January




peace in blue

I can see the stars reflect on your face
as the waves and night put it all in place
I have never felt peace while I’m in blue
that was my case until my world found you –
Who are you? I love you.
once I get through all these days
once I get out of this maze
once I am in the right place
once I get to see your face
one day, maybe not today
maybe tomorrow, or the other day
maybe only yesterday
(0)
where are you?
I see you
who are you?
I love you
(2)
I know, it will be alright
for sure, right by your side
the snow, is just a warm night
coz you’re, what my heart and mind
have been looking for
not sure to what’s in store
don’t know if we’ve met before
but let me speak from my core
(0)
where are you?
I see you
who are you?
I love you
(3)
“baby please be my savior”
when things aren’t in my favor
when it’s all dark in the mirror
baby please be my colour
(0)
wherever you are
I will see you
no matter who you are
I will love you
strangers to forever
before the stars collided
before our hearts exploded
all that I ever wanted
is also what I needed
–
and it’s all of you
–
but before I even knew
you caught me out of the blue
I felt something old but new
that my roads lead towards you
–
from passing by each other
to walking life together
the nights used to be colder
now I don’t need a cover
in your warm arms I found home
–
what we have here together
I pray that it could go on
forever

always, endlessly

which inspired me to write this poem
The world is about to end
what mail do you wish to send?
Now that our bridges will bend
will your be there in the end?
go and cry all your heart out
go in silence while you shout
all your pain after this bout
just tell me your very route
so I can find you right there
I know we are unaware
no matter how close we were
or even how far we were
but now that I am right here
I will not wipe every tear
but all of me is right here
reservoir for every tear
you do not need to tell me
know that you are here with me
for all of life, I will be
with you, always, endlessly
February: Half Moons
Do you ever get that feeling of blue while listening to a song from the rising sun?
Throughout the past few months, I tend to wake up as early as four and simply stay outside of our house as I wait for my coffee to get a little colder. Most of the time, I listen to a cycle of songs as I stare blankly at the sky before dawn.
If you managed to read my entry for last month, I have clearly shown how much I admire Cowboy Bebop. With regards to that, I always play this song “See you space cowboy” which is the song during the credits for the last episode of the said animated series.
I have this weird thing in me wherein I keep the translations off and never really bothered to know the lyrics of foreign songs. I tend to listen to such songs as what they are, and give my own meaning or interpretation of it.
But one morning, I decided to read the comments of the video and there I found what I thought I will never need. Stories, various stories from strangers who just like me, had their own interpretation of the song. As I listen to it day by day, I learn more and more about this song that connected souls who are far away from each other.
I envision this song as an anthem for what peace feels like.
All my life, I always give my best to take risks that will allow me to feel alive. Looking back, I understood why I fell in love with Cowboy Bebop in the first place.
There I realized that I am somewhat stuck in a dream that I am still in no matter how many times I wake up or sleep. The struggles and repeated emotions that I feel all throughout at work, and even at home were really something that I am getting used to.
I tried to look at it, and find ways to pretend that I am alright all the time. Because if I don’t, others that depend on me will also suffer. And I don’t want such thing to happen to anyone that I care about.
Everyday felt like an episode of Bebop, where in it starts loud, and ends to a much melancholic goodnight with “The Real Folk Blues”.
At school, I always feel frustrated, sometimes disrespected. It took me a while to notice, that I was looking at the wrong side of teaching after all. I forgot that I should be calm, I forgot that I should be strong. I was unable to control my classes, because I myself failed to control my life.
In a weird way, I actually saw an opportunity to carry on after I had this nightmare that something struck my throat. It was the 28th day of February, my oath taking ceremony with regards to my teaching license. I was sick, but there I realized that it is time to wake up.
And as I lay at my bed the whole 29th of February, I realized that I should really take care of myself. I even asked myself, “if you have an extra day, what will you do with it?” Of course I don’t want to spend it all in my bed while I am sick.
And there the “see you space cowboy” kicks in. For the first time, I decided to find out what it really meant. For some reason, it made all things much clearer to me.
There I realized why I empathize with Spike in the first place. He was a man who just lives his life directionless after he lost his everything, in the form of Julia. But once she came back, and died, he realized that he’s got nothing to lose, that’s why he killed Vicious knowing that he will die doing so.
Spike decided to simply tie all the loose ends in order to honor Julia’s death. That’s why when the end credits song changed from “the real folk blues” to “see you space cowboy”, it tells a story of a man who finally found peace.
In light of such realization, I figured that I still have a lot of time left. And I do not want to be like Spike. I woke up in the reality that there is more to one thing in life, that there is always hope to carry on. I am typing this journal, march 12, and I am blessed to say that I managed to carry on.
What I want to say really is that, just like the moon, we won’t see it fully all the time. But to think of it, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Like hope, sometimes we don’t see it, sometimes we only see glimpses, but we have to remember that it is there. For everything will be alright in time.
—
This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you kids later :)
“I need to put my mask on”
for I’m trying to go on
far from the peace that I long
remembering every song
that got me right here
that is worth all doubts and fear
not showing a tear
every morning I wake up
wondering how I can stop
all your doubts and fears that stop
or pause your way to the top
I sometimes stay still
waiting for silence, for peace
that i barely have
I used to think that
maybe I am not for this
that I failed you all
during times I lose control
sometimes I think I will fall
every night, I pause and think
how things will change if I blink
how to stop the ship to sink
trying to find every link
so.
I decided to go on
decided not to out a mask on
went out of my comfort zone
have my ears and heart on
not just with math, but with what’s going on
I remember, that even when I’m out
it’s always thoughts of you all that I shout
Asking for advice
Praying for guidance
just to help, to teach, and to educate all of you
in math,
I made sure that the numbers matter
at the same time,
I tried my best to remind that everything that you do matters
for you all matter
I doubted myself
but with all your help
your simple gestures
saying “sir I finally get it”
those words, without you kids knowing
leaves my heart continuously smiling
I wish at that time I also said that
“I finally get it”
I finally get
why I wake up at 4 in the morning
and still think of you all in the evening
it is indeed my first year in teaching
yet you kids made me feel everything
everything that I needed to feel
I found peace in the chaos of our classes
I found peace in the spaces of your noises
thank you, for I found who I am when I am with all of you
thank God, for I found peace, when I found all of you
.
.
a collection of poems (haiku, tanka, tanaga, and a free verse) for all of the wonderful souls that made my first year in teaching, the most grueling, frustrating, yet the most amazing, wonderful, blessed, and rewarding time of my life so far.
.
.
.
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to 9B, 9G, 9H, and ofc 9L
This is Sir A, Sir Alcantara
signing of as your Mathematics Teacher

