilliant pieces of prose and poetry

MasticadoresIndia // Editora: Terveen Gill

The black and white close up of a teary woman's eye with a red palm print upon it
Image Source: Canva Pro

Why men rape is unknown to most. No one can tell. Some say it is a pathological assertion of power over a victim. The news would tell us that sexual abuse is usually done by men under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Little do we hear about a perpetrator who is kind, intelligent, compassionate, and good-hearted.

And why? And for what?

A marriage proposal.

Such was the story of Ariel.

She was in her early 20’s when that happened. A long-time suitor, whom she had turned down many times, became her friend; that was his request.

“If we can’t be lovers, at least can we be friends?”

And so they were friends. Friends for a little while. Until that one afternoon when a supposed friendly meet-up turned into a nightmare.

Ariel could no longer recall in complete detail how it all happened. She literally…

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This One’s For You

 

“Don’t judge yourself by what others did to you.” – C. Kennedy, Ómorphi

March 8, 2023 is International Women’s Day.

let us honor the bravest souls that have ever walked in this universe for generations – the WOMAN in us. she is your mother, your sister, your friend, your neighbor, or maybe you don’t need to look farther, she could be YOU.

my poem ” This One’s For You” is a gentle reminder that no matter what happens, no matter how many times you have fallen YOU NEED to forgive yourself and start over again.

“this one’s for the woman, the abused woman in you
don’t condemn her for the exploitation you had she was a victim, a silent victim
so if by chance she was hopeless and muted
condone her, for it was not her choice.

this one’s for you; abandoned, broken,
assaulted, dumped, and abused
you are not alone, and you will never be”

read full poem on Spillwords Press NYC by clicking this link

This One’s For You

 

together we can build a stronger and better society where abuse and violence don’t have a place.

if you wish to share your own story of abuse and violence don’t hesitate to drop me a message.

let’s eradicate the CULTURE OF ABUSE AND VIOLENCE one story, one poetry at a time.

if you know of someone suffering from abuse and violence and don’t have the courage to speak up and seek for help, do her the kindest deed and BE HER VOICE.

read more of true and inspiring stories of abuse and violence in my #amazonbestselling book “After Rain Skies, 2nd ed.” available on paperback and kindle file on Amazon worldwide.

P.S.

Read the full poem on Spillwords and when you are there please leave a heart ❤️ for me as well as your thoughts.

Spillwords.com presents: This One’s For You, poetry written by Michelle Ayon Navajas, Philippine-born, currently residing in Malaysia.

Source: This One’s For You

“We Never Dated” by Michelle Navajas

have you ever regretted a decision or have done something in the past?

everyone experiences regrets in their life. how you deal with mistakes is what makes a difference. taking ownership of your part is essential in moving on; learning from it will ensure you do not repeat them.

my poem “We Never Dated” is up now on MasticadoresUsa.

“can we just go anywhere, take me out, or take me somewhere
it doesn’t matter where; for as long as you are with me
celebrating our love that has been kept for so long
for we’ve never dated ever, so we make the call this is our chance.”

a lost chance at love is probably one of our most common regrets.

thank you, Barbara, and the entire team of MasticadoresUsa, for their continued support of my poems.

visit and subscribe to MasticadoresUsa to read a daily dose of wonderfully woven prose and poetry from brilliant poets and writers worldwide.

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

can we be together forever and ever under the city night sky? we could cuddle together anytime, anywhere we could have popcorn and unlimited coffee over re-runs of “Friends” we could probably have scared or annoyed our neighbors for all the noises that we make for we’ve never dated ever, so we make the call this is our chance. we could have our friends around over breakfast, lunch, and even dinner let our kitchen be your stage, as i could barely make a gorgeous meal i’d be the proudest to flaunt you preparing dishes we both go crazy about for we’ve never dated ever, so we make the call this is our chance. can we just go anywhere, take me out or take me somewhere it doesn’t matter where; for as long as you are with me celebrating our love that has been kept for so long for we’ve never…

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“I Wish Valentine’s Day Is Just Another Day” by Michelle Navajas

happy Valentine’s Day dear friends and poets.

life is not a bed of roses or a romantic comedy; that’s why for some Valentine’s Day is just an annual love fair that comes and excites the love-struck brain and leaves with a hole in most pockets. 🤭

my poem ” I Wish Valentine’s Day Is Just Another Day,” is up now MastocadoresUsa.

