I wrote a poetic tribute to my Monday (even if it's already Tuesday)!
My cube is bright
Sunshine dances on my shelf
I felt gloomy but The Beatles held my hand
So I did not let The Carpenters build me down
I have a white table
With watercolors and a charging cable
But first, let me finish my coffee
Before it turns artificially cold
From recycled air
And Monday work fare
Today, I covered Writing with Poetry in my Writing True class. I was tasked to come up with examples for different figures of speech, as well as accomplish a couple of sentence reversal exercises.
My Own Examples of Figures of Speech
SIMILE
I rode the MRT this morning and we were packed like sardines inside the train.
METAPHOR
My breakfast is my arsenal.
HYPERBOLE
I have an eternity to love you.
IRONY
I failed Calculus but I worked in Finance.
ALLITERATION
Piping hot pour-over. Random run. Horrendous heat.
PERSONFICATION
My notebook is insisting that I write. The cardio punched my gut.
OXYMORON
I workout to relax. I work to enjoy my time.
ZEUGMA
I ate my breakfast and my hesitations.
METONYMY
"Insurance policy" for my college degree
"Compass" for inspiration
SYNECHDOCHE
"Blog" for a website. "Minds" for thinking employees.
ANAPHORA
I wrote my blog entry. I wrote my day. I wrote my present. I wrote my future.
EPIPHORA
I will never quit my job. I enjoy my job. I will fight for my job.
ANTITHESIS
School is theoretical, work is the real world.
Many can dance, but few can endure.
CHIASMUS
Never let your worries burden you or your burden worry you.
Converting straightforward sentences into poetic ones.
1) I FELL IN LOVE AND BROKE MY HEART.
I woke my sleeping heart with coffee and poured chamomile over it afterwards.
2) I'M TIRED AND HUNGRY.
I am wiped out and as famished as an uncharged smartphone
3) MY PHONE IS MISSING.
My phone dissolved into thin air.
4) BUY THIS HOUSE.
Conquer this house and establish your kingdom.
Converting poetic sentences into straightforward ones.
1) I AM NOT YOURS, NOT LOST IN YOU. NOT LOST, ALTHOUGH I LONG TO BE.
We are not together, but I want to fall in love with you.
2) SO YES, I WILL GLADLY TAKE ON YOUR OCEAN JUST TO SWIM BENEATH YOU.
I would like to be with you even if I have to be the one to adjust to you.
3)WANT IS TEN THOUSAND BLUE FEATHERS FALLING ALL AROUND ME, AND ME UNABLE TO STOMACH THAT I MIGHT CATCH FIVE
BUT NEVER TEN THOUSAND.
I want many things but I can only have half of those in reality.
Final Task: Letter to Myself
(Written yesterday, May 15, 2017)
Dear Sam,
I am proud of how you worked out this morning, starting with your ab routine, then a HIIT workout, and finishing off with three rounds of moves for your glutes and thighs. I was thrilled when you told that rude man in the MRT to stop occupying your space because he has more than enough already for himself. You practically told that man to stop grabbing your handrail and stop leaning on you. No one in the MRT had the guts to do that in your section and I could tell that everyone was watching you. You did not let this stop you, and you continued telling the man to move until he did. Well done also for the way you pushed that man when he tried blocking your way as you exited the train. He tried one cheap move, but you responded with a silent clapback. I am pleased with how you stood your ground this morning and how you kept your composure in the office. I am proud of your poise even when you felt like hunching. You did well, and you were a class act. Not to mention that you can walk in high heels now and you even own the aisle with your strut.
I hope that you will never lose your swagger while keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground. I hope that you will continue working out so you can sculpt your abs while eliminating the need for the second cup of coffee due to all those calories burned. I'm excited to see how your sassy comebacks will move you forward. Never let go of your grace, but always be sharp with your wit. You got this, Lucas. The Force is strong in you.
Love,
Sam
My name is Sam, and I was born on the 13th of August. I am 30 years old now, but I feel a lot younger than my years. I started blogging again after attending a goal-setting workshop. I realized that writing is my lifelong love, and my passion project is to have my own website. I rediscovered my voice through the #15DaysofWritingTrue and Writing Room classes. I also have my own 100 Days Project, which is my personal commitment to publish a blog entry everyday for 100 days. Of course, I want to continue my writing journey beyond that time frame.
I want my blog to showcase my advocacy, which is social entrepreneurship. I am also passionate about mindful living, and I am dedicated to enjoying food, books, and experiences more than material things.
I am currently a Program Officer in a university in Manila. I am an only child, and in a serious relationship with my best friend from college. I am addicted to The Beatles, classical music, and coffee.
Finally, it's time to speakoutsam!
