#creativeNonfiction

[ladystoneface]

Where I like to think you are

I see her in the sunshine

She wakes me up and her hand is there

Outstretched to me with the warmth she radiates

In contrast to my broken heart

I take it. Of course I do.

Her resting place is a patch of grass

On top of the burning star

That we race around endlessly

The million degrees of fire and heat can’t touch her

They wouldn’t dare.

She visits me in dreams

In the place my mind returns to so often

I see her on the swing furthest north

And her ghost remains.

She comforts me when I unintentionally hurt a friend

She laughs with me until we cry in the back of a crowded room

She’s never anything but kind.

I cross paths with her occasionally

And she stands there beaming

Happy to see me and happy to be.

She leads me to her little garden on the sun

And flowers bloom where her feet grace the ground

Strands of her hair are woven into careful braids

And cascade down her back in the blinding light

We sit and talk of summertime and loneliness

And all the things she’ll never get to do.

She apologizes for leaving and I suppose it’s okay

A chance to walk in the stars

And bring life to desolate flames

Is a destiny that only she could deserve.

I watch the sun disappear into the earth as she did

And reach out.

[itsssprinxx]

I encourage to people to showcase the beautiful views of Nia Lake in Tubigon, Bohol.

Nia Lake, also known as Ilijan Dam, is a popular tourist spot in Tubigon, Bohol, Philippines. It's a large irrigation dam built by the Marcos government in the late 1970s to early 1980s. The dam is designed to irrigate rice paddies in several nearby barangays.

You can reach Nia Dam from Tubigon Public Market by riding a tricycle for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a tricycle to Avelino Chagas Elementary School (8 minutes) and then walk for 20 minutes to the dam.

Nia Lake is a popular spot for fishing, hiking, and road biking. There is no entrance fee or environmental fee, but visitors are encouraged to be responsible with their garbage.The trail to the dam is generally considered easy and takes about 1 hour and 18 minutes to complete.Dogs are welcome on the trail and may be off-leash in some areas. Some people say that there is an alligator living in the lake, so it's important to be safe.You can witness Mount Ilihan on the left side of the road when driving to the lake.

[jewelsdyanne]

Magsaysay Drive

Julia Diane I. Cifra, Junagin Corsiga, Angel Pescador

Last weekend, my friends and I went on a trip to a newly opened spot in Tubigon, Magsaysay Drive. Julia had passed by Magsaysay Drive before, but she had never entered it because it was still under construction at the time. Since Julia and her family knew the struggle of driving up the steep roads to reach Magsaysay Drive, they left their car at the base of the incline, near the 14th cross of the Station of the Cross. Accompanied by Julia’s mother, we began our walk up the mountain roads. It wasn’t easy, especially with the steep incline making our legs feel heavier, but the journey wasn’t boring since we were in good company. We talked, laughed, and took pictures and videos along the way. The road wasn’t straight but rather curvy, winding along the mountain. When we reached a higher point, we caught glimpses of Tubigon, though the view was partially blocked by trees. It was still exciting to see what felt like half of Tubigon from that vantage point — we could spot Mater Dei College, the port, the rice fields, and some houses.

Walking gave us time to enjoy the surroundings and take in the fresh air. Along the way, we met some people who were jogging, which made us laugh because we were already feeling tired while they still had so much energy. We even joked about how we must be getting older since we got tired so easily, while some older people passed by us without even looking tired! Even though the climb was challenging, we had fun joking around and making the most of the journey.

After more than 20 minutes, we finally reached Magsaysay Drive. The entrance fee for both adults and teenagers was 20 pesos. As we entered the gate, we were greeted by music from a group of students, likely from Holy Cross Academy, singing loudly on the karaoke at a two-story store to the right of the gate. To the left of the entrance, there was a charming flower path lined with vibrant orange flowers, where we also saw some small dogs and a cat. Walking along the orange flower path revealed the full view of the place. Cottages, benches, and tables with seats were scattered around the area, creating a relaxing atmosphere. The view of Tubigon was breathtaking, especially now that there were no trees obstructing the scenery. The ground sloped downwards towards other picture spots, making us feel a bit dizzy at times. Julia and Angel took most of the pictures, capturing the beauty of the place and our memorable experience.

