Remembrance (2011)

a distant star glimmers

the coldness of the night

makes me shiver

i hear you whisper

i shudder at the thought

you live in my heart

you never left

that's why i still hear you

and feel your love as

cold air embraces me

every time i lay awake 

anxious at uncertainties

you rush to ease my mind

if only you could  

wipe away my tears

memories of rainbows and

of echoing laughter

unfulfilled dreams and 
promises lie in their wake

bittersweet remembrance of past 

© Bing Yap (PinkLady) 2011

A poem I wrote in 2011 in remembrance of James whom we lost in 2005. 

Poetry Prompt:

A pocketful of sunshine and 

Bridge of Yonder (Haiku)

familiar banters

rendezvous with days of yore

strut into the past...

cacophonous chaffs

maudlin bridge to good old days

erstwhile ties renewed...

youthful glow long gone

gray- covered locks and chignons

older and wiser

never too old though

to walk down memory lane

giggly once again

memories of yore

chatters of puerile antics

barring senile spells

© Bing Yap [PinkLady] 2012

All Rights Reserved

Linked to Sensational Haiku Wednesday 

and Hyde's Park Thursday Poets Rally Week 75

Six Word Saturday

awesome Friday evening with my friends!

The event last night was "Back to the 80's- One Night Only" at Fat Bobby's. The band, Music Authority, was fantastic! From Madonna's Borderline, Like a Virgin, Papa Don't Preach and Material Girl to El Debarge's Rhythm of the Night to Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... The Foundations' Build Me Up Buttercup, Industry's State of the Nation, Toni Basil's Hey Mickey, Shalamar's A Night to Remember and many more... two hours of non-stop 80's disco music... It was truly an exhilarating trip down memory lane!

Wishing you all a great weekend!

8 Random Things About James and Me

This has long been overdue. I was tagged by UmmeAaiman of The Mum Who'll Remain A Maverick last November 2008 (she in turn got tagged by Suedonim16 of A Pilgrim's Journey) but I never really got the chance to comply until now.

Since this blog is dedicated to James, let me instead write 8 Random Things About Us (not just about me):

1. For many years, my birthplace (Bacolod City) was like a "missing link" in my life. So when we went to Boracay for that much needed break, James surprised me by secretly booking a flight to Bacolod for a 2-day stopover.

2. We loved to watch people. We spent a lot of idle moments in coffee shops and restaurants just watching people and making up stories about them. We would always end up giggling together as our made-up stories became more ridiculous and outrageous.

3. On those occasions when we found ourselves at opposite corners of the room (during parties or events), our eyes would meet and we would know right away where to meet or proceed- at the Smoking Area. We were smoking buddies.

4. In our 11 years together as husband and wife, I can't remember an evening when I didn't sleep in his arms, except of course on those rare times when one of us was out of town. Even on those nights when we were fighting, we would surprisingly wake up in each other's arms in the morning.

5. All of my friends and family were against James when we first went steady at 15 and 17. We were 26 and 28 when we tied the knot but it took my Dad 1 more year to accept the fact that I married this guy.

6. He collected crystal bells while I accumulated miniature pigs over the years (dating back to 1983). He finally bought me a "pigpen" (a stylish display cabinet) where our collections are now displayed side by side.

7. We both loved the nightlife and enjoyed the limelight as a couple. We were party animals back then. For years, disco was our world. We were simply inseparable.

8. When he was gone, I started sleeping on his side of the bed (a wise tip I got from the TV interview of a widow). It was my side that was empty every time I woke up in the morning and that somehow helped.




Now here are the RULES for this tag:

1. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blogpost, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.

Let the fun begin. Tell me more about yourselves so I could get to know you better...

1. Rosilie of ROSILIE: My Blog
2. Kara of The Frugal Angel-Guided Psychic
3. Kat of Candles, Crafts and Whatnot and Soy Wax Candles Blog
4. Laane of Laane on the World
5. Bingkee of I Love/Hate America
6. PhilJ of Sex and the Sickies and The Sofa of Doom
7. Alison of Three Times Kewl
8. Reigners of THE Andrea

I hope you will all enjoy doing this as much as I did.