Once again, my Writing Room class has taken me out of my comfort zone. Writing efficiently is easier said than done for me, since I love being detailed to a fault. Here are the shortened versions of my mini stories on feelings. They have been scaled down to ten words or less.
He hugged me longer than usual and held my hand.
I kissed him goodbye, then I alighted the bus.
They sipped lattes as their parents worked in cramped cubicles.
A vial of blood could make or break my summer.
The MRT had insufficient trains for the rush of humanity.
In closing, I was also assigned to edit my first entry for this class and rewrite it in a concise manner.
Writing never felt like a chore to me because I have befriended words early on in my life. I learned how to read at the age of two and this led to a lifelong love for reading. I eventually developed a love for writing, and I contributed for our school paper and occasionally, for
national broadsheets. I also became a public speaker.
Blogging became a natural hobby as I became a habitual writer in university. I have recently started blogging again after joining The 15 Days of Writing True e-course and beginning my 100 Days Project, which integrates my output for another class I am taking, the Writing Room.
Writing one-line stories has been more challenging than I thought! I have chosen COFFEE as my anchor to describe all five senses.
I have learned in school that senses allow me to perceive reality. Yet sometimes, my senses fail me. There are external factors which could affect their ability to process life as I know it. Memory is known to be fallible. Emotions can influence one's productivity, if writing is going to be discussed in the realm of work. It is undeniable that writing entails effort, but practicing it habitually has allowed me to view it as a form of therapy rather than a burden.
I have learned to use my imagination to supplement whatever my memory and emotions fall short on. This was particularly helpful when I wrote one-line stories for each of the five senses. I look forward to balancing imaginative writing with documenting life as it actually happens in order to paint a picture with words and a lot of heart.
Us in 2006.
Allan was my classmate in a Manila university. We were both active in class discussions and became fast friends in our public speaking organization. We were drawn to each other's sarcasm, and we both found refuge in each other's wit. I discovered more about his personal life, such as the fact that he was a scholar and he was helping support his family. I admired his kindness and determination even if the world could be cruel and relentless.
We started hanging out over coffee and I loved talking to him because he did not judge. He had an opinion on almost anything under the sun. We enjoyed cheap barbecue and beer after class. Unfortunately, I was in the wrong relationships then so he became a sounding board more than a love interest. He has signified his intention to be with me in 2005, but I turned him down for someone else. He did the same thing in 2006 and this time, I was already single. We did date around Christmas time but our time together ended after the New Year. We had a petty fight with him shouting at me to "grow up." I just could not handle that so I walked out of his life.
Us today!
We lost touch during the remaining years of college. We eventually talked again in 2010. We were already working by then and he was drunk-calling me every now and then. I found out that he got my number from a mass message I sent to everyone after I got a new phone. As much as I was bothered that he only talked to me whenever he partied and got wasted, I appreciated the fact that I was still his top of mind person to call. I felt sad that he could not hold down any relationship, and I really wished that he would find the right person.
Little did I know that we will cross paths again in 2016. We had coffee after an art fair and we were both single. As adults, we both find our past amusing. Our coffee date was followed-up by more dates, until we became a couple. We are still together until now. I am thankful that we never thought ill of each other. And yes, I did grow up, and I finally chose him.
Writing has never been a chore for me. I have learned to befriend words early on in my life. You see, my mom has encouraged me to read and write by lulling me to sleep with bedtime stories and has never raised me with baby talk. I was fortunate to have learned how to read at the tender age of two. I was also writing by then, beginning with my name and eventually moving on to editing the endings of my favorite Golden Books. I was reading paperbacks by the time I was in first grade and I have also kept a journal all throughout my growing-up years. It never has felt uncomfortable expressing myself and channeling all of my feelings to a piece of paper. My right ring finger and pinkie are both calloused from too much writing. You see, I can never write gently. Whether I was undergoing childhood milestones or everyday routine tasks, writing all about them was done with passion and force. This force has propelled me to carry on with my writing until I found a medium to do so.
Me in 2007, during university. I kept a blog then.
I wrote for the school paper in high school. In college, I eventually joined our university's public speaking organization. It was also during this time that blogging became a trend which never seemed to go away. I found myself writing about the everyday mundane happenings of my life on my blog.
Me today. Still journaling and now blogging again!
When I started working, I still continued writing by occasionally contributing to newspapers and even producing our company newsletter at some point. Now that I am blogging again minus the angst and emo vibe of college, I am here in this course to develop that discipline and to hone my technique in a kind and forgiving setting. I am also integrating my output in this course to my #The100Days Project, which entails that I will be producing quality written work in the next 100 days. That is definitely more than enough time to build a habit for an already-habitual writer.