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the next time I see you



The next time you see

me, I’ll propose


that was your promise

to me, when I was crying

about you going

back to Manila,

again


crying

about the distance

we always face


the quarantine

restrictions that

ever-change


that was

a few weeks ago


+ now

suddenly

you’re walking

towards

me

on the beach

in the soft rain

as if walking

out of one of my

daydreams--when I look

for you

in coffee shops

+ malls


always looking,

always hoping,

that maybe you’d come

surprise me again

+ I could breathe for a bit

as the daunting

distance is lifted

off my caving

chest


sometimes, I think

I see you, + catch

my breath for a second, only to realize

it’s not you, + you’re actually

far away


away on the COVID frontlines, fighting

to get suffering

patients a hospital bed


The next time you see

me, I’ll propose


you’re getting

closer to me now, with a bouquet

of flowers in your hands


+ I wonder

if you know


I took

your promise,

mahal ko, + put

it in writing, etching

it into my mind so I could keep

it close


I read

it before drifting

off into another nightmare

in the middle of the night + when

I wake in the morning


I read

it when my anxiety leaves

me shaking

+ the tears stream

down

my

face


+ I’m reading

it now, as you finally stand

in front of me, + I plead

“Dear God, let

his words be

true, let this moment be

the one”


+ just like that you kneel

in the sand, holding

a jewel so green, it must be

alive, as if you picked

it from the Subic jungle itself

on your way


green is

the color of life--

the color of growth


+ I see

both in our future together,

as you keep

your promise to me

right now + ask to have

me for forever


as I say

yes + you put

on the ring, the sea air is

suddenly so sweet in the little

drops of rain + the shore brings

in waves of relief


after a year of fighting,

I can finally collapse

into your arms + know

the distance is ending

because today is

the next time I see you



*mahal ko--my love


*This poem is dedicated to my then fiance, + now husband*








2 Comments


Dennis Hogrefe
Dennis Hogrefe
Jun 10, 2021

Beautiful.... so precious... thanks for sharing...gram h

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Mallory Bjork
Mallory Bjork
Jul 26, 2021
Replying to

Thank you, Grandma ❤️

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Hi, thanks for stopping by!

Through mental and spiritual lows this year, I've been on a journey to pursue prayer and peace in my daily life.  That's what this blog is all about.

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