Archive for January, 2008

12
Jan
08

Returning Him

~

I was not on his side when our creator called him to come home, and when he answered that call. I was miles away to even feel his last warm touch, and to reassure him with even a single grip - we were only connected by the telephone line that made me return one of my valued treasures ~ my father ~ to God.

I hope words are enough.

I was able to talk with “Papang” before he went  into coma. I asked him if he wanted me to come home right away. He said no, because he is Okay. But I already have the feeling that he is not. Hours later, my sister called to inform me that he went into coma. I spoke my last words over the phone hoping he could still hear me.

“Accept God’s will. I don’t want you to suffer no more. We will be okay. Answer God’s call now and come home to his waiting arms.”

I heard only silence for a response as I whispered prayers for God to welcome his arrival.

I returned ”Papang” to God, I returned one of my precious treasures to our creator.

Two hours later he draw his last breath and left his mortal body to come home to the true source of life.

I know he is home.

— 

I am set to fly home today to set my father off.

Please click link below:

 http://jeques.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/im-coming-home/

I wish you all well.

~ Jeques

For Writers Island: “Treasure”

Note: I may not be able to post this on tuesday to the writers island link because I would be irregularly visiting my nook by then. But I’m just around.

10
Jan
08

I’m Coming Home

.

I’m coming home ~

To send my father off.

.

Leonardo D. Jamora, PhD, Father (1941 – 2008)

My father died January 10, 2008 at 2:10 A.M., Philippines Time. He fought the BIG C for 4 years, he did a good fight until the end. My father was a teacher all his life, til death.

I will be coming home to the Philippines; I will leave Chicago on Saturday and I’m expected to arrive in Roxas City, Philippines on Monday at 7:00 A.M. – Philippines time.

I would not be regularly logging in here in my web nook, but I will just be around.

Live life well, we don’t know our own time.

I wish you all well.

~ Jeques

 

08
Jan
08

Pending Life

Love. It makes me want to rise every day and begin again. But this is not the kind of love that you would instantly think about, I feel lousy in that area. My love for life is what I’m saying. Each day as I arise – though it could be hard sometimes that I have to drag my body from bed being tired coming from work - I would remind myself that I have a pending life to live and by opening my eyes and welcoming a day of new beginning, would make me add one more brush stroke to the unfinished masterpiece called my life that I am painting as I live.

(I am a nurse working night shifts, and I’m talking about rising between 2-3 PM after some 5-6 hours sleep)

My creator gave me an empty canvas. He equipt me with a brush, but it is up to me to choose the paint colors to use as I progress painting my pending life ~ it is unfinished.

unfinished.jpg

“Unfinished” oil on canvas, 40×48(pending, nov, ‘07 to date) By: Jeques B. Jamora

Life is an art school I attend, I love it! And the people, and places, and things; the seasons of life, each moment are my teachers. All these offer paint colors spread before me as I wake up every day. I just need to dip the tip of the brush from one of the tubes and do a single stroke one day at a time.

Often, like now, I move one step backwards to view my pending life-artwork. I’m beginning to like the image that’s slowly revealing from my everyday progress. I look back at my life, and the once dull colors I used to loathe in the past which I painted on my canvas are also needed hue for my masterpiece. Now I understand: shadows are essential and needed, too, to compliment the bright colors ~ to reveal the lights. I have no doubts now that bad times I went through and would overcome as I continue to move forward are necessary elements to for the completion of this pending life.

(Unfinished, to be continued)

06
Jan
08

The Flickering Lights (Over The Horizon)

Three things that relax me:

Morning walks,

the sea

and dreaming.

I used to walk every day before sunrise when I was still in the Philippines, and my morning walks would usually end in the beach that opens to the sea where I conceive my dreams. ‘Tis my daily pilgrimage and like any pilgrims, my walks, my short journey to the sea enriches me. There is much more wisdom gained in becoming than in being. It is in my daily walks that I composed many of my poetry, that I conceived many new and sometimes crazy ideas. I feel connected to the streams of inspirations, creativity over flows, I commune with nature, I am in-touch with my creator. 

I walk to understand life, I walk to find me.

 A Traveler’s Soliloquy (Prologue)

.

On the steep cliff at the edge of the coast,

Lies a vine that bears a rare white flower ~

Hanging in wait like a forlorn soul, lost.

.

The sirens of the calm ocean whisper;

Echoing with the mountains’ dirge like ghost.

These plangent cries pervade the dawn’s zephyr:

.

“Let go of your clinging grip; it is time.

Your fate beacons from the unknown distance.

Hear the ringing of your destiny’s chime,

Answer the summons of this tenuous chance!”

