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Author: Don Normantico
War Cry
It is not about how good you are. It is about how far you can go to get better. The intense desire to learn is a far superior attitude compared to those who just want to succeed. My ambition far exceeds my talent. This fact does not make me frail. Instead, this simple truth pushes me and inspires me to constantly challenge myself. It inspires me to seek and defeat my own limits. I am not an unrewarded genius. People cannot see that I am working all alone, day and night. I am not the kind of person who strives for perfection, as I am willing to sacrifice whatever my heart desires. Failure is not an option, and when all else fails, I simply do not. Even if I fail, I can still hold my head high because I did everything I needed to do to the fullest extent, with no regrets.
You need to be conscious of your strengths and weaknesses, making yourself capable of attaining what you need, not just what you want. That is a powerful mindset. Additionally, diligence is the most important virtue for success. It is that steadfast and earnest effort to accomplish something, along with the ability to never give up. People like this are destined to succeed.
Contemplation
It was impenetrable, so dense. In the midst of contemplation, a tear fell. A bottle of whiskey was never enough to console my grief. Right here, sitting, wasting time writing love letters for her which she will never read. She’s beautiful; her charm made me weak, down on my knees under an irremovable spell. Then I heard my heart calling her name. The exact opposite of a propitious omen. Everything was fine till I answered every call, clandestinely thinking she’ll fall. Trapped by my own delusions, I fell, with no one catching me. Under the line I crossed, this unrequited affection exacted its price: it took everything from me.
Dambana ng Kagitingan
Mount Samat, Bataan, Philippines
Dedicated to the fallen Filipinos and Americans during World War II
Girl of the morning dew
The girl of the morning dew,
Surrounded by a beautiful mist,
She liked her complete solitude.
A man was enticed by her grace,
He who was constantly looking at her,
Adored her secretly and passionately
Looking at her as if she were a goddess.
He struggled hard to fight his emotions,
Separated by a worldly fate;
He couldn’t just fall into such dreams.
Yet after each day, his feelings matured;
He waited, longed, and loved.
Madness filled his empty heart,
He left his hesitations behind,
Gathered all the courage he had,
And confronted her to speak of his love.
Stuttering, nervous, feeling the gravity
Regret engulfed him as time stood still:
Someone already owned her heart.
Hot Import Nights 2013
Nagdurusa
Nagdurusa’t nag-iisa, naghihintay ng iyong lambing
Pusong nanlalamig, hinahanap ang iyong pag-ibig
Ikaw ay biglang nagpaalam, tinatanong kung bakit
Mga halik na walang kasingtamis, akap na mahigpit
Alaalang sinusubukang ‘wag balikan ngunit mapilit
Sinusubukang patawarin, iyong pangalan ay bukambibig
Lungkot na nadarama, pusong nagtatago ng hinanakit
Ikaw pa rin ang tinitibok ng puso, oh, anong sakit!
Tales of anguish and bitterness
I wish I wasn’t so foolish to fall in love with her. I’m just a simple boy, incapable of understanding, very unworthy of her. A confused boy who tried to set the differences between fairy tales and reality, then failed afterward.
I believed that our souls were fatefully intertwined, that we were destined to be. She’s the only one. She’s my true karma, someone I can’t read, someone I can’t have. She accidentally made me insecure, wherein I’m trapped by the things I can make, by the things I can create, by the things I can achieve.
There are times wherein you don’t know what to do next. that happened to me when she left. I had no plans, had nothing to lose. All I could think of was her. Truth is, I don’t want to write about her anymore. I know for a fact that she’d love to hear that I’ve finally moved on, but what can I do? I’m just a writer who selfishly writes about what I truly feel. Writing since the day our paths crossed, when I found true love through her, to the day we made our promises, to our first fight, and when she finally left, to the day I painfully accepted defeat. After that, all posts are hopeless romantic ones. Each entry contains facts, posted a little late. Each entry contains sad memories of us. Each contains true love that I want to constantly prove to her.
Months passed, every morning became another heartache, every cold night got me wishing we were still talking on the phone like before, to the day I became numb to the pain, to this day I’m still reminiscing about our almost happily ever after. Funny thing is, she just hates me for not giving up on her. Now I can’t believe that she won’t talk to me. I tried everything. I did everything. I miss the love that was almost there, almost there, and then suddenly without any warning my Cinderella was gone.
What am I blabbering about? Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, and these are rubbish tales of anguish and bitterness. I loved you, I love you, and I will always love you.
PS: Happy Birthday to me
Too drained
Too drained for the tears he needed to shed,
His face changed from sadness to sudden rage.
He was consumed by anger, set ablaze,
Yet he couldn’t blame anyone for his mistake.
Wondering if everything she said was fake,
Now his verses are composed of bitterness and hate.
To repent today for his actions is too late.
