Monday, July 07, 2008

Market Day


Market Day

A Saturday morn, it’s more than usual
A respite from my daily grind of work
A little late in waking up for cereal
A measly reward for a tired bloke

The highlight of the day is march my way
The busy marketplace some distance away
The multitude of vehicles the ply the route
The procession so slow and brute

A crowd of busy people, a good mix of class
A throng of sweaty carters paraded in the mess
A good man’s merchant for fruits and veggies
A butcher’s knife carving some beef cubies

The fishes from all shapes and sizes, dead or alive
The stinky air and slippery pavement all in sight
The chorus of traders persuading you to buy
The haggling for bargain is a welcome delight

A wet and a dry section of food and general goods
A cacophony of sounds and colors alike
A real labyrinth of alleyways to here and fro
A true newbie’s skill and temper will be tested fully

The market’s energy is always a zenith high
The elated mood of people to bargain and trade
The distinct smell and the livid colors of new catch
The sight to behold is always a shoppers’ delight



Dennis P. Maitim
June 10, 2008

Emotions


Emotions

The sleepy one
Denuded with energy
It wishes one thing
Be allowed to rest and tire away

The grumpy one
Doesn’t care at all
Its snide remarks
Will hit like a lighting bolt

The happy one
Smiles and sings a happy tune
Infectious at times
It lightens the afternoon

The pensive one
Immersed in a deep thought
With life hanging in a balance
Don’t know which way it turns

The carefree one
Is loud and lonely
It swings proudly with the wind
And drifted aimlessly

The lover one
Is proud and hopeful
The glisten in its eye
Can blind a thousand eagles

The profound one
Discerns the life’s meaning
Yearns for an eternal being
In a surest steps of journeying


Dennis P. Maitim
June 10, 2008

Life as I Know It


Life as I know It

A cat with a fiddle
It can’t be true
I know a creature more loved by you

A cat may cry, she meows my way
With Its collar made from cowhide
Swings in her neck of furry grays and white

The cat will wander into my yard
She loves to sit in the entranceway
As no creature gets in her prima donna way

In the quiet of evenings
I may hear her sobbing-like cry
Maybe it’s a mating call, I will never know why

At times when a vicious dog
Gets out from a neighbor’s gate
The cat will hide inside my cape

A cat with a fiddle
It can’t be true
I know a creature more loved by you


Dennis P. Maitim
June 10, 2008

Rejuvenate


Rejuvenate

Sunrise in late summer is always a pleasure
It comes a little later and starting to be cool
The east will glow in crimsom yellow
With wisps of clouds radiating the brightness
To announce the new beginning

The birds will sing a thousand times
Today, tomorrow I do remember
Some gathered for breakfasts, some stretched their wings
Perched on the lone stately palm tree
In the yard of ebbing morning dews

The blue grass are growing denser
A sight to behold in early morning
With my barefoot, I have trodden
It feels like a luscious carpet of the Turks
Only it is green all over

The patch is compact but full
With pockets of morning star and golden box
Arrange in the ethereal beauty of symmetry
Plants in topiary forms of mounds and spikes
Creates a dreamlike paradise

Denrobiums abloom in various colors and hues
Gives a hint of eden amid metal bars
A gated garden ensures to protect the flora
With a growing apple mango tree surely creeping
And dominate the shade underneath its being

It feels like home, it invites you to stare
If only for a moment, you’ll be caught in a spell
Green grasses, sturdy plants and trees a growing
A real oasis, thriving with life - a garden enchanting
A sight to behold and truly rejuvenating!



Dennis P. Maitim
June 10, 2008

She Winks at Me


She Winks at Me

The joys of life
A thousand ways in between
To each its own
Makes heaven a place within

A man takes a woman
Clings to a union as sacred as time
Promises to cherish
The love, the truth and the passion

Their feelings undivided
Through gladness it’s shared abundantly
In due time, life begins again
A miracle that God has blessed unfailingly

Anticipation grows
The songs of lark are singing
The rounded belly
Proud cradle to the bundle of joy

A day would not pass
Without a new experience
It’s always a telling
The sweetness of young parenting

It dawns on you
How great a responsibility it is
A living being
Totally dependent on you

Would I measure up?
The man will feel at times
Anxiety sets in
Renewed fears magnified

It is today, she will arrive
Mixed emotions you can hardly contain
You hear her cry
And you cannot help but smile

To hold her tight
To kiss her good night
All doubts are cast aside
The minute she winks at me.


