Don't Be Sorry

"Sorry", has only two syllables,

It easily rolls off the tongue–

A word we use too often,

That it loses its meaning

"Don't be sorry, be better,"

He said in his final letter.

Leave A Note

There are no patterns, Dear

Nor a set time when I appear,

But thank you for dropping by,

I'd appreciate it if you'd say Hi!

Your interest in this Safe Space of mine,

Motivates me to keep thinking of rhymes,

Thank you for staying tuned,

It'd be nice to hear your insights too.

Send me an email icarcabral@gmail.com

Rainy Days

It's funny how I thought of you in summer,

Imagined how annoyed you'd be of the heat,

But even with the sudden change of weather,

It is still you that I remember.

Goodnight

Death, one after another,

of a pet, of family friends,

of strangers and patients,

They make us realize,

That life is a loan,

A fleeting gift we must return.

So tell people how you feel

Hug them tight,

And kiss them goodnight,

Live life to its fullest,

Don't leave with regrets

Not really in the mood to write but I try my best not to stop writing. I find this poem crappy, so I shared it with AI and it gave me this. (See poem below) It's kinda scary how it can capture how I feel and put it into writing in just a few seconds. I wish I could do that as well, without a need for an inspiration.

"In the dance of existence, so vibrant and vast,

Each soul plays a part, though the role may not last.

The curtain falls swiftly, on scenes great and small,

Leaving echoes of memories, that outlast us all.

The loss of a pet, a friend's family gone,

Strangers, patients, in death's quiet dawn.

They teach us life's value, in whispers so clear,

A loan from the cosmos, we hold ever dear.

So let's voice our affections, with courage and light,

Embrace with warmth, through the day and the night.

For when the stars beckon, and we heed their call,

Let's leave with no regrets, having given our all."

On Repeat

New album by Angus and Julia Stone,

Playing songs on repeat,

Enjoying these songs, alone,

It made my day, What a treat!

Switchfoot

Listening to the old albums of Switchfoot,

I was reminded of my youth,

Head banging, dancing, singing,

That is me this evening.

Vulnerable

In late nights, 'til dawn, we're most vulnerable,

Best time for conversations, deep and meaningful.

You see beyond the surface, to who they truly are,

It's hard to mask your feelings during those hours.

But it's only him that I wish to talk to 'til sunrise,

Even through the screen, I found comfort in his eyes,

Rest was important, but he was my peace,

The sun was up, and so were we.

Our goodnights were also good mornings,

Fighting sleep's call, while the birds sing.

Multiple typos, yet we understood each other,

I swear I'd never want to do this with another.

He knew me too well,

He knew when I was sleepy,

He knew what I wanted,

And what I didn't,

More than I did.

Then I messed up.

Draft

Poems left on draft,

They didn't make the cut.

Too personal, too cheesy,

But I guess that is me.

Downpour

It's been two consecutive nights,

The much needed heavy downpour.

Thunderstorm and flashes of light,

The dogs lay by my side for comfort.

Hay Naku Haiku Kind of Day

Meetings are useless

When the same problem occurs

Again and again

We should lead our pack

Correct them when they are wrong

That is how they learn

Work in harmony

Let us tear down these built walls

We shall work as one

In this hospital

Our patients need us all

Our goal, to heal

Always be polite

No matter what department

You are talking to

I have friends across various departments because I believe we are all united by a common goal: to help our patients. It’s quite frustrating when the same issue repeatedly arises from a department that insists on erecting barriers between themselves and the rest of the hospital, due to a sense of superiority. It’s particularly upsetting when my colleagues are disrespected or bullied, especially since they consistently maintain a polite and respectful demeanor.

Zen Again

As a woman of science,

I tend to overthink.

I do things in advance,

No time to blink.

Millions of scenarios,

Run through my head,

Planning things too far ahead.

I've already prepared solutions,

To problems and events,

That are yet to happen.

This used to be me. But I guess I've reached a level of zen where I only do this when it's for or about work.

A Case

I have so many questions,

Like a detective striving to crack a case.

You know, some cases may be reopened,

But some mysteries are better left unsolved.

What about you?

Could you live

Without the itch to solve this mystery?

Without hearing the stories that remain untold?

Northern Lights

Photos of Northern Lights everywhere,

Lights dancing here and there,

Someday, I'll witness its beauty,

In all its glory.

Do you wanna come with?

Seaweed Soup

Seaweed soup,

Your favorite cake,

Greetings,

And presents

On your special day

But most of all,

I hope you receive

All the love that you deserve

Words

Words, letters, pens and papers,

Through you, I send love to the readers,

Whisper to the people I hold dear,

That I care and am always here.