Once we reached the top, all the effort of climbing up was forgotten because the view was absolutely breathtaking. From there, we could see the whole of Tubigon and the vast sea stretching out into the horizon. Every corner of the place was picture-perfect, so we took tons of photos. One of the highlights was a giant hand structure that we climbed on; it looked scary at first, but it was actually fun! The giant "I Love Bohol" sign was also a nice touch, painted in the colors of the Philippine flag, making it a great spot for more pictures.

If you're planning to visit Magsaysay Drive, I highly recommend bringing a "banig" or a picnic mat because the place is spacious and perfect for a picnic with family and friends. I felt a bit sad that we didn’t get to stay longer; we could have enjoyed a food trip there too! Overall, it was such an enjoyable experience, one of the happiest moments I will always cherish. If I get the chance to go back, I’ll definitely bring snacks, a "banig," and my loved ones to enjoy the amazing view together.

[jumoyvve]

This story starts like any other. A few days prior before the upcoming vacation in the paradise of the lost. Jayvi, a young boy about the height of an electric fan and the weight of 10 TVs had an exciting plan. He was going to make fun of his cousin Hannah by pushing her off the side of the six-feet deep pool to see her drown. You see, Jayvi had a twisted sense of humor. He saw someone drowning as funny and boisterous.

When the day came, Jayvi was grinning up 'til his ears. Once they were near the pool he push her off the pool successfully. What he had not taken into account though was that when he pushed Hannah off the pavement she was holding on to his clothing causing him to also fall with her.

Jayvi thought to himself

"I messed up bigtime, I still want to live.I don't want to drown"

Trying to gasp for air, Jayvi violently paddles his limbs to avoid drowning. A few seconds go by and he was shouting for help. The adults they were with quickly ran to their aid saving Hannah first. Around twenty seconds in, Jayvi was near exhaustion. His consciousness was starting to slip into the abyss.

"Dawg I'm feeling God's soft embrace"

He thought to himself.

But as he was about to drown his mother lifted him off the pool back to safety. Resuscitating him bringing him back to society.

When he opened his eyes he saw Hannah crying a river. His conscience wavering he then apologizes to her in the most sincere way possible.

He then thinks to himself

"Lesson learned: Learn how to swim"

[sapphoandthecity]

Season One: The Prologue

My experience with women first began with growing up around my mom, my grandmother, my mother’s 3 sisters and my closest cousin. Then I was enrolled into an all girl’s catholic school for grade school, and then to another all girl’s catholic school for highschool. Consistently being surrounded by women and also unsupervised during the age of the internet, there’s no surprise I turned out how i am — a queer girl’s girl who obsesses over her female relationships, be it platonic, filial or in the rare occasion, romantic.

Perhaps you wonder about the title of this soon-to-be buzzing blog: Sappho and the City. One sleepless night, I had been binge watching the hit TV show of a similar name, Sex and the City and it got me inspired to talk about relationships too. If Carrie knew men, I knew women. It also dawned on me just how entertaining my own encounters with women were. As rare as my love life had been, each chapter of it was as exciting as a new episode of Carrie’s life. Not to mention, I have three girlfriends of my own, constantly there and consistently getting updated with the whirl and organized mess of my young adult life. The only thing missing were rounds and rounds of cosmopolitans.

Yes, there is a big difference between Carrie and I. She’s 35 (at least by season 4); I’m approaching 21. She’s a columnist. I'm a fashion student in college. She’s in the city that never sleeps, New York; I’m in New York, Cubao. She’s got a shopping addiction, I also have a shopping addiction. Only, I can’t afford Blahniks. But I find myself resonating more with her than any of the other girls in the cast. Drawn to share morsels of my own womanly intuition and wisdom, I decided to try my hand at her work with my own little twist.

So why Sappho? She’s a famous Greek poet known for her lyrical hymns about loving women and to put it simply, I am a queer woman talking about my relationships with women. To be specific, a femme lesbian sharing her discoveries as she traverses the bumpy roads of girlhood, loving women and cultivating lasting relationships with them. From the first blush of romance, to sapphic heartbreaks all the way to co dependent homoerotic female friendships a la Bunny by Mona Awad, I’ll write about it all.

