𝐎ne day I went to a Banaba tree. Each branch is straight and tall, the blooming petals are as fresh as the breaking of a new dawn. My worries and hardships were relieved by the chirping of crickets, as the wind blew gently, my troubled thoughts became peaceful— as peaceful as the white clouds in the vast sky.

I wasted my time standing there, but I liked it because of what I saw around me... was no disturbance and no messing with my mental health.
After a while I caught something strangely beautiful, it landed on a blooming petal on the banaba tree, it looked like her and it also reminded her of me. I looked into its eyes and saw a whole world of blue mixed with green mixed with brown and even mixed with me.

I witnessed modest, beautiful and colorful butterflies.
They are both beautiful; this butterfly and the woman I love, one can see the true grace in her, as beautiful as the butterfly— the true beauty of its wings can be seen. She is attractive... like a butterfly's wing. Later it left slowly as the wind blew.

The butterfly is gone. Beauty is gone and the color is gone too. I just watched the butterfly as it left... the way it fluttered its wings was like a hand waving in the direction of never coming back.

I am still under the Banaba tree
just sitting quietly. All around me was a beautiful place, white clouds floated in the peaceful sky.
There are many words to say here but I prefer to keep it deep in my heart with blooming happiness.

So one day in the Banaba tree. I visited again and waited for it to return.
Taking a chance... that it might happen.


From the Filipino narrative poem I wrote '𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝘀𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗼 𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗮' which was translated into English.

© G. E.G. Martinez