“i wish Valentine’s Day is just a product of the creative imagination
of poets and creatives alike
to generate monetary compensation
and to further their pursuit of recognition and epic breakthrough
but it isn’t.

and so this day is just another epic day reminder
“whatever happened to us?”
another day for regrets and blame throwing
“where did i go wrong?”
another day for what if’s and what could have been’s
just another day.”

🌹Read full poem on MasticadoresUsa here is the link:
https://masticadoresusa.wordpress.com/2023/02/14/i-wish-valentines-day-is-just-another-day-by-michellle-navajas/

🌹thank you Barbara and to the entire MasticadoresUsa team.

🌹please don’t forget to subscribe to MasticadoresUsa to get a daily dose of wonderful literary pieces from brilliant poets/writers all over the world.

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

i wish Valentine's Day is just a product of the imagination of poets and creatives alike to generate monetary compensation and to further their pursuit of recognition and epic breakthrough but it isn't.   and so this day is just another epic day reminder "whatever happened to us?" another day for regrets and blame throwing "where did i go wrong?" another day for what if's and what could have been's just another day.   i wish Valentine's Day is just a product of the creative imagination of poets and creatives alike so that i won't be sitting here alone counting the years and counting the times it could have been me; you're celebrating Valentine's Day with over romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant but it wasn't me.   and so this day is just another day full of remorse and guilt had i been brave enough to fight for my…

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“Breathe” by Michelle Navajas 

My poem “Breathe” is up now on MasticadoresUsa. Thank you so much Barbara for publishing my piece. Head over to MasticadoresUsa to read the full poem.

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

i can’t breathe, i can’t cry, i can’t even sigh
you pushed me hard, down the ground
and why? just why?
because i am different?
my color is different from yours?
since when did colors matter?
since when did you have the right to treat me like i’m not even 
half a human?

i can’t breathe, i can’t cry, i can’t even sigh
when you humiliated me in public
and why? just why?
because i am not like you?
my beliefs are different from yours?
since when did differences in beliefs matter?
since when did you have the right to ridicule me?

why the need to segregate
why the need to separate

different colors?
different races?
different beliefs?
different status?it’s choking me. i can’t breathe. i can’t cry. i can’t even sigh.

Copyright © 2022 Michelle Navajas

All Rights Reserved

Michelle has authored eight books“After – Rain Skies:…

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My Body Aches More Than My Heart by Michelle Ayon – Navajas

My poem “My Body Aches More Than My Heart,” is up now on MasticadoresIndia. Thank you so much Terveen for publishing my poem.

MasticadoresIndia // Editora: Terveen Gill

A young man and woman arguing
Photo by: Valerie Jane De Lara / Models: George Valdez and Jalline Pebres

my body aches more than my heart

for it is sore from the hurt, as though

a master butcher butchered each part

where my body aches more than my heart

from the start.

my body aches more than my heart

for it felt the pain like a bleeding art

as though Michaelangelo sculpted

the Sistine Chapel out of my mighty bones

where my body aches more than my heart

from the start.

my body aches more than my heart

as though Mozart used my limbs to finish

the Requiem on his deathbed in Vienna

where my body aches more than my heart

from the start.

my body aches more than my heart

as though death has taken a toll on each

of my vital organs, my body aches

more than my heart, it feels like that

when you wounded…

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“Burned” by Michelle Navajas

I am honored to share that my poem “Burned” is now up in MasticadoresUsa. Thank you Barbara for publishing my poem.

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

i dared and had a taste

of the blazing fire in your lips

that late February afternoon

when summer was just

in the waiting room

it had me burned,

burned down ’till i couldn’t

hold on nor put a halt

to the once fragment

of my late night poetries

and 3am cold morning wishes

i never thought it would happen

so i cared not of the cruel truth

i was burned,

but it felt so good

i was intoxicated,

but it gave me power

i felt so good, i felt so powerful

that no amount of brutal reality

could make me stop

nothing could make me stop

from loving you that late

February afternoon.

that same fire is still burning

even decades after, i am burned.

Copyright © 2022 Michelle Navajas

All Rights Reserved

Michelle has authored eight books“After – Rain Skies: A Million Stars”for Perak Women for…

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Sunsets

Sunsets

sunsets are my most favorite it’s a sonnet
they are rhythmically melodious in passing
but constructed don’t blink you’re losing
the loudest beat as orange and pink combined
a masterpiece my heart strings intertwined.

sunsets are my most favorite it’s a sonnet
the ones with you by my side are perfect
they made me believe
in poetry
in melody
in rythm and rhyme
in magic and fairy tales
in love
in you

in us.