Once Upon A Christmas Eve

The year was 1982. I was 15. He was 17. [Wait, doesn't that remind you of "Endless Love", the movie?] I had known him for over a year already but he started pursuing me as soon as I turned 15 in June of that same year.

Those were the days when people still listened to the radio. I remember DXGE and DXUM on the AM Band where the hopeless romantics dedicated songs for their loved ones and love wannabe's. It was some sort of a status symbol then to hear your name mentioned on air because someone wanted you to hear his or her song for you.

And then one day, I heard the DJ mention my name. I didn't move and waited with abated breath. The song was "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" by Rita Coolidge. It was from James. He was saying goodbye at that time because I told him I was too young to entertain suitors. My Mom was my co-conspirator in evading his telephone calls.

Came Christmas Eve 1982. He had a proposition- give it a try for a week. He said, if it didn't work out then I was free to walk away on the first day of January. I thought that was fair enough. After all, his persistent telephone calls had already caught the ire of my very strict Dad. If I agreed to his offer, I would be able to control the time of his calls.

At exactly midnight, I said YES. And the rest was history. No, it didn't end on New Year 1983. The original agreement was extended indefinitely such that my Dad had to banish me to Manila for college after finding out about James.

The much coveted UP (Los Banos) admission was junked for another state university where I had an aunt who could monitor my class schedules. I was placed in a dormitory that had a 9 p.m. curfew with very strict restrictions on visitors. My Dad was so paranoid that he was in Manila to check on me almost twice a month for 5 long years.

1982 was also the year that Lionel Richie (formerly of The Commodores) released his debut solo single "Truly" which became our signature song that continues to haunt me to this day.

Even after we got married 11 years later (March 1994), Christmas was the special anniversary we never forgot to celebrate. My Dad was wrong. I did not only finish college but law school as well. James cheered me on as I went on to achieve what I wanted in life. That was 9 years of schooling and the 10th year was my Bar review class. The result of the Bar exams was released and I took my oath on the same month that I became his wife. He patiently waited until I was ready. He became the "Wind Beneath My Wings." My number one fan.

Please don't get me wrong here. I no longer dwell on the past. I don't feel pain anymore when I remember him. It is true that the pain lessens in time. It was not a perfect relationship. We had our own ups and downs. But I realize now that it was the imperfection of our relationship that made it all too perfect. 22 years and we practically grew up together. There were a lot of good memories there to last me a lifetime. And too many lessons that I have painfully learned.

PS. Guess what suddenly played on the radio as I am editing this post... our song TRULY! See Janet, love indeed transcends death.

No Regrets

Truly

If you were a teenager in the 80's and you were in love back then, you must have a very special song. Does it still bring tears to your eyes whenever you hear it?

It was actually James who chose this song for us. When he sang it to me for the first time, I wanted to laugh at him. It sounded so corny. But my heart melted as he belted out each line with all his heart. I got hooked since then.

There was a time when he wanted to change our song to Stephen Bishop's hit "It Might Be You." But by then, our song had already taken so much meaning in our lives.

The years passed and they didn't play this song anymore. We bought our own CD but after listening a few times, we forgot all about it. I guess it's still kept hidden somewhere in one corner of our house.

At a customer's company Christmas party that we attended a month before we lost him, he whispered to me that he had a surprise coming. That surprise turned out to be a song number (videoke-style) from him. He took the microphone and started singing a very familiar tune. The gesture moved me to tears. To stop me from being too sentimental, he encouraged me to sing with him. And so I did.

That was the last time I heard him sing our song...

A few months later, someone gave me a copy of a photo that was taken during the party.

To James... wherever you are now, thank you for all the wonderful memories!!!

TRULY
Lionel Richie
(soul R&B motown 80's 1982)

Girl, tell me only this
That I have your heart for always
And you want me by your side
Whispering the words
I'll always love you

And forever, I will be your lover
And I know if you really care
I will always be there

Now, I need to tell you this
There's no other love like your love
And I, as long as I live
I'll give you all the joy
My heart and soul can give

Let me hold you
I need to have you near me
And I feel with you in my arms
This love will last forever

Because I'm truly
Truly, in love with you, girl
I'm truly
Head over heels with your love
I need you
And with your love I'm free
And truly
You know, you're alright with me