Litfolio 2018

FOREWORD BI ANCA

R AÑOLA

L it n ight h a s a l ways be en my f a vo ri t e Eco s o c event . F ro m b ein g an i n t e r n t wo yea rs a go a nd co - hea d l a s t yea r t o b ei n g i t s h e ad thi s yea r, i f t here’s o ne Eco s o c event I k n o w by h e ar t i t’s thi s o ne. Tho s e who ha ve been t o L it n ight u n de r s t an d the F IG MEN TS t ha t ma ke t hi s event so sp e c i al . F o r o n e, i t is a ref uge. When we ca n rel a t e t o so m eo n e’s pi e c e, we get t o s i gh o ut o f rel i ef a nd rea l i ze w e’ re n ot s o a l on e a f t e r a l l . Two, i t i s a rel eas e. When we n eed a n o u tl e t f or e ve r yt hi ng t ha t ’s go i ng o n, t hi s i s t he p la ce to g e t i t of f y ou r sho ul der. F i na l l y, i t i s a redi s co very.

Th e a i r i s di f f e r e n t i n thi s l i t t l e wo rl d o f o urs . Here, we get t o di g de e p, a n d we no t o nl y get t o unco ver p a rt s o f o u rsel v e s we di dn’ t k no w ex i s t ed; we a l s o get t o s ha re t h o se pa r t s o f u s wi th t he p eo p l e who a re here t o l i s t en.

Th ere i s n o al l - e n c o mp a s s i ng t heme f o r L i t ni ght t hi s y ea r. F r o m t h e on s e t, I wa nt ed a crea t i ve p eg, a t i t l e, a nd n o t h ing mo r e. I wan te d t o s ee wha t L i t ni ght co ul d gro w in t o. I wan te d to s e e h o w i t wo ul d evo l ve. To ni ght , we rea p t h e f r u i t o f t h a t pr oces s , we enj o y t he p ro duct o f t ha t ev o lu t i on . I t di d n o t c o me ea s y, but i t ha s beco me even m o re me an i n g f u l be c a us e o f t he 2 0 p eo p l e who ha ve b een wor k i n g be hi n d the s cenes wi t h me.

S o t o n i g h t I ho p e yo u l et t he L i t ni ght t ea m a nd o ur v a rio u s wr i t e r s an d p e r f o rmers s hi ne l i ght o n t he di f f erent FIG M EN TS of yo u r s e l f. Let us j o i n yo u o n yo ur j o urney t o y o u r re f u g e, r e l e as e, a nd redi s co very. Let us t a ke yo u t o o u r w o r l d of ma ke be l i e ve t ha t we ca n o nl y f l y t o wi t h o ur ey es c l o s e d a n d o u r hea rt s o p en.

2

I have heard these silences before Promises as hollow as their sound Mouthing words to me that I mistook for love We listened to songs I thought meant something to us We walked together, towards where I thought we both wanted to go I thought my laughter was a sign I thought his was a confession I always knew I was never his first choice But I was foolish enough to think I could change that I thought I could turn his whispers into proclamations But I was young then.

When he left, he left the door ajar And in that space travelled voices His laughter now caused by another I could see a wedge of light But I was too afraid to let it in I thought, if I couldn’t have him Then let me have darkness At least in the darkness I won’t see how alone I am I can pretend that he’s beside me Laughing Listening to our songs I can let the silence magnify his whispers And turn them into proclamations And then I grew up.

I started listening to different songs Started to forget what his voice meant to me Started to forget what grasping for meaning felt like Because we obviously used different dictionaries I walked alone, towards where I knew I wanted to be And along the way I found you.

THE QUIETEST LIPS MAKE THE LOUDEST NOISE. B I ANCA

R AÑOLA

You have a quiet voice And it took me a while to hear it Because he made me want to stay deaf But when you speak you speak with resounding finality When you laugh I know I am home We write our own songs and blaze our own paths I never have to squint to find the meaning in your words I never have to settle for signs When I have to grasp it’s to hold your hand When I have to pretend it’s to think about the future The quietest lips make the loudest noise Your whispers are worth more than any confession or proclamation You knock And I let the door swing open And I let the light flood in.

3

MEMEBOUND M IA

C RU Z

Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by, And the years start coming and they don’t stop coming, fed to the rules and I hit the ground running.