Dennis P. Maitim
June 10, 2008

Drive


Drive


Streets are narrow and poorly lit
Potholes and cracks all over the place
Sewer and garbage are scattered around
So much for cleanliness in this side of town

If not a house, an ambulant vendor squat the sides
They’ve snatched the streets from proper use
With children playing ball and old women gossiping
It’s hard to tell - where’s the pedestrian’s crossing

It would have been fine when everyone
Respects the law and follow the traffic signs
But not in Manila, don’t be a fool
It’s anyone’s guess how you can drive it cool

Perplexing to mind how one gets to move around
Streets littered with vehicles in monstrous number
Busy people that are on there way in hasty paces
Order is the least on everyone’s consciousness

The gridlock fault, it stems from lack of urban planning
Shortsightedness and too much politicking
Rapid population migration compounded the problem
One has to live with it to eternal flame


Dennis P. Maitim
June 11, 2008

Ramblings of a Confused Soul


Ramblings of a Confused Soul

The sunlight is brightest when it is raining.
It is my hypothesis. I haven’t had the chance to verify this thesis.
The bases for this hypothesis are the following:
• Water and water vapor act as magnifying glass or prism that increases the intensity of the sunlight that pass through it
• Rainwater cleanses the air of pollutants and particles that could block off the sunlight
• Rainwater scattered off a pavement will reflect the sunlight that touches the surface and its intensity is brightest at the reflection angle

I love the rain with its refreshing effect on the human soul. It’s like the body is cleansed inside out with water dripping back to the ground. However, it feels quite differently when the rain falls down with the sun shining brightly. You get the feeling of being robbed of your body warmth and comfort. It is an unusual feeling to get caught in the rain in the middle of a mid-day sun. Maybe this is the reason why more often than not, a person catches a cold at this instance.


Dennis P. Maitim
June 11, 2008

Together in Solitude


Together in Solitude

The stillness in the air
Creates the warmth too comforting to ignore
Soothing to the soul, reaching depths within
It permeates the zen-like feeling
In the tail end of summer

Dreams in the pursuit of happiness
Levitates around pillars of granite beauty
Marble floors reflect the emotions
When strength begets surreal understanding
Complementing the balance of perfection

The gentle breeze that sways draperies
Inspires an illusion of shimmering sky
Too distant, well lit by the sparkle of stars
Disturbed by droplets of a dying waterfall
Through the rooms’ remarkable pip-in music

Little by little, the murmuring floors
Echos the faint sound of some many a feet
Trickling the ear to listen closely
But shutting down the remote feeling
That no being is ever alone today and always


Dennis P. Maitim
June 6, 2007 (1:15pm)
The Conservatory, Peninsula Manila

In The Stillness of the Night


In the Stillness of the Night

In darkness there is silence
There is the air of mystery
Fear breeds with not knowing
The heaviness in pitch black night.

The sound of silence
The chorus of chirping night crawlers
Or the croaking of frogs and toads
Lends credence to an eerie nightfall

To some beings, darkness is freedom
One can hide behind shadows
Slip into anonymity without being too obvious
And get to flirt with danger and adventure

To some beings, darkness is bondage
It limits depth and movement
Castrates ones eyes from looking far and wide
And cause the tired soul to sleep if only for a while

Why do we have to have the nightfall?
Why can’t we have daylight in eternity?
Why can’t we live life for always?
And be joyful all the time
Without the stillness of the night.