I may have no Mr. Big in his Armani suits, or Aiden with his masculine, American charm to talk about. But I do have a laptop and stories to share about the highs and lows of being a young 20-something year old girl who loves women.

[straydogwilddog]

something out of nothing, chapter 13

[mikethepoetla]

“Mike Sonksen is a walking encyclopedia of LA history, culture, poetry, community and the list goes on. Letters To My City is a brilliant homage to the greats, the hidden gems, the poetry and the complexities of Los Angeles - an essential part of the LA literary canon.”

——traci kato-kiriyama; author of Navigating With(out) Instruments

“The eye of poet and professor Mike Sonksen beholds and maps the rich totality of life in our beloved City of Angels - every form, color, and texture comprising the lush ecosystem of art and empowerment that’s flourished since he first participated with our community of writers decades ago. To engage his work - plain yet lush, intricate while always welcoming - is to behold the mirror-reflection of the best in all of us and what we, by divine nature, can contribute to a better world.” 

——Allan Aquino, poet and professor for the Department of Asian American Studies at Cal State, Northridge

[okalrelsrv]

Writing the Okal Rel Universe - Time to Write ... (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1355375667-writing-the-okal-rel-universe-time-to-write?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=OkalRelUniverse&wp_originator=ykYbOtaWbme0fyYS60V%2BTn3YdaZ5zEK0kFIFQHLdrt6yz3JLUFk3CJIV9zS6SwLKORtSfyM%2Fk5X9TKNMu8fevcR62J%2FB2oY4mOtr8S%2Fo0lw46JkndQOhwRmWetGN30aF During my Edge Publishing days as a traditionally published author, the "Okal Rel phenomenon" referred to how the Okal Rel Universe drew people in as participants. The whole experience, for me, was an alternative reality that evolved with me, from childhood through my published author phase. I've very seriously considered giving up on it all in my old age only to discover it might just be my coping mechanism for processing the world, or maybe just for brightening my days. I just never "grew out" of the make-believing phase. In this story, on Wattpad, I will share chapters from that history which is a story in itself.

[enahstudio]

Life's Miserable Encounters :

A Ceaseless Journey Throughout the Breakdowns

biography

----- She was a mess in distress. Danica Pura was always torn between two things. Setting foot into the real world has never been so challenging for her after graduating college. She's the type to train her mind through a variety of opportunities ahead of her. But reality can be harsh sometimes. Especially when we're in the stage where we feel like the heaviest burdens in our lives is the cause why we can't move our feet to keep going on.

----- Being the youngest among five means being showered with most of the love from her relatives. Like any other kid, she's used to living her life playing traditional games with her friends, and can sometimes be a pain in the neck to her parents. Despite her naughty side, she's still the favored one in the family. Even after transitioning to high school where she learnt about the fun period in her life. Nothing is even more better than spending your childhood less worrisome and unproblematic.

----- However, college became her turning point. Taking the course of HRM with a desire to become a seawoman remained unfulfilled. She knew she was ready to face reality when stress and anxiety took a toll on her mentality. Luckily for her, she survived the few remaining days of college.

----- Thankfully her outgoing personality has opened up a lot of opportunities for her. She complained of not being able to apply what she learned to whatever work she was offered to. Although waiting for a specific work that is suitable to her degree would take ages. There's not a single day she never doubted her capabilities. Dominated by her own fears and thought full of 'what ifs'; "what if I can't really do it?", "what if I mess up?". In order to survive life, she tried out other work fields with minimum wages enough to support herself. Though it was never easy, if there's anything she learned from her experiences, that is to expect the unexpected.

----- For her to be looking all low-spirited is quite unusual for someone who is quite known for their jolliness. She would bewail over her commitments, only for her to realize that its been weighing too much for her to handle. Her love life is not an exception. Few guys she dated become besotted over her. And by that I mean they didn't last for a life time. Thinking that she'll be useful as a rebound. As if her feelings were just a plaything for them. The habit of impulse eating is enough to express her frustrations at the age of thirty and not being able to accomplish her goals that she planned out for her future self.

----- Garnering up every unfortunate event she confronted, she had a very chaotic and quite messed up life. No matter what has been bugging her guts to push further, that never stopped her from striving to keep her life stable.

