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Saturday, December 29, 2007

Totomai

The day has arrived; I’ll be dropping the “2” from my age as a new decade commenced. Thirty. Trenta. Sam-sip. I hope that means a more interesting life ahead of me. My celebration for Christmas – Birthday – New Year is always a package deal, it only follows that I will be having my partyless birthday here in Thailand. But at least, I will be union with nature on my special day.

As I hit 30, a promising age I assume, lol, I am very grateful to my family who has always been there for me. Of course, they have no other choice but to support me, right? Hehehe. To all my friends, for letting me feel that I do exist in good times and in very good times. Haha! To all my cyberfriends, though we haven’t seen each other personally but I kept and treasure all the advices I received from all of you. To my ex-girlfriends, thanks for allowing me to love you, I realized then I am still human and know how to love. To my future girlfriend and wife, please show up soon. Don’t wait for me to reach 40. Ouch! To my little world of photography, please never forsake me. I want to be creative as much as possible. To my poetic muse, where are you by the way? To all the people I met and have given me a smile on my textured face, thanks. A simple gesture that I appreciate. To all the people who don’t know me, good for you. Haha! And of course to God, I may not be spiritually mature but I know You know how much I love You.

Here’s my simple gift to each one of you, who in one way or another, has touched my life and become a part of the masterpiece called “totomai”.


totomai

1-2-3 Smile for me please....
465 Candles

After carols filled the air
and before the fireworks upstaged the stars,
I had my first cry.

The first candle I had was baby blue.
Photographs told me so. ‘Twas Ma’s and Pa’s air
that blew the candle off.

Same table but with different mantle,
family and friends chanted
as I blew the 105th candle. I was 14 then.

Oh how I missed that table during Decembers.
Gone are the claps, the cheers, the balloons. Alone, I blew
the 216th candle with a cold glass of cola.

Another set of candles will come my way, for a grand
total of 465. Still missing that old table,
just a toast to wind with unfamiliar lyrics.

But its still my birthday, wherever I am, whoever I am with.

I may be 30, but I am still the same “totomai” – a small boy at heart.

/totomai
12/29/07

16 comments:

  1. Trinta! (in Portuguese)

    At last, I would say ;-)

    What an inspired poem and funny "balance" of your life, my friend.

    You'll see these are our best years, though the harder ones, as well. Its a decade in which a lot of decisions needs to be taken, with few chances of turning back the clock.

    A great hug from this cyber-friend of yours!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks my friend. I know it will be another challenging decade for me. But I hope these challenges are not that difficult to conquer, lol.

    Obrigado!

    PS

    I know we will have the chance to meet someday :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. happy birthday john. i like your poem, the expressions very well described. must be your emotions drawing the artist in you. i like it even though it is kind of hard for me to relate since i did not remember lighting or blowing any birthday candle :). despite far from your family in this special day, i wish you warmth and may your special day still be filled with love, bliss, joy and happiness. the challenges are God's gift to us to become stronger persons, with strong faith and courage. i'll pray that you'll pass these challenges with honors. God bless you always, have a happy and wonerfully blessed birthday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @ms beth, thank you very much for the wishes. hehe. its 2 am here in thailand and i cant sleep. i know its difficult to be away from our families but i guess thats life. hehe.

    thanks for the prayers too ms beth. much appreciated. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday Totomai!!! I hope I haven't missed it completely but here in New Mexico USA you still have 11 hours left of the day! I count you among my very best friends and I hope the day was very good to you & that the year ahead is the very best, filled with whatever your heart desires. Who knows if you haven't already met the Future Mrs 22Mai perhaps you will soon!

    Kaibigan forever,

    Angele

    ReplyDelete
  6. Totomai,

    Happy 30th Birthday! Reaching this age makes you feel like stepping onto a new stage in life. That's what I feel when I did, and looking back now, it doesn't feel like 5 years had passed. God, I'm now in my mid-30's!

    Birthdays make us retrospective, and you are. I like how you wrote your thoughts showing your grateful heart, ready to step onto the next stage and face life's challenges ahead. You are well equipt to conquer whatever your dreams are, just contenue believing.

    Last week, I submitted an entry for Writers Island's prompt for the holiday, "Earth," I, too, was retrospective and wrote an imagined scene how I was born.
    please link below to view:

    http://jeques.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/pulsating-transient-inhabitant-for-writers-island/

    Happy new year and

    I wish you well.

    ~ Jequs

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Angele, thanks kaibigan, thats why I always want to share to you the events of my life. You are one of my closest friends too. Today, I hope it will be a good day - a beginning to a great year ahead.

    thanks kaibigan, i do hope to meet you someday too.

    @Jeques, thanks Jeques, im pretty excited about this day. it may be challenging but I know its full of sweet results too.

    Salamat po.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello my friend...It is your birthday! I feel really ashamed to miss this special day of yours. Blame it to year-end rush- group-oriented parties, work-related gatherings (bounenkai), year-end deadlines and family holiday treats!!! Ah, forget what I've said. Truth is blame it on me hehe. I really suck on time management. Thanks to outlook notifier, I got your mail on my inbox lol.

    Well, happy 30th b-day big guy! You've always done everything well.

    Just enjoy being who you are and stay out of pressure.
    God bless and more power in your everyday undertakings.


    -Kuya Ben-

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Kuya Ben, mondai nai :-) thanks kuya for being a part of my life. hehe, tanda ko na. my mother just called and this made my day complete already. hope to have a great one today.

    happy holidays din sa inyo ni ate and your family :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy birthday idol!
    All the best :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. @te anne, madami pong salamat hihi

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sooooooooooo sorry I am late, totomai! I had an incident and thus I didn't check my emails.

    *drums rolling*

    Happy belated birthday, my dear friend!!! I wish you'll get a macro lens very soon, and show us more masterpieces ;-)

    A giant hug from May!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. welcome to our world... thirties! haha cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  14. @May, thanks. i wished santa dropped in my place to hand me a macro lens but to no avail hehehe

    happy new year to you my friend

    @Tukayo, hehe, welcome. haha! happy new year sa yo at sa family mo

    ReplyDelete
  15. uy, 30 ka na pala hehe... happy birthday! and happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  16. thanks vin, happy new year sa u

    ReplyDelete

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