An Everlasting Pulchritude

By




The beauty that still mesmerises us
Of the mountain who used to be a lass
Every time we set our eyes on her
Something makes us wonder


For how can Mother Nature be so gracious
To give us something which, though, we need not choose
Is, nevertheless, spectacular
That no other mountain is at par?


She’s beyond magnificent
Though she explodes every now and then
Her many eruptions
Conjured rousing captions


What would scare us to leave?
The magma? The raining of ash?
The broken debris? The boulders?
Or the lava-fountaining and showers?


But these are the same matters
That add to the volcano’s wonders
Because from a safe distance
You would see some other-worldly trance...


For tourists and visitors,
Even to locals and natives,
Its explosion and eruption
Are tourist attractions


Why are we not afraid then,
Do you ever wonder?
Because we always see her…
As a beautiful lady with the usual temper.


But at most times, she’s calm and collected,
And the grace she exudes,
Makes her being volcano,
Forgotten and overlooked.


The clouds she's often covered
As clothes she dances with,
But when they reveal her,
A splendid beauty you will discover...



Comments

  1. Shiena Mae PazMarch 30, 2019 at 6:20 PM

    I'm always a fan of Mt. Mayon. Its greatness sets me in awe.
    Yes, the One is really so gracious for blessing us with such.
    Mt. Mayon, her majesty, is indeed a very beautiful disaster.
    I also wonder, what would it be like seeing the whole Bicolandia? Probably, her view from the top?
    Want to witness it so soooooon~

    ReplyDelete
  2. Angelika Rose MorilloApril 1, 2019 at 7:53 AM

    Everything about Mt.Mayon is breath-taking. Truly she really is a beautiful disaster. This poem is substantial.Thank you for this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Allyza Joyce MoranApril 1, 2019 at 7:56 AM

    Amazing! This poem made me remember the legend of Daragang Magayon. The legend says that the clouds which covered the majestic volcano means that her beloved Ulap/Panganoron was embracing her, showing his affection and never-ending devotion to Magayon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. John Louie S. NuñezApril 1, 2019 at 9:45 PM

    Everytime Mayon erupts, you cannot know what to feel and express --- if you will be scared from the lava and ashes it explodes or you will be amazed by the beauty behind the disaster. Indeed it's a beautiful disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Owen EspartinezApril 1, 2019 at 10:34 PM

    Even though I see Mayon everyday, I'm still always amazed by her beauty. Albay is so blessed to have Mt. Mayon because it boosts the province's tourism and agriculture for its ashes make the land around it fertile.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownApril 2, 2019 at 6:42 AM

    I thought its only me who's been caught by the beauty of Mt. Mayon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Maria Yzabelle Irish OlarteApril 2, 2019 at 7:03 AM

    For sure, everyone will be in awe upon the sight of Mt. Mayon, even the Albayanos who see this treasure almost everyday. Even the story behind it contains so much meaning. Our province is truly blessed to have such a breath-taking tourist spot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Claire Jazmine CañonApril 2, 2019 at 5:15 PM

    I've been seeing the breathtaking view of Mayon Volcano almost everyday of my life. And I wonder why its beauty still left me mesmerized. Nice poem!

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownApril 3, 2019 at 8:59 AM

    Even in rage, its beauty is still dangerously magnificent and that's what makes me captivated

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Mesmerizing Monaco 🇲🇨

By
Image
  La Condamine, Monaco We were almost done with our Euro Tour, but our last stop - unbeknownst to us - would make our escapade even grander exponentially. Monaco is indeed the wealthiest, most affluent nation in the world... and the dollars are speaking from amongst everything you see in every corner of this miniscule country. It is beautiful, it is organized, it is spotless! If we saw tiny bits of candy wrappers and cigarette butts in very few places in Italy, we didn't see any gram of litter in all of Monaco! Beautiful Nightscape of Monaco with Late 19th Century Buildings Perfect. Flawless.  I have said several times that perfection is unattainable, but our stay in the microstate of Monaco proved me wrong. In the billions of square miles all over the world, there is one tiny country where perfection is, surprisingly, a reality. Arrival Our Bus from Nice, France 🇫🇷 to Beausoleil, France 🇫🇷 It was September 14th, my sister's birthday, when we flew from Rome, Italy 🇮🇹 to ...
Read more

Is Love a Constant –

By
Regardless of mood or circumstance, it remains? And when it fades because of a tweak here or there, it is but a mirage? I guess I’ve felt what it’s supposed to be – for ladies I cannot be with. It’s the emotion I feel when I see someone to be perfect or perfectly beautiful despite the flaws because for no reason but love, her allegorical scars – the mistakes of God – are forgiven. The feeling doesn’t change. It's a constancy of company and connection, a perspective that endures day by day, moment by moment, even after years or decades passing by. Because I see her in exactly the same way as the day we met, and the more we get to know each other, I unravel more things I like about her, all justifying the imperfections, and giving me memories that add spice to mundane moments. I may have sought the wrong women, looked love in the wrong places, defined it by wrong standards. Age does not matter, everybody says. But my youth is done; my potentials to develop young, sweet...
Read more

The Jade Islands of El Nido

By
Image
This view beacons you to a heap of glimmering islands waiting to be discovered... Located on the northernmost tip of Palawan, El Nido is distant from all other places in the world. Because of its location, nobody knew its stupendous tourism value. As late as 1979, El Nido was unknown to beach-goers and wanderlusts, when a group of divers met a sea accident at night forcing them to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling waters and, rising above it, a series of magnificently-sculpted jade islands. [Wikipedia] I was fortunately born late enough to have read the “wows” of tourists who have been there and to have seen the spectacular pictures of El Nido… but it was not until my sister’s insistence three weeks ago that persuaded me to go on a last-minute decision to head on to this remote place. Two flights from Legazpi and a 6-hour ...
Read more