All around me are familiar faces, worn out places, worn out faces.

Mmm, whatcha say? Mmm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.

At night, I think of you. I want to be your lady, baby. Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. And after all, you’re my wonder wall.

Wake me up inside, wake me up inside, call my name and save me from the dark.

So, I wake in the morning and I step outside, and I take a deep breath and get real high and I Scream from the top of my lungs, “What’s going on? Take on me, take me on, I’ll be gone in a day or two!”

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas? I need to get myself away from this place.

And I said, “Jesus, take the wheel!”

Who can say where the road goes, where the day flows? Only time.

But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more just to be the one who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door.

I’m never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you. There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do.

Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass, and I’m homebound.

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UNTITLED #1 A N D RE W

BAN AAG

As the light flooded into the room as water does a glass I found myself No, rather, I caught myself Gazing upon features I once sought out Illuminated halo all around, ethereal almost But unaware of my presence, to my relief You had much on your mind, it seemed Looking out into the throng of Beings, all occupied with their devices And their conversations, with voices chaotic in unison Were of volumes unbearable Yet you, in all your splendor Were all I could hear

UNTITLED #2 ANDR EW

BANAAG

I look up Into the heavens and I wonder How balls of gas and chemicals Grow to sizes unimaginable And live for eons Only to burst into intergalactic lightshows, Lose those lights altogether And become darkness itself How planets, much like our own Mother But lightyears away and seemingly devoid Of intelligent life forms Continue to exist in shared space and time Yet to be explored by the human race How the universe Shrouded in mystery; the final frontier perhaps Growing exponentially larger by the second Houses what we call “home” Which, in comparison, is nothing A tiny speck on the canvas of life I look back down and I wonder How is it that, despite our insignificance to the heavens above, How seemingly meaningless our existence is To the stars and planets beyond our reach That I have found home In warm smiles In long embraces In gentle words and phrases In all these little, “insignificant” things I have found all the more significant

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P A R A S AY O Ang tulang ito ay hindi para sayo. para ito sa akin. para mawala ka na sa isip ko.

Para di na ako naghihingalo kapag di makahithit ng yosing naka-tatak sa kaha ay “ Sana Tayo”.

KLAUSE

CAB ANOS

Kaya inaral kong mang-hilot. Hilutin hanggang mawala ang sakit. Hilutin hanggang hindi na mapait. Hilutin hanggang sana maging tayo.

Inukit ang kahoy mong puso na puno ng kinakalawang na pako.

Para sa bawat nescafe na iniinom ko ay wala nang bahid ng pait. Para ang puso ay di na sumakit.

Tetano inabot ko.

(sigh) Tangina di naman naging tayo.

Pero bakit noong gumaling ka, ang puso mo’y sa iba inihanda.

Inibig kita mula sa malayo. Dahil may ibang nagbibigay sayo ng rosas at gulo.

May bago kang nakilala at siyang tumuloy sa pag-ayos ng puso mong sira.

Pagkatapos mo mabasag at mahulog akong sumalo sayo at inaruga hanggang ika’y sumaya

Hindi siya napako, wala ring tetano. Pero siya pinili mo.

Sa mga umagang ayaw mong bumangon, ako yung kapeng nang-gigising sayo. Hindi mapait, hindi tamis. Sakto lang, gaya ng gusto mo.

Kayo ang kumain sa inihanda kong pista.

Sa mga gabing ika’y nagluluksa ako yung unan mong puno ng luha.

Masakit, oo pero para sayo hindi ko to ininda.

Kaya eto ako. Mag-isang tumutunganga.

Tumitira ng handa. Sa wakas masaya ka na.

Kahit hindi tayo magkasama.

Puta sarap ng red horse. Lakas ng tama.

Noong di ka makatayo, binuhat kita sa likod ko.

Sa simula ika’y mabigat. Pero sa bawat yapak, ika’y natutong bumitaw.

Binitawan mo ang mga semento ng kahapon.

Bumitaw ka rin sa likod ko. Natutong tumayo pero sabi mo hindi pa handa ang puso.

