Do you remember the 21st night of September?

When the streets went as silent as still water?

When the night went blacker than the corner?

When the dove was caged and forced to surrender?

Our hearts were beaten in the rhythm of marching soldiers.

As they brought the placards into tears and broken shoulders.

Termites that intruded homes with no mercy nor consent. 

The mouth of the Motherland never even got to lament.

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

When the whole nation went to stumble and stutter,

With what the television in their living rooms said?

With what the front page of the newspaper said?

The doves were left in the never-ending night,

The lions beat them away from public sight,

They made them sit in those metal chairs for supper.

Flash! And the last thing they saw was Grim Reaper.

Do you remember how many of them suffered?

Disappeared with no reason, gone into thin air?

Decades and years have passed after that dictator,

Have you forgot? Can you please at least remember?

All my life, I looked at the stars in the night sky,

And glanced at the wonders of astronomy.

The deep cosmos was mesmerizing to the eye,

So I started painting,  to capture that memory. 

I entered this school for my love of science,

But along I formed this new-found talent.

I aimed to be a future astronomer,

But with this skill, I could be a painter.

And I started joining those competitions,

Showcasing my art, getting better and better.

I gained many awards and recognitions,

But I think it’s just luck and not my effort.

“Why?” you will ask, and my reason is weird,

I think that my friends are better artists than me.

All their life, they painted the beauty of nature,

Yet I am just a newbie, painting simple pictures.

My pal Marco, for example, he’s like Da Vinci,

With an eye for detail, texture, and harmony.

That every dot, stroke, and brushes of color,

Make a majestic picture that’ll make you stutter.

Or Paulita, my secret crush, a real child prodigy,

Painting landscapes in detail from the age of three.

It is them who had years of hard work,

Perfecting the craft, putting in lots of effort,

How do I compare with those art geniuses?

I’m just an amateur in this creative field.

All those applauds to me were worthless,

Compared to the skills of my peer artists.

These feelings got me to a point where,

A single error, or an incorrect color,

Will cause a continuous domino effect,

Leading to humiliation and laughter.

As if I was a dim star, afraid of the night,

Afraid to face the stars’ sparkling light.

But inside each glowing light,

Hides their feelings full of fright.

They too were afraid of a single mistake,

Thinking their reputation’s always at stake,

Thinking the much better art others can make,

Thinking that all their efforts were simply fake.

I, them, we think we’re imposters,

Bright stars with a dull, earthy luster.

So twinkle, twinkle, little dim star

Learn to be proud of who you are,

And one day, when I look from afar, 

You’ll shine brighter, brighter than you are.

In life, there are moments when we feel lost,

When our minds are clouded by doubt and cost,

But deep within, our hearts know the way,

That will lead us towards a more brighter day.

We must follow our passions, without fear,

For when we do, our purpose becomes clear,

And every step we take, we will find,

A state of happiness and peace of mind.

There may be obstacles along the way,

But with a positive mindset, we can stray,

From the negative thoughts that hold us back,

And focus on the light that guides our track.

With each new dawn, we have a chance,

To live our lives with love and romance,

To cherish every moment, every breath,

And be grateful for life's sweetest gifts.

So let your heart be your guide,

And in yourself, always confide,

Believe in the power of your dreams,

And life will be more than it seems.

Embrace the journey, and let it be,

A testament to your bravery,

For in following your heart, you will see,

The beauty that life can truly be.