The Boy Who Stutters

Today, I experienced to work hard and realized that I was hardly working. Today, I got to work as an all-around canteen assistant/helper and it's exhausting but satisfying. Today, I proved to myself that I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was excited when I started my day for I know I would experience something new in my life and I did. I learned the job description and was confident that I could fulfill my duties. The job is easy but very tiring. Waking up at 5 in the morning, arriving around 6 am at the school where the workplace is, fixing the table and chairs in the dining area, sweeping out the dust and dirt out of the floor from yesterday's print, going to the kitchen and finally washing my hands. To help prepare food That's the primary duty and I did help. I have knowledge of basic food preparation but I don't pride myself in the actual cooking. I'm only useful at prepping, cooking is not my cup of tea. So basically I did some minc...

You asked me, "When will you write about me?" I answered, "I don't want to write about you... Not yet." And for a moment you digested what I said and clearly understood. So you replied, "You know you can also write about happiness, right? It doesn't always have to be about endings and sadness and pains." Then it's my turn to digest that which until now I am trying to. Right. You're right. Now let me write about happiness this time. Let me write something about YOU. For the record, this is not for you but about you. But I suppose it's insignificant now we both know we are likely to assume what is not stated like we always do. Poof~ That's what you told me - like it's a signal, an entrance, or a start. But is it really? I found what I was looking for but as usual - it is almost always too good to be true. But is it really? You were so good, so kind, almost surreal. I was overwhelmed and still am. Yes, you are real a...

I thought it was just my imagination - or some sort of fantasy - or maybe just fiction. But it wasn't. It changed when I woke up one morning. At first, I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. I mean, who would? Who would believe you have a trait of the impossible? Who would believe you were painted with a never existing color in a world of black and white? Who would believe you could see reality in more than one perspective? Just who? How about you? Would you believe me? It was scary. It was new. It was also fun. It was scary because you were definitely unique from the others and you knew it yourself. You're not normal; you're not ordinary. You're not like the people around you anymore. It was new as it affects your whole life, changing your everyday one way or another, how you think, how you act; and you couldn't just control it entirely. It was fun because you experience something different, the most different among the different...

Akala ko hindi totoo. Akala ko imbento lang. Akala ko kathang-isip lang. Subalit isang umaga, nagising ako at nagbago itong lahat. Sa una, hindi ako makapaniwala. Sino nga ba ang maniniwala? Sino ang maniniwala na may abilidad ka na hindi kaya ng isang ordinaryong tao? Sino ang maninniwala na iba ka sa karaniwan at may kakaibang kakayahan kang taglay? Ikaw? Maniniwala ka bang may kapangyarihan ako? Nakakatakot. Nakakapanibago. At nakaka-aliw. Nakakatakot kasi hindi ka normal sa karamihan at alam mong hindi talaga ito normal. Nakakapanibago kasi apektado ang pamumuhay mo. Apektado ang mga karaniwan mong gawi dahil kadalasan hindi mo makontrol. At nakaka-aliw kasi nakakaranas ka ng kakaiba, kakaiba sa lahat ng kakaiba. Yung mga bagay na gusto mong gawin, maaari mo nang gawin. Yung mga nais at hiling mo, hindi ka na mahihirapan nang sobra. Ganyan ang buhay ko. Ako lang ang nakakaalam nito. Hindi ko sinasabi kaya walang may alam, (syempre maliban sa’kin). Ayoko rin namang ipaalam at wala a...

I tucked my uniform and fixed my cap I held my gun as I fill the gap I positioned myself along the lads I saw my fellows, are they feeling bad? The sun was about to shine Men and ladies formed a line To witness a man who made a crime True, the regime was at its prime! The man stood with no regrets A man yelled who was no less Before a man of conviction and prowess The man fell, and the crowd regrets I fixed my arm and felt my sweat I held myself as I heard their screams I felt nothing and thought of none I lived since then like I didn’t kill a man. --- Blood in my Hands -TBWS June 2017 A written work in literature: create a poem using a POV of one of the soldiers who assassinated Jose Rizal.