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Mapaglaro ang buhay. dinala ako sa piling mo. nilapit ka sa puso ko. para lang masira ako. kaya nga ang tulang ito ay hindi para sayo. para ito sa akin. para mawala ka na sa isip ko.

by

MO ONLIGHT B e pp e C ont i

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I N F AT U AT I O N A LYA N N A

B ASB AS

i would paint the way i see you in my eyes and watch the colors dance, love, and come alive on canvas

M E TA P H O R I C A L YO U J O EY D OE S N TS H ARE FOOD

Like a lightning You strike me in awe Of your power and strength It’s the best thing I saw Like a guardian angel You always protect me From all things evil I feel safe easily Like a home You’re a safe space Even when I’m random You’re there to embrace Like day and night You’re a constant sight You provide balance To my joy and might Like an odyssey We wander and daydream You make me experience The basic and extreme Like an ink You put colors By painting me a blue sky Surrounded by flowers Like a Lego You put me together Make me stable and strong You complete my figure Like yesterday Everything is a souvenir I can’t wait for today Thank you, my dear

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i would hold you the way you hold my heart as softly as tenderly as your trembling fingers could manage i would word the way you sing straight to my soul and listen to the notes that belong next to the moon late at night i would love you the way i could with all my heart and with the same truth as what i feel when our hands interlock

TA N G E N T

PAU LO

SOLLER

She was a tangent Just to be clear, I fucking hate math That said, I’m not above using it for cheesy analogies And I do enjoy the idea of lines on a graph as people We’re all segments and parabolas and exponential functions just doing our own thing Sometimes we curve upwards, sometimes downwards Sometimes we bend back over ourselves and others Intersecting and even overlapping at different points There are some people whose lines we never cross You see them, parallel, from a distance People you maybe wish you knew or are glad you don’t And then there are the people who come out of nowhere And stick around just long enough to touch your line with theirs And then they’re gone Just as quickly She was a tangent We met at prom, but the funny thing is She wasn’t my date and I wasn’t hers I’m not a big enough asshole to ask someone else’s date to slow dance But sometimes I wish I was We started talking afterwards I eventually got her number, we got close It turned out we had a lot in common And even shared a birthday, would you believe it?

We didn’t see each other often, but when we did I could feel my heart change from a linear equation to a cosine function Talking to her was absolute and exponential

And irrational and quadratic And I’m running out of math related words but you get the fucking point it was a good time Maybe it doesn’t seem like much now and maybe I was too invested at the time But I was a hopelessly optimistic 16 year old How was I not supposed to feel like it was destiny for our lines to intersect?

And for one brief, fleeting moment At one point out of the countless others On this huge ass cartesian plane of life I’d like to think that we overlapped perfectly But again, she was a tangent And we know what happens to tangent lines after that one special point It ended in the most high school way possible We were really good friends but I wanted more I didn’t feel like I was entitled to her reciprocating my feelings anything But I really felt like I had a shot And a year, a ballposal, and a failed attempt to make amin later It was over, our lines had diverged I wanted to be more than friends And suddenly we didn’t even have that Graphs don’t end And lines keep moving forward What’s one point of high school drama after a million others, right?

I don’t blame her for how we drifted And it’s not something I even think about that often anymore But every once in a while, you’ve got to wonder, you know?

She was a tangent But did she really have to be?

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Ant are s & L ove X

by Jo e We b b

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FIGMENTS B IA N CA

R AÑ OLA

I’m just minding my own business. Walking to where I need to be. And then I see you. Just a glimpse and nothing more. Yet my heart’s suddenly raging, screaming out to you, and I have to keep very still, because you might notice how dizzy I’m getting, how uneasy I’m feeling. You catch up to me, and I’m thinking, “Shit, mahal niya ata ako.” I let my imagination run wild because it’s just a crush, right? I have a really bitchy-looking face but I don’t know how not to smile when I’m around you.

We have a very short conversation. Too short. Agonizingly short. Yet my brain’s calculating your every word like it’s writing an analytical paper. Times New Roman 11, 1.5 spacing, 5 pages entitled “A Definitive Study of Your Love for Me.” The conclusion is just two sentences: “Ang tanga mo. Heto ka na naman.”

On some days you are just a person to me. I look forward to the brief encounters and I stretch them out in my head and pretend they were longer, pretend they meant more. I mean it’s no big deal. It’s just a crush, right? On other days, you’re all I want to worry about. And I have tried so many times to remind myself what this could mean and how much this could hurt. It works — for about two seconds. Because I see you. And suddenly I’m going through our old conversations, rereading my old journals, revisiting old pictures, searching in the dark for something — anything — to hold on to.