----- In times of agony, positivity never left Danica's side. She poured her blood, sweat, and tears to get where she was right now. It may not be something she's been working for all her life, at least she's passionate about whatever she does. She's not doing everything by choice. She knew that coming across the unwanted borders has shaped her to become a better person and had her develop a more mellow personality.

----- Regardless of how bizarre the shape of significant the future is, it's just a salver. You have to take care not to break it. When you leave it alone it will gradually break down to serve as a roof that no matter what you do, it can't be restored. Through thick and thin, one's life always has an endless adventure.

@enahstudio 2023. All Rights Reserved.

[diannestorytime]

Quotes: On The Path To Kindness - 8 Friends (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1518051624-quotes-on-the-path-to-kindness-8-friends?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=Diannestorytime What is happiness? How does one get there? What makes life worthwhile? Human beings have been asking these questions since the dawn of time. Assembled is a collection of quotes that will hopefully help us (you and me, dear reader) explore this conundrum together. Read a new Quote every Friday!

[ladystoneface]

Moon thoughts

Recently, I've been wanting to learn more about astrology and the influence of the natural world in religious traditions. I want to learn more about a lot of things right now—but many of them are in the realms of faith and spirituality. It’s notable to me because believing in a god or gods or the like is not something I’ve been capable of being interested in for a long time.

But lately it’s been calling to me like it’s something I need. I’ve felt atheist for a long time now and so I find it hard to approach the idea of regaining faith, but nonetheless I’ve started feeling a pull toward nature as a potential god—the moon calls me to witness her glory by keeping me sleepless while she shines, my body knows to prioritize rest as the earth makes its yearly tilt away from the sun, the squirrels tell me they need help to survive the cold, the trees keep me safe, hidden.

Out on my porch, I noticed a presence the other night—someone watching? Something? It turned out to be a breathtaking full moon, brightly lit up and reflecting her abundance back down on all of us. For a second, I felt afraid—I didn’t know if she had some celestial plan for the night that I was stepping in on, and, less consciously, I was also remembering those episodes of H2O where the girls lose their shit whenever there’s a full moon.

But she and I just stared at each other, momentarily equals in the night.

I’ve felt more peaceful moments like this recently. Sitting with my guinea pigs in the early mornings, getting to see a few rays of sunset light through the windows at an evening yoga class, the dead quiet that comes along with a thick blanket of snow. I’m writing again and it actually feels good, I’m writing about my trauma and instead of being terrified, it feels like progress, and that makes me want to keep going and see what comes of it all. I’m happy to be able to find things to believe in.

Just now, I looked at my horoscope for the day and Costar told me that the moon and I have something good going on right now. I think that regaining the ability to turn my endless spawn of ideas into cohesive thoughts and tangible concepts recently (I finally sat down and compiled the wildly disorganized concept outlines, “drafts”, emo poems that came to me at you know what time of night, school assignments, and phone notes written after 5+ drinks into my book idea and then began working on that book) is due to a lot of different factors in my life. Having some degree of stability, both mentally and in my *real* adult life has definitely been helpful. Therapy has gone almost extraordinarily well overall this past year—I should get an award or something. Time, too, for healing, growing, getting further away from what hurt me in a measurable kind of distance or quality of memory.

But maybe the moon helped me a little, too. Would it be so wrong if my soul in Pisces, governed by the true force of earth’s only natural satellite, was given a small gift of strength from the merciful cosmos? Am I to continue shaming myself into cold, habitual disbelief whenever I see a cardinal and think of my dearly loved, lost friend? I should think not.

If the moon should be gracious enough to gift me a portion of her powers, I have no choice but to accept open hearted. It is she who makes sure the push, pull, push, pull of my veins.

[sunnyanddumb98]

he first time I hiked Carbon Hill, I realized my favourite cousin and I were drifting apart for the stupidest reason. It had always been there, and despite it, we became close. But I think the recession made it harder to ignore—our tax brackets seem farther apart, not just in what we can afford but in how we speak, in our hopes and dreams. Before, it wasn’t something we really thought about, but now, what I feel is an integral part of myself isn't something she even considers in her world. blissfully.

