Haven

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, charlotte de guzman, Creative writing, Filipino poetry, Love, Poem, Poetry, relationships, saintcharlotte, sanctuary

I felt you hold my hand
While I closed my eyes
As your warmth claimed me tonight
I listened to your heartbeat
While the whole world stood
In stillness, and faded away
Beyond time, beyond this day
To a place where we can be
Imperfectly perfect
Completely – just you and me.
 
And as I let my hair down
And draw you in
Allow you within
To where no one has ever been
I know you will remain the same
And you will hold me close
When I lay my head on your chest
As your arms enclose me and allow me to rest
Knowing you are here and I am home
And my tired heart can cease to roam
For I hear it in your voice, see it in your eyes
That although, I may have gotten lost for a while
I am safe now, and my soul surrenders
To the familiarity of your smile.
 
 
 
 
Note: Artwork was taken from favim.com


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Another Reason to be Thankful

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, charlotte de guzman, ecopoetry, Filipino poetry, Filipino poetry in English, Poetry, saintcharlotte, sanctuary, Sustaining the Archipelago, Yolanda: The Language of Grief

Thank you, Lord 😊❤️ Finally got the personal copy of my poem – “Yolanda: The Language of Grief”, which came out in the book entitled, “Sustaining the Archipelago” from UST Publishing House. This book is the first anthology of ecopoetry in the Philippines. I am so grateful and honored that one of my poems was able to make the cut and be included in it. Thank you Rina Garcia Chua for this opportunity. God bless you more 😊 And of course, thank you Lord for everything ❤️ The glory and honor be Yours forever. #LoveYouLord 😊

The Goddess Unleashed

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celebrating the female, charlotte aninion-de guzman, Creative writing, empowering women, Filipino poetry in English, Poetry, saintcharlotte, sanctuary, Unleashing the Goddess, womanhood

Tonight, I sit within
The cool space of the coffee shop
Holding in my hand
A warm cup of coffee
Its stillness so different
From the moving Manila traffic outside
From the riot of voices in the street
From the concerto of car horns.

And in this storm I am reborn.

Amidst the mad swirl of sounds
I find myself reaching inside
Closing my eyes
Touching my core
Drawing out the calmness of my soul
Giving rise to a delicious warmth
Forged from within
Seeping from my skin
Burning fire spreading, rising
From the tips of my toes
To my hidden valleys and curves
Outward to my outstretched hands
Under the silver warmth of the full moon
See me stand.
Touch me and burn
Careful now, I am coming undone
I am unleashing, letting go of inhibitions
Taking hold of my life’s direction
Kiss my hand
Feel the softness of my skin
With a look, I can make you sin
Feel the fire in my touch
Let my lips make your breath catch
Come now, fear me, love me
I have come on my own
Worship me, adore me, take me in
For tonight,
I am gloriously alive.
For tonight,
I will drive you wild.
Yes, tonight
I will eclipse the sun.
Tonight,
I am magnificently — woman.

You

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, Creative writing, destiny, Literature, Love, Poem, Poetry, relationship, saintcharlotte, sanctuary, soulmates

I know somehow

When I close my eyes

I will see you

And touch your face

In that in-between place

Where time and reality recedes

I will see you smile

And feel my heartbeat rising

Under the touch of your hand

I will find new meaning.

I know somehow

I’ve seen you

Known you

Even beyond this existence

Even before this journey of discovery began

After everything has been said and done

I’ve known

I’ve always known

I’d come home to you.

(Image is not mine, but came from Pinterest)

Beyond Sunsets

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, Creative writing, Literature, Living, Love, Poetry, relationship, saintcharlotte, sanctuary

The colors of sunset

bleed through the sky

And framed in flaming defiance

Dreams blossom, intensify

Burning against the oncoming evening

I could feel my pulse racing

And when I close my eyes

And reach out my hands

I know somehow

beyond reason

beyond light

beyond distance

in this infinity of existence

There was you

Beyond doubt

Beyond this sea of sunsets

Always you ….

The Illusion of Light

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, Creative writing, Filipino poetry in English, Insights, Life, Living, Poem, Poetry, realizations, saintcharlotte, sanctuary

I haven’t written in a long time, and last night, while looking up at the moon, this poem suddenly came knocking at the door. I decided to sit down and have coffee with her. She told me of people who shine so brilliantly on the outside, seeming to live fantastic and expensive lives, when in reality, there is nothing within them but darkness and brokenness.

“But, they have lived with these lies for such a long time, you see, blinded by the false light they emit, that they themselves do not know who they are and what is real anymore.” The poem explained to me patiently while pointing out the loneliness of existence for the people she was talking about. “Learn to look past their expensive clothes, their Instagram posts, and their projected lifestyles. Remember, one of your famous poets once said, All that glitters is not gold. Look past the brilliance of their smiles. There is nothing beyond, but hollow spirits stumbling around in the darkness. They are dying in their loneliness.”

“How sad.” I said. “Is there nothing that could be done for them?”