I tighten my grip because I don’t want to let it go. I don’t want to let this go. I’m a very busy person but I somehow still have time to think about you.

It’s so cliché and I’m cringing and I wish I could write about something more real and I feel so stupid. You pass by and smile at me and even in my dreams you’re just a dream. And I’m spiraling, because I want to tell you. I want to tell you that the sun shines brighter when you’re around. I want to tell you that when I see you online at two in the morning I pray that everything’s okay. I want to tell you how many notebooks I’ve used up, how many pens I’ve thrown away, from writing down all the things I couldn’t say out loud. I want to tell you that you matter to me. But I’m afraid, I’m so afraid. All my friends are asking me, “Okay ka lang ba? Bakit puro 8-bit fiction na lang laman ng Twitter mo?”

And I honestly don’t know what to say.

But then I see you. And suddenly, everything fades into the background. I see you, and I’m okay being cliché and stupid. I see you, and I’m willing myself not to want more. Because what this is, is enough for me. What this is, is better than nothing. I see you, and I feel like the universe is looking out for me. I see you, and it doesn’t matter that you don’t see me too. Because you could well be just a figment of my imagination but you’re the best piece of fiction I’ve ever read.

So I just tell my friends… It’s okay. I’m okay. It’s just a crush. Right?

11

H U L I N G PA A L A M J O S H

QU IMBO

Isang sakit na walang lunas Ang nananaig sa ‘king buhay Hinihintay ang Pagkakataong Ako’y humandusay Isang sakit na walang lunas Tinutukso ang aking utak Nagpupumilit Luha’y huling patak Isang sakit na walang lunas Pinipiga aking puso Patuloy ang pagpapahirap Hanggang ako’y sumuko Isang sakit na walang lunas Ang siyang magtutulak Na ako’y bumitaw Sa pag-asang hawak.

Isang sakit na walang lunas Ang may alam Kung kailan ang aking Huling paalam.

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UNTITLED ANONY M OUS

I take what I can I steal looks Laughs Smiles Touch All, just to imitate What would have been, had you and I Worked out Just as my dreams said they would But all in vain, as these moments are everything but reality I cherish each, nonetheless Every second Minute Hour Day That I happen to create these moments And although my mind has come to terms With what is and what isn’t The heart lags in all aspects, including rationality So forgive me, for I simply can’t help it I take what I can And I take it with time indefinite

BLANKET JE REM Y

GEM ZONTAN

He asked me: “Who is she?”

And I called her different, Because she was the difference in the lives of the many people she has touched.

He was intrigued. “Tell me more about her,” he pleaded.

I decided against telling him about her. Instead, I wanted to say what I found in her.

Because it was in her that I found a semblance of comfort in the appreciation I held for the beauty of word. She shared this appreciation, and with her I learned to paint and create rhyme and measure, splashing metaphors and emotions onto a canvas so large that I was thankful she was there to keep me from being overwhelmed by it.

And when he asked me what defined her as a person, I said it was how she had a horrible sense of time. Because whether it was three in the afternoon or three in the morning, she would be there for you. Always and in all ways. She was the type to be late to the “Me, Myself and I” party but always early to the “I’m here for you, friend” meeting. She was a 1am buddy in the truest sense of the word, because she knew that friendships were built in the day but tested in the wee hours of the morning, when someone either had too much to drink or not enough of it. And in her relationships, months and years that have gone by never mattered; at the end of the day, it was you that did.

His last question was what came to mind when I thought of her.

And it was a blanket.

Because she knew exactly when to shower you with hugs, the ones that brought the kind of warmth that lulled you to sleep on a chilly night.

Because if you kept her close enough, you’d come to find that she not only had your back, but all the other sides as well.

And if you held your grip and spread your arms really wide, you’d see that she acted as your wings, because even guardian angels need some help once in a while.

She was my friend, artist, performer.

1am buddy, poetic genius. blanket, wings.