[qq-art]

Ok my two leading article ideas are one 1. the unending grind to create content and 2. pop psychology in IR

1

when online, the algorithm most prizes high volume output above anything else. the higher volume of new content to show users, the higher chance for continued and repeated engagement on the platform. that's why AI generated content is so inescapable--AI generators don't need time for potty breaks or sleep like the rest of us losers.

constantly, I hear competing tales of the ways in which the internet has made us both more connected and more isolated especially after the explosion of social media use. I wonder, too, that as our family and friend groups become more spread out (are they more spread out than before!? I want to find sociological research on this...), we become more and more reliant on technological aids to foster continued engagement and relationship building / maintenance with our "supposed" loved ones. But in the age of technology, always having to communicate via text or FaceTime or phone calls or DMs can feel daunting. Because we are also met with a total inundation of texts and DMs, not to mention the other random funny shit our FYPs curate for us. Yes, there is more access now. But there is also more volume and whether it's IRL coffee dates or a flurry of DMs to catch up on, we all still only have so much time and capacity each day.

I got distracted by my alarm to give my dogs his anti seizure meds but hopefully I can pick back up on this line of thought...

2

I keep hearing more and more lately about how the notion of love languages is pseudo-science / pop psychology. it seems that debunking the scientific basis (or lack thereof) behind it has become quite in-vogue now despite that we still LOVE to use the terms and notions generated by this concept as a shorthand for communicating with partners--for better or worse.

in particular, the stipulation that "my love language is gift giving therefore not getting me a bday present hurt my feelings and felt like a violation of what is supposed to be intimate knowledge from an intimate partner" is a really really long and convoluted way of simply saying it's hurtful to now get someone, esp an intimate romantic partner, a bday present. like, why add in the justification of "love languages"? Is the act of neglecting to honor a person's bday not in itself a harmful act? It feels like we're creating extra hoops to jump through to justify or de-legitimize another party. "my (30M) love language acts of service, so when my gf (21F) failed to do the dishes that felt like a violation of my foundational notion for affection, care, and romance."

"nuclear weapons have saved lives." "no nuclear war has happened because of deterrence theory." but deterrence theory is interesting because this one literally has it in the name. it's not even a "theorem" the way Pythagorean theorem is (distinction: theorem is a sub-category of theory that while lacking in concrete evidence to positively prove its accuracy to the level of becoming a "law," it's widely accepted to the level of accuracy of "law" but only on a technicality does it need to be demoted to "theorem")

deterrence theory works until it doesn't. and doesn't it lately feel like it's gonna suddenly STOP working any moment now between Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israeli assault on Palestine? Pakistan and India really got upstaged there as the hotbed for potential nuclear conflict.

I've less of a concrete idea of where I would take this and how serious / fun I would make this article. Like do I determine which love language best describes each NWS's arsenal and nuclear program? North Korea's might be... acts of service (dropping the economic sanctions). The US's is physical touch (invading and meddling in other countries' business). Words of affirmation (telling Israel they aren't a colonial fabrication)? Gifts (Pakistan and India and the gift is Kashmir which means only one country actually gets the present)? Quality time (China with their attempts--good AND bad--to "rekindle" better relations with HK and Taiwan)? UK and France and Russia? Maybe... words of affirmation: UK, quality time: France, physical touch: Russia. I think I need to workshop that a little more.

Alternatively, I think about other pop psychology examples and try to fit the NWS (nuclear weapons states) into those pop psych molds and categories. Ultimately, it would show how limiting and ridiculous these broad strokes generalizations that much of pop psychology participates in is

ALTERNATIVELY, I identify what parts of IR are just a flimsy in their "scientific" backing as pop psych theories are. LIKE RATIONAL THEORY, HELLO!? And obviously... deterrence theory too.

[maryannwrites]

Book Tour: This Familiar Heart - a Memoir

Introducing a wonderful story on the blog today. A memoir of love. Check out my #review.

THIS FAMILIAR HEART:AN IMPROBABLE LOVE STORY byBabette Fraser Hale Memoir / Relationships / Aging / GriefPublisher: Winedale PublishingDate of Publication: April 2, 2024Number of Pages: 312 pages  ** ABOUT THE BOOK ** In this intimate rendering of a relationship, we learn how deceptive surface impressions can be. Leon Hale, author of Bonney’s Place, was sixty years old, a “country boy” who…

[straydogwilddog]

something out of nothing, chapter 12