The Baby in the Manger

By
Image
I see all those vibrant colors Of the many beautiful decors I taste all those sumptuous flavors As I ate our dinner's main course They were glad when they opened The expensive gifts I gave them I was ecstatic when I opened The things they gave me as presents But something deep within Was peculiarly missing I wonder what might be that thing If I have everything All the extravagance, the excesses All the exuberance, the decadence But it seems as though All these are nonsense For a void is still felt Like a dark hollow thing That needs to be dealt For its echoes are deafening I asked myself What do I need to know? Or to do or to imbibe? For happiness to overflow What do I need to uncover? What answer am I looking for? And then I remember The baby in the manger Out of humility and love He came here on earth From the heavens above Through a simple rebirth No extravagance, no excess No exuberance, no decadence But it all so certainly Made a lot of sense It was plain, simple But it all be...
Read more

The Vivid Netherworld

By
Image
  A sea serpent, perhaps descended from the four-legged creature  that  lured Adam and Eve,  spoke to me and said: "Come, the netherworld is actually as blue  as your   most vivid dreams..." Tikling Island, Matnog, Sorsogon Own Image. All Rights Reserved. The snake continued to hiss... "Dive into the blueness of the sea where you will find the luster of each and every creature of varying colors and shades. You will see them swimming and crawling amongst the most vivacious of corals where a pearl of pinkish hue is hidden. Take it. It's more valuable than your future dream house! It is so precious that it is worth all your sought-after desires and more! Oh, what festive paradise you will have when you find that one pink pearl!" Temptations abound on this exotic island, as if telling me to liberate myself from the bounds of the earth... To forget work, to forget everything... And go yonder, to the deepest reefs of the ocean, to the farthest of the islands, to ...
Read more

La Dolce Vita 🇮🇹🇻🇦🇲🇨 🍸

By
Image
September 2023.  My birthmonth, my birthyear. I was born in the year of the Hare, so 2023 - being another year of the Hare - had to be special.  Everybody knows of my Euro Tour with my aunt and my sister, but, contrary to what most people think, the tour was not at all premeditated. It was a split-second decision. So many countries were considered. Spain and Portugal came to mind. Thailand seemed plausible. Nearby Indonesia's fantastic architecture was tempting, and because Singapore was close enough, it was also suggested. Malaysia came into the radar too. But, not until visas have been approved or airline tickets were bought, nothing was final. And then, out of the blue, I heard my aunt and sister talk about a possible Euro Tour on no other month but September - which is my birthmonth - I immediately asked if I could go with them. "Sure," said my aunt! Our Euro Tour crossed different parts of Italy together with Vatican City, and as we sojourned to affluent Monaco, we a...
Read more

Arbor Day: A Holiday We Deserve

By
Image
Everybody wants a holiday. The more holidays there are, the happier the people. Simple as that. However, it is not always the case in the Philippines where not all holidays are the same. Arbol Tree Club members celebrating Earth Day at Mirisbiris Garden and Resort, Sto. Domingo, Albay There are regular holidays. Then there are special non-working holidays and some special working holidays. Among the three, Filipinos can only afford to rest well and easy on regular holidays and special non-working holidays, but we definitely could not afford to be absent on working holidays. Why is that so? On regular holidays, even if we don't go to work, we'd still be paid nevertheless. If we do get to work, we would be paid 200% of our daily rate. Meanwhile, on special non-working holidays, we will be paid 30% of our daily rate if we report to work, and in case we don't, we would still be paid if the employer feels generous. This is not the case with a special working holiday because if w...
Read more

Pastel Villas

By
Image
Own Image, September 2023. A tiny vivid city Rising from the sea Where villas dot the scene With pink, yellow, and pale tangerine Its roads are filled with stardust On wintry summers each passing year Blown everywhere by howling gusts And gentle whiffs music to the ear The rains of the island play jazz As they pitter-patter everywhere Like yesterday, like the other day Every day, as it always has At sunset, a lingering aroma Invades every corner, every villa With a quaint blend of sangria, Lavender, and a touch of vanilla In the middle of the island's forest Is some secret garden Where the most exotic, rarest Flora and fauna are hidden Meandering through the forbidden garden Where the way follows a scent Is a small cascading waterfall Hiding precious gems unknown to all There is a woozy labyrinth Somehow, somewhere underneath Leading to another island Where marshes and swamps expand The islands are riddled with enigma Every corner, every villa Has a strange story to tell Written in...
Read more

2023 || Sunshine Glow

By
Image
 Here comes the sun. That's how 2023 felt like. The pandemic was over. The rains of La Niña were over. The restrictions were gone. People were up and about! There were many good things about 2023, but the best part was the ray of sunshine it represents - the sun was a mighty force last year as the sunny El Niño replaced the dark and dreary La Niña! I look back on 2023 with "sunshine glow" as its all-embracing aura and vibe. We didn't even have typhoons, which is a first in many, many years. We could all breathe a sigh of relief that 2023 has been a good year, nature-wise, at least in this part of the world. That alone is enough to be thankful for. Mood-Setting Music At the very start of the year, I was hooked with Mozetich's "Affairs of the Heart." It is a beautiful composition that feels both primeval and futuristic. Just as when you thought you've heard the pinnacle, the music goes on as if it would never end.  I played it several times in 2023, es...
Read more