“Only a light infinitely brighter than theirs, that is true, steadfast, and beyond mortal strength could save them.” She quietly said as we both gazed up at the heavens. After a period of shared silence, she turned to me and asked, “Now, are you willing to write this truth?”

I smiled and replied, “Must you still ask? I obey.” And so, last night, the poem and her wisdom flowed from the tip of my pen and were set free into reality.

Refracted Light

The moon looks like a broken nail
Tonight it scratches across the sky
Shredding up clouds in its wake
As if saying to the world below
Hey, look at me
I am here, I am important
But the people slept
Cuddled in one another’s arms.

How sad to be the moon
Alone in its brilliance
And as the day turns
Its solitary light diminishes
Among a family of stars.

He Never Fails 😊

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21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World, charlotte aninion-de guzman, Creative writing, Philippine literature, saintcharlotte, sanctuary

To God be the glory !!! 😊 Three of my works – “Kindred Spirits”, “Jose’s Beating Heart, and “Rewinding Time on a Broken String” — were published in the book, “21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World”. I am so happy, and I know I have God to thank for this blessing 😊❤️😊

An Evening with “The Lion King”

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, life musings, saintcharlotte, sanctuary, Solaire, The Lion King, theater

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the theater, and so I cannot visually share with you the wonders of Simba’s world. Let me assure you, however, it is definitely worth watching. The elements of the theater combined majestically in this show — lights, sounds, music, acting, props, costume, backdrops, colors (oh my goodness, such delicious eye-popping colors), and puppetry skills — they were all skillfully used to bring Simba’s story to life.

Anyway, some of my favorite scenes in the play are the following:

1) The stampede and the death of Mufasa. The actors’ movements choreographed beautifully with the puppets, and the added audio-visual accompaniment really made me feel the danger and urgency of that moment. That “cascading” effect, well that scene definitely looked like a waterfall that’s gushing down towards the audience, brought to life the tension and the chaos that were unfolding within the story.

2) The show’s opening act. I was definitely awestruck with the dancers in their colorful and stunning costumes powerfully singing and gracefully dancing their way down the aisles toward the main stage — it was just such a “Wow!” moment for me.

3) The use of some Filipino words in the play. I loved the way they injected Filipino words in their dialogues, like “mabuhay” (the rough English translation, I think would be, “long live” or “have a long life”) , “baboy” (pig), and “salamat” (thank you). It was a touching nod of appreciation on their end to my country, and I found it to be a heartwarming gesture.

Anyway, I might be giving too much away, so I’ll shut up now. There’s one thing I won’t shut up about though, and it’s the fact that, “The Lion King” is one of the best musical I’ve ever watched.

Allow me to end this piece, by sharing with you the three things I learned from “The Lion King” : 1) We all have past hurts, but we have to accept and face them in order to move on; 2) the hakuna matata (no worries) philosophy can help you survive only for a brief moment in time before life catches up with you and reminds you of the reality you have to face; and 3) we are all part of the circle of life. We live and die, and at the end of it all, we have to ask ourselves these questions – What are the things worth fighting for? What is the right thing to do? How do I want to die? What is worth dying for? #thelionking #solaire #life #musings

Love Letters to Myself

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Creative writing, heartbreak, Love, Poetry, saintcharlotte, sanctuary

Gaetia, a former student, who is now a good friend, gave me this poem. She always had the gift of weaving words together and forming a beautiful tapestry out of them. I am proud of her.

Thank you for this gift, Gaetia. Bless your beautiful soul.–

May her words touch your hearts too ❤️

Love Letters to Myself

i.

Courage, precious heart

You are not who you are

On the nights you are loneliest

And the songs that you play

Endlessly, on infinite loop

Do not mean that you are

Trapped here for all of time

Only that you find beauty

In the impermanence of things

And in the fickleness of feelings

That either burst from inside you

Like the mightiest of floods

Or politely knock thrice

Before opening your door

ii.

Remember where you came from

Born from fire and flame

Yet your heart is a well at which

So many find their rest

Look to the roses that grow tall

Around your feet, reaching up

As if to kiss you

Your divinity is yours alone,

Goddess of all the ages,

And if some mortal man decides

To steal the sun away from you

Do not forget that your heart

Shines brighter than any star

iii.

You are loveliness personified

The tear stains on your cheeks

Are just roads that take you

To places your heart can heal

Do not be ashamed of your pain

Do not apologize for your love

You owe no one explanations

For the infinities you keep within you

And anyone incapable

Of fathoming the beauty

That is so deeply, wholly,

Truthfully yours

Deserves no part of you

No portion of your magnificence

No fragment of the blessing

Of what it is to know you

Never believe that you are anything less

Than worthy of love

Because love is who you are

Above all things.

Thankful Again

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charlotte aninion-de guzman, charlotte tomale aninion, Creative writing, In the Name of the Mother, Poem, Poetry, saintcharlotte, sanctuary, sisterhood, women empowerment

The Minds Journal, an international online journal, featured my poem, “In the Name of the Mother”. Sharing the link here: https://themindsjournal.com/in-the-name-of-the-mother/

I am deeply honored. To God be the glory.