Remembering Dad on his birthday

years
have passed
saw you last
still have tears
the space you left was vast
today we’re remembering you
memories still in our hearts as we grew
had you were here we’d celebrate it with our cheers
we miss your voice, your cooking, that is true
your kindness, your belly, that, too
it could still be a blast
for what was due
love the past
went fast
cheers!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Thank God, It’s Monday! — Week of November 14th 2016

Also for: 30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 14, Tell Me Something Good #31

Flames – Daily Prompt

As the flames leapt skyward
Farewell our Jessamine, farewell
We closed our eyes and sighed
Gone but not disremembered
Your memories lingered on
The happiness you gave us
In that brief time you were here
We’d treasure every moment
Perhaps you left some legacy
Legacy of faith, love and fun
Life is short and must use it well
Rest in peace, our darling Jessamine

For: Flames

Other “flames” posts:
Flames #DailyPrompt
https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/flames/
https://rajkrishna88.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/a-planet-called-earth/
https://annapurani93.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/flames/

Ten Things of Thankful 178 (Election Week Thankfuls)

Hello everyone! Hope you are all fine. Cold here in Bavaria, had some snow in the morning, now melted. Him Indoors and I are both coughing like crazy, but we’re glad it’s the weekend, we can relax and hopefully, get better. Ten things of thankful, yes, I’ve got loads to be grateful.

Starting with my Mom. For three weeks, she didn’t have any companion to assist her in the house. Her PA left without saying anything and there was my mother, waiting for her until she rang and said, she didn’t want to return anymore. So panic, panic, everyone asking around if they knew anyone who could help and voila! Found one. One of the nieces of my friend, so we sent her some airfare ticket from the province to come to Manila. Happy with that result.

Aurora is my mother’s name
Daybreak she came
Such a beauty
Out in the sea

Creating an aura of hope
She always cope
Always has been
Serves with a grin

And in our lives she’s the centre
Perfumed with myrrh
The love she gives
Superlative!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

HRH the son and his beautiful bride are happy on their new place/new town. She started with her PhD, he is volunteering in a charity foundation for three months and then he’ll try to look for a job next year. Good luck to them.

Yesterday, we had a phone call from the in-laws. He was taken to the hospital for some kidney stones. He’s back now, was given some medicine and asked to wait. He goes back in two weeks to be scanned and see what the next procedure is. Hope it works and he gets better so they can come here for Christmas.

Thankful for freedom and all men and women, generations after generations, all over the world, who sacrificed their lives to give us our freedom.

Thankful for my job, I’m still enjoying it and I still see it as my hobby.

Thankful for the memories. It was my Mom’s birthday last week and next week, it would be my Dad’s, bless his soul. We miss him.

Thankful for the autumn this year, now welcoming winter.

I woke up this morning, the air was fresh, cool breeze and dark time. Fog all over our garden, children on their bikes, waiting for each other to go to school. Summer is over, children are cheerful with their back packs. The wind whispering as crispy leaves fall from trees, heaps of gold, brown and red on the ground. It’s also time for harvest, our grapes by our front door and the two apple trees at the back. There was not a lot of harvest this year, enough to stew the apples for apple crumble and pies, and the grapes for some juice. We are very grateful for the produce. It’s also the time to take some of our plants, like olives, banana and palm plants in the house, as well as our pet tortoises. No more garden paradise for them. They are staying in with us.

autumn like a dream
when the wind brushes the leaves
fairy tale that weaves

kids back to school
cheerful to see each other
summer is over

harvesting apples
crisp copper leaves falling off
chilling the air

(c) ladyleemila 2016

For: Ten Things of Thankful 178 (Election Week Thankfuls). Also for: 30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 12, ALL SEASONS -NOVEMBER ENJOYMENT (November 13)

Him Indoors and I – Write a Fairytale Set Here – Writespiration #96

I was accepted to have an apprenticeship with BASF Chemical Company, in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It’s the largest production site worldwide and the company’s global headquarters and research centre. I spoke no German, but then, I’ve survived in France and Switzerland without French, so why not? I was convinced I would get by and would learn the language when I was there. I was allocated in the Inorganic Department, producing and analysing some dyes. Herr Raider provided me a name who was also working in the same building, but in a different laboratory. “He’d help you get sorted,” he said. Hence, first thing in the morning, I knocked on Room 602 and a tall English man opened it, some parts of his white shirt still untucked from his trousers. “I am, indeed.” was his answer to my question and that hooked me! “Such an accent,” I thought. He helped me obtain my lab gown and safety goggles that morning and waited for me for lunch every day. “There’s your English man again,” my Laborant would say.

That English man is Him Indoors…and we got married two years after we first met….and we’ve just celebrated our 30 years anniversary this year!

For: Writespiration #96

Down by the pond

PHOTO PROMPT © CEAyr

down by the pond we used to swim
not a care in the world – us kids
in our youth we were full of vim
tried to catch some fish and squids

not a care in the world – us kids
swam with our dog and carabao
tried to catch some fish and squids
then we went home for some cacao

swam with our dog and carabao
now we’ve all grown up and apart
then we went home for some cacao
and they’re all still part of my heart

now we’ve all grown up and apart
in our youth we were full of vim
and they’re all still part of my heart
down by the pond we used to swim*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* The pantoum consists of a series of quatrains rhyming ABAB in which the second and fourth lines of a quatrain recur as the first and third lines in the succeeding quatrain; each quatrain introduces a new second rhyme as BCBC, CDCD. The first line of the series recurs as the last line of the closing quatrain, and third line of the poem recurs as the second line of the closing quatrain, rhyming ZAZA.