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UNTITLED NATSUKASHI I

years have come, and gone, and passed and nothing was ever the same but if there’s one thing that has never changed aloud I still yearn, to speak your name what is it about you, then, that keeps me trudging on? is it the way you said you loved me when i let you lead me on? it never should have mattered that we have the same parts and while all good things come to an end some don’t even start you say it’s for the best, somehow with a stream of tears you cry but you can’t claim to love someone and leave them out to dry

UNTITLED A N D RE W

BAN AAG

The universe, in all its majesty In all its beauty and grandeur Is quite bothersome, confusing almost It decides without you It does not think of you It cares not for you It throws at you things horrible and unimaginable It takes you by the hand one moment The next by your neck And leaves you gasping Clutching onto dear life Yet, in all its cruelness Owes you absolutely nothing

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Cut - out s

by T he Fre e

Spir ite d

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Joy

GREEN JE REM Y

GEM ZONTAN

Roses are red Violets are blue Leaves are green I like green Green is great

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of

spr ing

A N G G I N A G AWA N G L A H A T P A G - F I R S T D AY EN R IQU E

BAU TISTA

Pagpasok ko sa silid ng Econ 101 Ang classroom aking pinagmamasdan di dahil iniisip ang mga matututunan kundi hinahanp ang aking bagong uupuan Ang pagpili ng pwesto may cost-benefit analysis Iniisip ang lamig, lapit sa board at linis kung katabi ang kaibigan para sa chismis at sa matalino para kopyahan pag probset o quiz Pero ang unang ginagawa pagpasok ng pinto Ang magscout para sa magaganda o mga gwapo Na-instant kalandian at potential nobyo.

Kaya nang makita kang kumakaway, huminto ang puso Sa paglakad papunta sayo,naisip na ang lahat Ang paghingi mo ng notes tuwingi ika’y magccut Ang ating groupwork na ako lang ang bubuhat Ang ating sleepover/study session na alam nating di dapat.

Sa lahat ng ito ako’y handang handa na Pero ang kinakawayan mo, nasa likod ko pala Ang sakit ng ginawa mo at walang awa Kaya paghumingi ka ng yellow pad sakin, wala kang makukuha.

SA ISANG IGLAP ENR I QUE

B AUTI STA

Nagsimula, Ginanahan Nakita, Kinilig Kinausap, Nabighani Nagdate, Napamahal Hinalikan, Napasaya Guminhawa, Nalungkot Hinalikan, Umilag Nagdate, Inayawan Kinausap, Nag-away Nakita, Iniwasan Nagsimula, Tinapos

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R E L AT I O N S H I P S J O S H

QU IMBO

What is a relationship?

Is it something bound by a pact, that once broken, will break too?

Is it something you feel, that once you can’t feel anymore, will be numb?

Is it something created when two people agree with the same argument, that once changed will be destroyed too?

Is it something we choose to have, that once we get tired of, can easily get rid of?

Or Is it something infinite, something unbreakable, perhaps something we did not even create alone?

Something we can’t easily answer, I agree.

Something we can ask ourselves millions of times, but still can never settle with one answer.

Something we can ponder upon our whole lives, but still remain curious as to what it really is.

A relationship is infinite. It does not end. It does not break. It was not created by ourselves. Although, a relationship may fade away, it still does not disappear. It’s still there, but we choose not to feel anything for it. We choose to feel like it does not exist, but we must face the reality that it is there, it remains to be in our mind. It’s not vivid, but the relationship will last forever, even if you may seem to have moved on from some past, it will always find it’s way to remind you of what used to be. It’s the reason why you stay up so late. It’s the reason why we feel this sudden burst of sadness, that we can’t seem to revoke. It doesn’t have to be a relationship with the girl you love, but it could be the relationship with your friends, with your family, with whoever is part of your life. It’s a relationship. It is boundless.

A relationship is unbreakable. Yes, it may seem as if you’ve stopped loving someone, but you must admit that they have been a part of you and you still have this relationship with them, but it is not just as alive as it was before. It’s still not broken, but simply, bent.

You don’t lose a relationship, but simply you degrade it’s importance. It may seem so non-existent at times, but believe me, it’s still there, and we just choose to bury it in the past. We force ourselves to forget, even if it’s simply impossible.

So enjoy the relationships you have. Cherish them while they’re still strong. Because when it starts to sink into the void of uncertainty, it may be hard to bring it back.

