Porcelain c. 2002

The ground trembles by the mere sight of you

That every progression is taken back

Before the china breaks into a long forgotten era,

Not dated by the connoisseurs in Paris.

I have led a little voyage into a sunken sea

For the histories guided me to where you lay

And where you wait to pursue a journey

Completely lost a long, long time ago. While now it remains——

Once I knew you,

I feared to thread the jewels that adorn you,

For a trembling hand would lay to naught

The voyages you wish to fulfill.

Yes, I endured a hundred storms on my way here,

But the stolen pieces of white and blue would be

better than any thirst I suffered adrift my ship,

This porcelain shall remain pristine in salty water.

Note: A small poem I wrote in 2002; t’is about some adventure and of love and joy, of hope and sadness, of love and longing, of existence and redemption, of struggles in life and finding the meaning of life and all that we yearn to seek, that our souls pursues and long for.

I dedicate this poem to my mother-in-law, Teodora Garay Tiangco-Calderon, who passed away last Monday morning at age 83. To Nanay, may your beautiful soul find eternal peace and eternal joy.