Dennis P. Maitim
June 18, 2008

Torn


Torn

Tell me, who’s the master, the heart or the mind?
It’s easier if you’re the outsider looking on
But harder if you’re the concerned person

Reason above all, transcends principles
It shines off objectivity and is good for all
Even at closer scrutiny, it flies intelligently

Emotions have colors beyond normal comprehension
Outsiders are blinded because it defies reason
Yet the heart digs deeper meaning and appreciation

You always longed for good company
A friend, a mentor and conducive environ
To advance a career and pursue the passion

An opportune presents without much announcing
Laying out a career and handsome pays
With a perceived professional upbringing

You got them endeared to your naïve ways
Being good natured in your unpretentious display
They want you badly courting surreptitiously

Then, you tried to thank a good ole boss
Whose trust and friendship was quite generous
And said goodbye for fruitful years behind

After much talk and closed consultations
You’re not let go and convinced to stay on
Your value and self worth has so much affirmation

It pains to choose between two good ways
Especially when you’re torn unexpectedly
No rhyme or reason can ease the journey

Dennis P Maitim
June 25, 2008

About Dreams


About Dreams

If dreams are made to make us wonder
To inspire us to strive even harder
And make us resolute to continue further
Then it’s okey to dream always to forever.

If babies could dream dreams with less care
And imagine things only momma had bare
To smile uninhibited in sleep while your stare
Must be good visions and pictures everywhere

Dreams do happen in really deep slumber
Others more vivid and can go in numbers
While some are sketchy you hardly remember
Fruits of a fertile mind, the subconscious seer

Some people dream while awake in ponder
Seeing their lives unreeling and in great stir
A collage of the past, incoherently bare
And see new things unimaginable sans surrender

Dreams may provide an epiphany as you get older
A realization that there is indeed a great order
A new purpose in life as you head yourself clear
Build a new you and make a proud believer

Dreams get you the déjà vu feeling louder
As dreams reflect on your experiences here
Make things familiar and sort ideas better
And realize life has made you a lot wiser

Dreams do make us a lot cheerful and happier
Hopeful of the future, a destination we care
Wishing the journey will be great and not bumpier
And shared with our love ones forever and ever

Dennis P Maitim
July 4, 2008

Mantra


Mantra

The bible says, With God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).

I say, Nothing is impossible, if others can do it, so can I.

This mantra keeps me going. It makes me work harder and made me believe in my dreams. I did not make what other people have achieved as my benchmark of success, but rather, an indication that my dreams are not shooting aimlessly at the stars and it’s not a hopeless cause. I have the capability to steer my life and mold my journey the way I can as long as I keep my eyes on the prize. It gave me a purpose, a focus and the determination to push the limits of what I can achieve and attain.

My other philosophy in life is less caring and aloof – I don’t care if my shadow is crooked as long as I’m walking up straight.

I lived in an environment where society can be ruthless in its rules of living, castigating the non-conformist as social outcasts and promulgating rules slanted towards the few who cared less for the poor, unfortunate souls. Founded on firm Christian beliefs and family values espoused by my strict and disciplinarian mother, my character was strong with heaps and bounds of resiliency and steadfastness – a greater storm could not easily break to pieces. I have a firm grasp of what’s good and bad and a zealous fire of idealism burning inside my heart. I realized the value of integrity and the preciousness of having an untainted name, as these are the only possessions of value our family can treasure.


Dennis P Maitim
July 4, 2008

About Love


About Love

Love is a wonderful feeling it gets you intoxicated
You day dream in June and wish it were spring weather again
The smell of flowers arouses your keen and funny senses
Even the sweet songs of birds suddenly becomes your aria
You become oblivious of a hurried past as you stay and wonder
That life is truly beautiful when shared with your love one.

Love is a many splendored thing, so the Lettermen sings
You suddenly don’t know its meaning or it means everything
It defies your reason or it becomes the reason for being
Life suddenly becomes a contradiction, a paradox of sorts
Where love can be so simple yet we can hardly fathom its meaning
No one understands truly, except that the love birds are singing

Love can be like a river, it flows endlessly without selfishness
It can get you wet in return or drown you when you’re not careful
It will flood your ultra huge ego and bruise your calloused heart
It will force you into submission and bring you to your knees
It will get you down and dragged you to uncharted territories
And make you sing unfamiliar tunes and chorused lullabies

Love is so much real you could almost touch it
But it is precious and fragile you could easily break it
And it takes a greater love to bring back the same old feeling again.
It is very patient and kind; it gets abused by uncaring individuals.
It will rock your world and send you spinning out of control.
But love will keep us together as the world goes round and round.

Dennis P Maitim
July 4, 2008