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UNTITLED JOH N N Y

Tiyak na di ko malilimutan ang araw na nakita ko sa listahan ang pangalan mo sa ilalim na committee ko Grabe ang tibok ng aking puso di makapaniwala sa kapalarang ito Naisip ko ang mga araw na tayo’y magsasama Na aking mapagmamasdan ang iyong mapungay na mata Na makita ang iyong kutis na mala-caramel ngunit amoy mocha Ano mang deliverables, sponsorship letter, utos o pang-aalipin basta ikaw ang kasama, lahat to ay buong pusong dadanasin Pero ano na lang ang iisipin ng iba sa ating paglalandian Na nabihag lang kita dahil sa aking kapangyarihan Kaya wag na lang, alang alang sa ating one way na pagmamahalan Di bale, kahit officer kita sa committee ko ikaw pa rin lagi ang magiging director ng aking puso

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HAIXT C EL IN A

PACAN A

the past two years have felt like buying tickets to all the showing movies and leaving minutes into the trailers tasting all the samples at the grocery only to walk-out empty handed taking my chance at everything only to end up feeling so short-changed every. single. time. you see, for an economics major i don’t know shit about investments, and the beauty of being patient for a return i try, i try, but i’m always, always too cowardice to stay. too cowardice to follow through. which is why i’m met with slammed doors and difficult walls and endless amounts of drunken stupor with people walking away which is why i now view every glistening opportunity with eyes that are unable to see sparkle which is why i have placed all my hope in all the wrong places all my faith in you because when you’re convinced you are ill-equipped to see through anything that can fix you you fervently, desperately, want other people to

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T he

Man

in t he B ott l e

by Un k now n

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by

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Un k now n

NO REGRETS A N O N YMOU S

The thing about love Is that it is all-consuming Its fire burns like an eternal blaze Taking up everything around it But when the flame is put out It refuses to die Although it must die Must extinguish Must disappear Every trace Erased from existence Erased from time But the thing about love Is that the last dying ember Always remains Its tiny spark a remembrance Of what was What would have been But most importantly What would not have been Without you Because the colors of my soul have changed It sang thousands of new songs each passing day The melody which only you knew Its symphony, my midnight lullaby

Yet my tender heart Which I gave unconditionally Placed willingly in your hands Broke Shattered Fell piece by piece Its fragments, ripped apart Huge chunks at a time A beautiful mess Yet unimaginable chaos And although I had to sew the fragments back together I was not broken I could not be broken I was still whole I was still whole I was still whole I was still me My spirit had changed My flame a lonely ember Yet I had to burn for myself And myself alone Yet despite everything Despite the constant battles raging within I have no regrets

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UNTITLED JOHN N Y

Alam mo mahal pa rin kita kahit sinabi mo nang stop na kahit meron ka nang iba kahit mata ko’y pigang piga Kahit mukha na akong tanga Pero mas mahal ko ang sarili ko Kaya heto ako, pipigilin ang pagmamahal sayo

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WISH BIAN CA

CAC N IO

Like all single lonely people, I wish for love But tonight, as I look up at the stars I don’t wish it for myself I wish for a love that brings with it patience I wish for a love that brings with it forgiveness I wish for a love that brings with it a willingness to change I wish for a love that reminds us of why we love in the first place Some time ago I heard that what we love about people Their quirks, their strengths Becomes what we hate of them Funny becomes annoying Brave looks like rash Practical is being controlling What was passion is now just overreaction I wish for a love that turns the negatives back into positives I wish for a love that I know is there I wish for peace, if not in the world At least in you

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S ci -F i C ol l age

by Br y an Ols on

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QUEUE B IA N CA

CAC N IO

I always have so many words to say So many, that they must have some sort of line A queue, where they wait their turn Till it’s their moment to be spoken My time with you It’s like office hours At some point we have to say goodbye Some words have to wait till next time Some words don’t have to wait “How are you?”

Some words wait days “Do you… wanna watch a movie?”

Some words are still waiting … They’re still waiting Because unlike a real queue FIFO: “first in, first out” My brain discriminates There’s an express lane for the nonsense, the simple, the fun

C over

Ar t

by

A ly anna

The difficult? They’re like the opposite of senior citizens No matter how old these words are No matter how much they bother me at night They’re stuck in an unmoving line Some brave words Armed with emotion and timing Have made it out there Past my lips, into the air Most though?

They wait till they’re forgotten Till they’re irrelevant Or till they’ve changed Changed to something safer To words that’ll make their way down the queue Something like “Y’know, I used to like you.”

B asb as

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