January : Beginning Again
I can’t believe or even feel that January is now yesterday. January finally ended, and what a first month it was to be honest. For better and for worse, everything’s somewhat complicated especially with all the things that took place outside of my control.
And there I was, trying not to think much about things, and focused only on my business.

I had a month. A month filled with every bit of everything.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been questioning my skills and well-being with regards to where I’m at right now. For the first time in a long time, I felt somewhat disappointed of myself. Somewhat unsure with tomorrow. Sometimes I just go home after work and stare blankly for a while before I decide to go to sleep and skip dinner.
Then, somehow, I managed to push myself to slowly take care of myself. I really suck at it. I still fail, but I’m still trying to do so.
I thought after finding peace, it will go on. But life really just hits you because it needs to.

directed by Danny Boyle
I finished this month by watching the film “Yesterday”, directed by Danny Boyle.
There I realized that, there are risks that I needed to take in order to live my life.
Looking back, the whole month is everything that will define me tomorrow.

I managed to take the risks and opened my heart out to the person that I always wanted to talk to. We went out, and all the pain and uncertainty that I kept were finally answered. It made me look at that person, the way she is, imperfect, still in blue, but on her way to be better.
I used to look at her and think nothing but the fact that I like her back in our college days. I can’t quite understand the way she treated me, hated her for it, until that very day.
I finally understood why she keeps herself far from people. And when we stared blankly at the harbor, I finally saw the truth that’s been there all along.
The truth that she’s a part of me now, not what I wanted before, but a part of me that I need now, and tomorrow.
We got lost in manila, the way I used to dream about it, way before being right next to her was possible. Before we parted ways while I was next to her as I escorted her to her destination, it got me to think.
This might be the last time that I’ll ever see her, but it was more than enough.
She was the Summer that lasted for a year. I knew from the beginning that we’re supposed to be just friends from the very beginning, but I somehow looked past it and expected way more. But as the months passed, I finally realized the madness. But there’s this par of me that wanted to hear the truth directly from her.
And now that I have it, I walk this earth with more love for myself, and the understanding that I shouldn’t look the other way.
Maybe that’s the lesson for this month, to have courage and begin again. Not just in that standpoint, but for my entire life.
In a few days, or maybe weeks, my faith will be decided in my workplace. But whatever happens, I will not let it break me. I will use the courage that I never had until now to live today, and tomorrow, as the person who is on his way to fulfill what the stars have been leading him to.
So that’s my January, the catalyst, the beginning, and the peace that made me more human.
I will not carry this weight anymore

sincerely,
Elray Alcantara
(02032020)
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

take a sip of that tea
as I dip my life in coffe
tell me a theme-less story
as we write ours simultaneously
take another sip of that tea
as I slowly drown my life in coffee
let’s exchange our life stories
as we fall off a thousand stories
empty that tea as the kick from the coffee
will get me to ask for the story
to add another chapter tied passionately
just for us two entirely
—