Write a love poem with me

Write a love poem with me.❤️🖊

My most viewed/read/successful pieces are my love poems. My first book to have made it to #1newrelease and #amazonbestsellers is “I Will Love You Forever Too,” (which is a collection of love poems) not to mention three of my love poems (What If Snowflakes Don’t Fall In Winter, Kiss, and Holding Hands) were nominated as Spillwords Publication of the month – “Holding Hands” was voted Publication of the Month for November 2021, which eventually became a Publication of the Year Nominee. I realized I must be doing great with the love poem department.

So here I am sharing with you all how I do it.

1. Read and Learn from existing Love Poems

Love has long been a favorite theme for poets. Take, for example, the works like “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns, “Sonnet 18” by Shakespeare, “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron, and “How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

These classics shaped the language and style of love poetry. Modern poets, however, have come up with new and exciting ways of writing love poems.

Just keep reading, learning, and discovering.

2. Choose a Form

There are many forms of poetry. Popular choices for love poems are sonnets and concrete poetry.

But you could use free verse, which isn’t restricted by meter or rhyme, which gives you more freedom in writing and expressing how you feel.
Please feel free to work on an established form if you need clarification on where and how to start.

3. Think About A Specific Emotion (Just One)

Before you start writing your love poem, think about a specific emotion you are trying to express. Think about the person you are writing to and how you feel about them.

Don’t just write about the basic idea of love.
Talk about joy, hope, passion, or fun; pick just one. Set the tone of your poem by thinking about this one first.

4. Make It Your Own

Please STOP with the GENERIC LOVE IDEA

A good love poem should come from the heart. But how can you make sure that your poem feels genuinely personal?

• Don’t use old-fashioned, overblown language to sound like Shakespeare or the classics. Use your own voice instead!

• Don’t use clichés, such as overused metaphors and similes about roses, apples, stars, candies, etc.

• Include references or specific details or things that make your emotion special, like dates, places, or foods. Details like these can help to make your poem unique.

Aim to write a poem that nobody else could have written! It should express your feelings for the person you love, not preconceived ideas about what “love” should be. Yes, NOT A PRECONCIEVED Idea. Meaning STOP being monotonous or stop using general feelings/concepts.

5. Review Your Poem

Finally, to show you care, review your love poem to ensure it is error-free. A poem full of mistakes will not convince anyone of your love, after all!

Many out there claim to be poets/writers; if you are one of them, be sure you do the right thing.

Others also claim to write in a specific form and simply murder the form. It is important to note that we know every detail of a particular form before writing.

Here is a recent love poem for you all…❤

Love Happens

i wonder how it feels to kiss you
boy, i did just as you wondered
without hesitation, without inhibitions
without second thoughts
no words, there was complete silence.

i wonder how it feels to kiss you
now you left me wondering too
‘cos little do you know that i’m in love
and petrified for the first time
and probably the last time in my life.

i wonder how it feels to kiss you
was my best memory of you
for years and years even decades after
intentionally written or a poetic bait
it doesn’t matter for i too wondered.

i wonder how it feels to kiss you
was the beginning of the end
of you wondering and me hoping
that somewhere in the middle
of the busy streets in Manila
love will finally happen.

i wonder how it feels to kiss you
it happened, you stopped wondering
i stopped hoping, ‘cos indeed no matter
what happens there is no denying
that in between our pretenses
love happens.

Book Review: I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark (Michelle Ayon Navajas)

I am very pleased to share this beautiful review of my books “It Ain’t Winning If Without You” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark.”

Towards Literature

This is the second book by poetess Michelle that I have read. I would say both are spellbound. Earlier I read her 7th book, “It Ain’t Winning If Without You”.

Background

i am in itself poetry in the dark michelle ayon navajas
7th Book of Michelle Ayon Navajas

The book shares a variety of love-based emotions and is able to clinch your heart, while this book shares feelings of trauma, suffering, abuse, harassment, negligence, separation and, of course, love. Both share a distinct plot still similar in a way that is bound to the sentiments of the bearer. But I must say the latter one left behind, the former one bedazzled me. Though the book has its own grace, it wasn’t as great as I expected in comparison to the book, “It Ain’t Winning If Without You”.

Focus

i am in itself poetry in the dark michelle ayon navajas
8th and Latest Book of the Poetess

“I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark” reveals the darkest secret a victim keep in…

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