Tag: Coffee with Ralph

Slow

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When your cloth catches a fire,

it’s difficult to stay calm and ponder

whether my buttons are tied in order.

You’re too busy putting out the fire with water.

When the anxiety caught me,

I put on blinders on my sides,

and just ran as fast as I could

without knowing where I am headed.

It was when I could finally stop and relax

allowing myself to melt in the softness of warmth

of those I could trust and rely upon

that I started to see the broken links.

Slowing down, I started to understand

the minute links connecting each other

forming a vast network, pulsing with

diverse colors and brightness of emotions.

So it begins, the brick work to build the foundation

beneath a castle built upon a cloud.

12.11.2025

Mirage

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I caught a thread of voice,

one that hides in the shadow,

sneaking in times of chaos,

remaining tense for a moment for an outburst.

Stem of the thread was from the past.

“Don’t smile” the voice said, threateningly.

The hatred, the contempt, and the misplaced anger was what I could sense.

I remember the confusion at the moment,

as an assumption unfortunately started to arise

to inaccurately blame myself.

I want to reach out to the child who holds the stem,

and stand between him and the voice

to protect the child and deter the voice.

I’ll tell the child, “smile as much as you like”.

“Look, all there really is behind

the threatening voice is actually

a tiny mouse, trapped in a cage.”

“You deserve to be loved, respected, and understood.”

“Smile. You are loved.”

12.9.2025

Embarrassment

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Honesty feels further from the reach

when shame and guilt weigh down the shoulders.

The whispers and the glimpses of slit eyes

weaves the sticky layers for entrapment.

But honesty is the bitter pill to bite.

To exist itself is hard enough already.

You have tried something.

Fighting the battle itself is already an accomplishment.

If you’ve been true in your heart

of what you wished for under the moonlight,

you will find the way

even in the midst of ashes.

12.9.2025

Voice

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I think (I actually do “think”) I need my voice.

I want to say what I believe in,

work towards what I have loved,

and embrace the challenges

in spite of many past unsuccessful attempts.

I am grateful for what I have.

And I want to build more of the love

that I received, that I shared, and that I feel even to this moment.

To do that, I want to be more honest.

I want to be more humble.

And I want to be a better storyteller, planner, and leader.

12.5.2025

Story

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If we see red lights flashing about

perhaps it’s the time we look back

and hear the stories of those inside

who have been silenced and numbed

set aside out of fear and exhaustion.

As you start to read out their stories,

they will feel heard and validated.

Perhaps then, and only then

we can move forward with clarity.

12.3.2025

Sacrifice

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Because I have been in that role before,

I recognized the facial expression of a person

Who excused themselves for the betterment of others.

For the greater good, we make a decision

where we put others ahead of us,

and believe that we have done the right thing

to keep the justice in this world.

I could not walk the path knowing it’s hurting others.

More than my own comfort,

I have craved for peace of mind, a sene of meaningfulness.

11.28.2025

Revisiting

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Opening the black door,

I walked into fragments of the worlds I remembered.

As I traced my footsteps,

I noticed disconnections between each chapter.

With each fragmentation,

a part of myself was left behind,

along with the relationships I had then.

As I start to travel them back,

I feel heard. I no longer feel alone.

All those places, the weathers, the embraces, and the warmth,

they are with me in my heart.

11.26.2025

Connect

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Before connecting with others,

I needed to connect with my childish self.

I know he is there,

wandering in the streets of neighborhood

that no longer exists on this earth.

I sat down on a bench

that only we could know about

and started talking to him in writings.

The mundane memories, the feelings, and the thoughts

whatever we could think of, we talked about it.

The more I talked, the more clearly I could see him.

And I recognized someone had shown me the way.

It starts from us. The change, the connections.

11.24.2025