Even on my busiest days,

I am only a message away,

Here to listen, here to understand,

Here to hug you and hold your hand.

Please do not hesitate to reach out

Every Walk Is Different

Hear ye, hear ye!

This might not pass as poetry,

But I wish to share with you,

What a wise friend once told me,

"When you walk, 

Be present in those moments,

For every walk is different,

Even in the same place."

Life can be boring sometimes,

When you do the same things,

But if you would look closely,

Each day, there are new learnings.

But it's not really about learning,

Just be present in this walk of life.

A Place For Healing

To me, the workplace will never be
A place for romance and flings
Call me Kill Joy, call me dull,
But to me, the hospital is a place for healing

If you see us close, do not overthink,
They're all just colleagues to me,
And most of them, I consider family.




Context: The other day, a doctor left a random comment on my post. The next day, I met with my friends and, while catching up, I was asked by our common friend if we had a thing going on. In my head I was like, "What the heck? We're not even that close. We're just colleagues." I'm glad they asked, though. It made me realize that sometimes, I too, assume things based on what I see, without even trying to get to know the person by asking.

I might retract my statement about the workplace never being a place for romance and flings if Kim Seon Ho ever considers abandoning his acting career for healthcare. HAHAHA.

Grief

We never were cat people,

But you showed us love and loyalty,

You were also friends with Scooby,

And became part of our family

Your nine lives, maxed out,

Run free, Yellow Kitty,

Thanks for the memories.

Mom's gonna miss you the most,

She'll grieve a few days for the loss.

It'll take some time,

But we'll be fine.

Sumubok Muli

Dito sa ating buhay,

May araw na magtatagumpay,

Minsan naman ay sasablay,

Tuloy lang sa paglalakbay!

Minsan ay kailangang matalo,

Para damang dama kapag nanalo.

Huwag matatakot na sumubok muli,

Para ika'y walang pagsisisihan sa huli.

Friends

 We're at this point in our lives,

Where we get together on wakes, funerals,

Christenings and children's birthday parties

We've become busy with our own lives

But we still are very much close,

Picking up from where we left off

Catching up, teasing former couples,

Spilling tea, and laughing at our inside jokes

Oh, dear high school friends,

I pray that this friendship never ends.

Matter

“Thank you and goodbye,” says Marie Kondo,

Remember the good it has done, then let go.

Everything that occupies space is called Matter,

But without purpose, they’re merely clutter.

 

You fill the space in my mind and heart,

Kept safe like a precious work of art.

Because to me, you truly matter,

Never to be deemed as clutter.

 

You spark joy,

Let me keep you.

Woooshh!

Wooosh, wooooshh, wooooshhh,

Trees dance with the wind,

The Earth tries to cheer us,

But how can we smile when it's hot and humid?

Water from the tap,

Does it come from hot spring?

Heated water in this summer,

Is never gonna be relaxing.

Remember

You gave me the longest high five,

One of the highlights of that night.

My hands were dry, my palms rough,

But I guess you didn't mind.

Once was not enough;

You did it a second time.

On stage, you showed me your brightest smile,

A core memory, worth the miles.

You were too cute and too kind;

It was your day, but it felt like mine.

I went to support and thank you,

Because that's the best that I can do.

In a few days, you'll turn another year older.

I hope you'll remember that, "Age is just a number".

Innit Mainit?

Paano nga ba natin kinakaya,

Ang panahong ito na nakakapang hina?

Pag pasok sa laboratoryo ay maginaw,

Pag labas mo nama'y para kang matutunaw.

Sa pag ligo'y may nakatutok na ventilador

Because without it, sweat will surely pour.

Dala rin yata ng init ang pag Taglish ko

Please do not judge me. I swear I am not conyo.

Kahit 'di kumilos, pawis ay tutulo,

Kaya maraming iritable at dugo'y kumukulo.

Kalma ka muna't uminom ng tubig

Dagdagan ng yelo para lumamig

I know it is hard to chill

With this kind of temperature

But however you may feel,

Please don't act like the weather

Ngayon ko lamang napagtanto,

Mas mahaba pala kapag Filipino.

It's hard to match the number of syllables,

I can't conform to the rhythm and the rules

Don't Stop

I went to a cafe to have my favorite drink,

And on the cup they had this inked,

"Don't stop until your dreams come true."

And that's exactly what I am going to do.

Thank you, universe, for the reminder. ✨️