Tag: Coffee with Ralph

Parade

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a far way friend talked to me on a screen
a long prepared project presented to a mentor
a scholar presented an eye opening talk
a talk with a genius in a restroom stall
a renewed talk made me a new friend
colleagues who weathered a long hour work
house chores conquered with a roommate
a talk on a bus with an old man who blesses
a bystander who rung the bell for you
a cashier, who’s bitter about your Covid mask
a European woman in a headscarf in a bus
two Hispanic workers asking for a hospital
friends’ text messages, recommending novels

we march on, as far as we could go.

Slowing down

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there is a few people who have faith in me.
They believed my words,
generously offered their time,
and graciously shared their love.
Being with them gave me enough courage
I took off my blinders,
started to see the world as it is,
and continued extending their love to others.
even as the vast distance remains between us
even as we no longer see or hear each other
I feel their warmth glow in my heart
living as vividly as when we were together.
I am grateful for their generosity
and I wish them well.

1.4.2023

Community

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it’s like building a castle
but it could be a house of cards
if you are not careful
to focus all your attention
meeting each person as who they are
instead of what you think they should be

greeting them with a calm smile
letting them go with a serene gratitude
slowly, a page of life is written, as the sun sets
it takes all of your energy,
all of your attention.
but when you feel its presence
you may wonder of profoundness:
a work called life.

1.3.2023

Confidence

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after weathering a few setbacks,
another one does not feel much of anything.
staring at it squarely,
I acknowledged its weight
without flinching or turning away.
deep down through layers of scars,
there is a confidence:
as long as there is another day of the sun
a fistful of air to breath
and the spirit in me,
there is a chance.
chance to make it all worthwhile.

1.2.2023

Star

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one is enough
among the many, one is enough.
enough to fill the heart with sunset
enough to feel the touch deep in the chest
one is enough among the many.

so, stop dozing off in that corner of the room.
get up, and brace yourself for a parade
one day your chance will come too soon
you’ll want to catch it at any rate

let that star be shining upon you;
the lucky ones, unlucky ones, all of you.
for the brave heart deserves a respect
may it venture the world with a circumspect

1.1.2023

Distance

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ever wondered about ‘distance’?
there are those who are so close to us,
yet feel so far away from us;
while there are those far away from us,
yet feel so close at our heart;

for some, I want to hold
both of their hands and say out loud
“you know I love you, right?”
yet not a single word’ll pass through their ear

for some, I sit silently next to them
and they know;
my feelings deeply buried
quietly ignites and awaits for them.

it’s this distance that I am fascinated about.
I wish everyone a good luck for the new year.

12.31.2022

Withdrawal

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it begins again: the abstinence.
it’s time to empty out garbages from my head.
no music or movies, no more doom scrolling,
nor comic strips, so on.
torrential pain of withdrawal swirls at heart
body’s relaxed, like a koala under summer shade
then the eye of this storm arrives;
with it, a transcendental calmness.
then the true colors of the world reveal itself.

12.30.2022

Permission

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if we were to live without a permission,
to stand with our own thoughts and see,
and to grapple with the question of why we exist,
will we finally be happy?
will we eventually love ourselves?
will we be satisfied with the world?
let us rise above our fear.
let us move beyond our natural inclinations.
let us prevail all challenges.
let us find wisdom in truth.

Unique

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Every moment, we have a choice.
a choice to be or do a unique thing.
it’s how we choose to write
the story of this moment.
whether it is watching a video
or scribbling a few words on a notebook,
we make an active choice.
our time will be weighed by its story
it’s truth unveiled.
tomorrow is another canvass
let us find what we have in our store.

12.28.2022

Consuming

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after a good talk, a belly full of meal,
and basking in the warm glow of human connections,
I slowly realized all this is meaningless
when we go home
and face the reality again.
we won’t see each other again.
there’s nothing that is connecting us now.
there is nothing to look forward to.
it was a nice rush.
but that seems to be all.
how do you build something that lasts?
or did we build something that actually is real?
will we carry this memory with a meaning?
will we look back with fondness or emptiness?
In spite of my instinct,
I hope to believe we have built something.
I hope to believe we will carry on with faith.
I hope to believe all this was worthwhile.

12.27.2022