.

The flower’s ineffable faith in life

Propels its heart to will to face its fears;

To transcend many generations’ strife,

And to fulfill the tales oft told by seers.

.

So, in the young hours of the morning,

Along the threnody crooned by the wind

The flower cut its thin fiber clinging.

To seize its future, this passage’s end ~

I arrive in the beach just before the sun appears over the horizon. I look at that boundery where the skies kiss the sea, I could not even tell where the earth ends and the heavens begin. It is one of the calmest scene one could ever see. I feel so small before the ocean and the arched sky, I am humbled by God’s genius painting the skies with colors that no artist could ever duplicate. And then slowly, flashes of lights burst over the horizon that astounish me everytime. I am silenced. What comes next is a magical moment when the sun takes flight completely leaving its last kiss to the sea, the magical moment happens when the flickering lights appear like glitters strewn over the ocean.

The hepnotic flickering lights over the horizon inspire my reverie, promising endless possibilities. My dreams lie beyond the horizon: where the sea birds fly, where I saw the airplanes disappear, where the glitters are more brilliant.

Years later, I have crossed the sea. I soared in the skies higher than the sea birds, I went where the airplanes disappear, I alight in the land of endless possibilities to live my dreams. I arrived in the blank space over the horizon that I only used to watch in my morning walks, in the sea, in my dreams.

It was a journey that started with my morning walks, look where my dreams brought me. It is an enriching journey. the wisdom I gained along the way are the glitters I gathered that are now part of me. I am miles away from home – that’s the warm glow I watch over the horizon now. Somewhere behind that glow where the sun kiss the sea is my home, my reasons for coming here and where all these glitters I collect some day would belong.

Three things I wish I will have forever in my life:

 

Morning walks,

the sea

and dreams.

I could not tell where this three would bring me from where I am now. The flickering lights over the horizon beacon endless possibilities. New dreams are conceived, my heart is ready, I open my arms in acceptance.

A Traveler’s Soliloquy (Epilogue)

.

I reached the edge of the coast at twilight.

Walking back, I draw deep breaths of relief.

The sea is tinged with sunset’s crimson light.

On my path are flowers strewn on the reef.

I picked the salient flower in pure white,

When I looked up, I see vine-drapes on cliff.

 

 

 

 

05
Jan
08

Beneath Your Firm Grip

— 

2003, Philippines 

~ 

I am forever tracing in my mind

The creases in your palms,

When you pressed it close to mine ~

Your last strong grip,

Our last hand shake ~

Then we bade goodbye.

— 

2008, Chicago

We met again,

We said hello.

I anticiapated a hand shake

That never happened.

I waited.

And then,

In an unexpected moment

Your reach out your hand

For a hand shake.

I accepted.

In that brief moment

Beneath your usual firm grip

I trace the creases

In your palms I missed,

But they’re not there ~

.

We were wearing gloves.

‘Tis winter.

~

03
Jan
08

New Swimming Strokes

pensive-010.jpg

Life is becoming a routine for me lately. My moves are becoming mechanical. I am doing the things I did yesterday, but do I really have to do them again tomorrow? I look outside the window and some things align with my thoughts. I see the same faces walking the street by my window every day at a certain time going to, and coming back from work or to and from where life takes them. I do the same, is someone also watching me?

It’s 2008. This means completing another year cycle. The first few months I was here in Chicago were moments of surprises, seeing many new things. Would I still be amused looking at the colorful leaves falling just like I did when I saw it for the first time? Or would it become part of the boring cycle ~ unnoticed? Would I still look at the snow with amusement as I look at it now next year?

I am afraid to loss the curious child-like spark in my eyes. They made me paint and write poetry. I don’t want to loss the beauty in little things just because I don’t give them second glances anymore, as I allow myself to drift with the swirling stream of routines.  

It is 2008. I swim in the same pond of life, but I would like to learn different swimming strokes to keep me moving forward. 

Once in a while, I promise to jump, to sing, to smile and laugh and shout or to just swim against the tide. To be me. And just like a graceful fish jumping out of the water, I, too, could perhaps create new ripples to make the difference in the course of life.

I wish you well ~ Jeques




Email Subscription

Please enter your email address to subscribe and follow the trails of the waif, and listen to the voice of the tyke, tamed.

Blog Stats

  • 38,365 hits

Photographs Of Jeques

"'Tis great to think with a free mind, 'Tis wonderful to love with an unrestrained heart."

~ Jeques's Life Mantra (from his poem: "Changes"

Jeques's Art Portfolio

Click to View Jeques's Art Portfolio

 

January 2008
M T W T F S S
« Dec   Feb »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Categories