Literary : Celebrating All Saints' Day 2023

 

In honor of 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬' 𝐃𝐚𝐲, a day when we remember and celebrate the lives of our dearly departed, our literary team has submitted their heartfelt entries below. 

Death is Pretty 

I've been stuck at the idea that death isn't the end 

moreso, the advent of a new form of life

You - existing in people’s memories 

I can't recall your physical peculiarities but i do know

The smiles you gave to strangers, how your eyes would light up when you’d spot a friend across the street and instantly wave your hands without worries of what others might think

Your love is your legacy 

Remember when we would secretly go to fast food restaurants every sunday afternoon and you’d whisper in my ear “ayaw saba sa imo mama ha” and it would tickle and we would laugh that rice would fly out of my mouth and you'd wipe the table down using your handkerchief 

You might be dead but your love is in me

At the tip of my tongue i hand out i love you’s to friends because of you

Greet friends in the hallway because of you

Laugh obnoxiously because of you

The secret to life isnt immortality but death 

The common filipino metaphor of butterfly as the dead

I see a butterfly but i don't see it as you

I notice the delicate flap of its wings and how strong gentleness can be

And how simply a polite person can change the trajectory of another’s life

The butterfly effect, the domino effect, the snowball effect, whatever social-scientific theory that may be

Your love is now a part of the ancient wonders of this world

The greatest discovery i have ever seen

you hand your love out like gospel tracts 

impulsively, freely, randomly, 

I hope to inherent your love and claim it as mine 

To love so strongly that it blooms petals as bright as the afternoon sun 

Written by LucSamael

Far Gone

by B.C. Writes

Too far gone,

From earthly ties,

A lost embrace,

Warmth's last goodbyes.

Too far gone,

To realms unknown,

A wayward one,

You have become.

In thoughts and dreams,

Your memory resides,

And now at peace,

Your soul lives on.

You are not too far gone,

Not really so,

For the days that time cannot erase,

I see you continue to glow.

Over the Bridge, We’ll have more Poems to Read
by watercolorcantcolor

Luna finally kissed
this dilapidated shrine,
standing by the Nile
that spanned hundreds of miles.
Accompanying the tranquil sound of water
was a broken sigh,
seemingly woeful and aggrieved,
marking the beginning of an endless tide.
In this dusk that cannot hide
the stench of death far and beyond,
there is a bitter taste of separation,
yet a little bland.
Not any painful,
but in the heart was a tinge of sad,
like the hue of red beneath the blood moon
above this forsaken land.
A series of footsteps rang,
and the shrine's door was flung,
Unhurried, a silhouette walked to the bridge,
that of a man
And followed him was a pale-faced child,
scampering as she ran.
Despite the trashings of turbulent winds,
the man crossed with a wave
and the mut that followed him,
momentarily stopped in a daze,
only to realize that in this pursuit,
she is unable to give chase.
On the other periphery
were not flowers of spring,
but an endless darkness
that rendered the heart churning.
The lass called out to him,
and one last time he did swing,
On his lips was a painted smile,
and a voice that was almost whispering,
“Over there is a paradise where I shall rest in peace,
and tomorrow, when you also cross this bridge,
wake me up and we shall have more poems to read.”
Yet the girl could only watch and not probe,
unable to understand that perhaps,
tomorrow is something someone else wrote,
to make an eternal parting dazzle like hope.

Standing in Autumn

By A fallen petal of Tulip

The unknown between white mist and fallen leaves

The feeling between summer and winter

A love alive in autumn

 

When I first met you, it was fall.

But now, standing beside your grave, everything has fallen.

I still remember how the flowers rose from seeds.

And now they lay with you, where they are planted.

 

The brightest smile that I can only see in my dreams

The smile that even in dreams is slowly fading and can hardly give the details

 

to-do list (Updated: 4 days ago)

 By: F.C.

10/4/2010

1. Visit lola

a. Bring letter to grandparents made in school

b. Pack light

c. Remind mama to buy her favorite snacks

d. Bring grade card. Mama said it will make her happy

 

10/4/2012

1. Visit lola

a. Say sorry for accidentally losing her gift

b. Show her my new baby brother

c. Show her my new drawings

d. Visit my aunties

 

10/4/2016

1. Call

a. Tell lola to slow down on the sweets

b. Comfort mom

c. Stay awake to check on mom

d. Listen.

 

10/5/2016

1. Visit

a. Pack heavy. Remember to bring white

 

11/1/2017

1. Visit lola

a. Bring flowers

b. Wear thick clothing

c. Buy candles

 

10/5/2019

1. Meet family

a. Remind mama to buy food

b. Bring sketchpad to show my drawings

c. Bring charger

 

2. Visit

a. Flowers

b. Candles

 

…

10/26/2023

1. Visit lola

a. Buy flowers

b. Buy snacks

c. Bring the awards you got. She’ll be happy with them.

Join us in paying tribute to those who have left us with a short letter or poem in our Facebook posts' comment section. Share your thoughts, your memories, and the love you still hold in your heart for those who are no longer with us.

To all the souls who have touched our lives and left their indelible mark, may your memory continue to inspire us and may your spirits find eternal peace.