The design is simple:

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4

Line 5 (repeat of line 2)
Line 6
Line 7 (repeat of line 4)
Line 8

Continue with as many stanzas as you wish, but the ending stanzathen repeats the second and fourth lines of the previous stanza (as its first and third lines), and also repeats the third line of the first stanza, as its second line, and the first line of the first stanza as its fourth. So the first line of the poem is also the last.

Last stanza:

Line 2 of previous stanza
Line 3 of first stanza
Line 4 of previous stanza
Line 1 of first stanza

For: Friday Fictioneers by Rochelle

Sandbox Writing Challenge #56 — You and Mystery

Where in your life have you experienced true mystery?

Time is wonderful. It helps us ease our pain, some bad memories and our heartache. They are still there, but as the days pass by, the sensation dulls. It’s nature’s way of dealing with them and let us continue with our day to day activities, without mourning. When my father passed away, it was like the world has ended. It made me feel vulnerable and has come face to face with my own mortality. That we all go in the end, no matter what age, how healthy or active we are, whatever our lifestyle. It also made me change my attitude, my belief, my priorities and my way of life. I live each day like it’s the last day on earth. I love with passion, give generously to people who needs them, as well as my time to people that matters, sort my priorities and enjoy life and what it offers.

Life carries on
Live each day like a last day
Love with passion

Not knowing what’s coming next is the story of my life
I like surprises and will usually go with the flow
Of what’s happening with the world, and where it could
Take me and my fancy little me, life’s always a dream
I always find myself with variation of things I do
I’ve got lots of books all over the house, reading them
All at the same time, sometimes got confused with stories
Of the protagonist and the antagonist from one to another
I’ve also got lots of projects in my head, making a detour
From one to another, more of branching out or off
Life is a flow, a simultaneous progression and digression
It’s what makes me – me; like a ball rolling around
Going where the wind takes me, jack of all trades
Master of none, that’s also how I can describe myself
I don’t really conform to what was prescribed, I’m me
I’m rambling now, I know, please say stop before I drift
To a land of make-belief, to my fairy tale place
The mystery island where everything is possible
The novelty of all makes it interesting for me
I can wander for days on end and will carry on
With a knot on my tummy for not saying naught
I’ll let you know what comes at the end of my trip
And so I bid you all farewell and enjoy your week

Decompose” by zaldy icaonapo

That photo has been in the water
At first it was such a blur
Poor thing, it’s not submersible
Got no idea, good to be baffled

Been immersed in a large bed of kelp
I don’t think I need some help
Luckily I was able to save it
Didn’t even ruin my outfit

In the middle of it being mutilated
Tried hard to get it out of the mud
Could have migrated somewhere far
Could have been so bizarre

I looked at it in my nonchalant way
At first it was all grey
My God, such a beautiful face
So charming, so full of grace

The melanin still visible, tanned
You could be a model of a famous brand
In this plexus of society, you’re an enigma
God knows how long you’ve been in an aqua

And together with the nickel that I’ve found
I need to find out all the background
In this phase of my life where I’m confused
In my ungainly way, I found some focus
Something to ponder, to solve a mystery

For: Sandbox Writing Challenge #56 — You and Mystery

Sunday Photo Fiction – Boys!

“die, you ###, die!”

“quick, here, before they start again!”

“bang, strike, ouch, smack!”

The noise from the living room was full of screaming boys, fighting like crazy with their toy soldiers, power rangers, ninja turtles, avengers. Or they fought among themselves. They’ve gone through a lot of heroes and villains. And when they were not there, they were outside playing football or just throwing balls around. The energy was immense, and of course, good old Mum has to give them never ending snacks and drinks. And taxiing to their games, football, rugby, karate, kung-fu, swimming, guitar and piano lessons, overnight stay with friends. Sometimes, friends came over for barbeque and stayed the night, too. Life was full of activities then. Now, they’re all gone, having their own lives somewhere. I miss them.

For: Sunday Photo Fiction

Inang’s Sewing Machine

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

The photo prompt made me remember my Dad’s mother, “Inang” which is a Tagalog word for mother (could also be a dialect from their province, Bulacan). My Dad’s father, “Amang” died during the Japanese occupation and left a young wife and two children, my father who was 5 and my Aunt, who was three. Inang managed that by sewing clothes for people, she first worked in a clothes factory and then did it privately. Inang worked days and nights so they could survived. I remembered Inang and her old sewing machine. She sewed our school uniforms. Bless her soul.

For: Friday Fictioneers by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Carpe Diem #1043 emptiness

rest in peace our Jha
we still miss you our angel
our beautiful niece

Jessamine was she
her memories lingered
as if she was here

it has been quiet
big part of our lives missing
beautiful peace

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Carpe Diem #1043

I miss you

The hour is ticking
The moon in a mist
Got to keep asking
Where’s the moonlight tryst?

Trim the stem
You’re not here
Am I condemned?
Feeling’s so queer

I miss you dearly
My head is spinning
I beg of thee
Please don’t fling

Can’t get over it
As I look at your prints
I’m turning half-wit
Give me a hint

I cringe from memories
I can’t lift my spirit
How can I be appeased?
When I run in circuit

Living without you
I’ve had my chips
My life is through
Can’t come to grips

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Writing Prompt #173 “Collage 28” and Wordle 262 Aug 21 by Brenda Warren