on butterfly's wings

2007-06-05T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I've moved to http://radicalscrawl.blogspot.com.

one of my writings

2007-03-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

A Day With Children

I had always thought I was a failure around kids. I feared I would either spoil them rotten or choke them to death. The first one was more probable though.

Then one day I was stuck into an outreach program where I was assigned to handle three kids. The first time I heard about it I was mortified...er...close to panicking to be exact. Instantly I imagined toddlers running around and ducking from my every grasp, pulling at my clothes and ruining my hair. My little sis gave me the phobia when she reached four and I was nine. (If she reads this she's going to kill me.)

Yet the havoc the little ones could cause was not really the problem. I feared they would hate me. What was I to do with them? I was never good at babysitting and most people thought I was too serious and boring.

Still I showed up at Family Park. A sense of responsibility made me. I could not resist it. I just hoped the lessons I learned in the Educational Psychology classes I took back in college would work.

When the banner was hung and chairs were positioned in the field, the children came bounding in... children of different colors and sizes. Right away I spied two of them knocking down two chairs. I thought, oh boy, this would be one forgettable day.

Soon the children fell in line like cherubs as my colleagues and I handed them their nametags. I searched for my adopted kids Joely (age six), Jeimes (four) and Beam (14).

As I walked to and fro I saw this little slim, tan girl with long tresses and bangs watching me. Suddenly a little hand grabbed my shirtsleeve. It belonged to another little girl with shoulder-length hair. She pulled me closer as she accused a grinning chubby boy of pushing her.

Somehow I got the boy to behave and pacified the girl with mere words, words that came out of nowhere. I then asked them if they knew Joely and they pointed at the girl with the bangs.

Getting along with Joely was easy. She was sweet and gentle. She even gave her mineral water to another girl who was thirsty. I was so proud of her I could not bear not to show it, and it was easy to tell she was pleased. Though she seemed to want to shy away out of embarrassment at my outright admiration, the flushing of her cheeks could not hide the fact that her eyes were dancing.

Unlike Joely, I had quite a hard time with Jeimes. I had to keep an eye on him and make sure he would not run off, which he managed to do every once in a while. I could not blame him. It was getting hotter by the minute. Other kids got restless too, and the demand for water was fast rising. I had to go up and down the stage for the supply.

Then there was Beam - a tight-lipped loner. He was taller than I, with a skin a hue darker than Joely's. I kept encouraging him to join the games so he would not get bored and be another runaway Jeimes.

I was surprised I was having fun with the sack race though my only role was to scream. And yes, there was the job of picking up a kid or two at every stumble. I had to hold their IDs and nametags so they could move freely and enjoy the game without being distracted.

Jeimes shunned away from me even at lunchtime. I thought he would grow up as a man with his own mind. I told him to roam around and help me find Beam. Instead, he stayed put. Reverse Psychology -- of course! I eventually won the cute one over.

Beam, on the other hand, would lower his head every time I would speak to him. He was, however, a gentleman. He helped in carrying boxes of Zesto and other stuff.

All of a sudden I became everybody's sis. Kids took turns in pulling me to their side. They huddled close to me and they didn't even touch my hair! They would lean to me and ask me questions such as what grade I was in (kids don't know much about high school and especially college).

I answered that I was already working. Joely looked shocked. To make sure I was telling the truth she asked me if I finished grade one, grade two...and so on. When another kid declared that I would soon get married, Joely verified it to me again with sullen expression on her face. I couldn't help but laugh. I was in Pluto where marriage is concerned.

Then came Jollibee and the angels around me, who were hanging on my every word, morphed into mobsters. I had to help my fellows keep the kids at bay. They were murdering the poor mascot. It was a nightmare on Jollibee's poor butt. Only when he had gone back to his truck did the kids become human at last. They asked me if Jollibee was a man and not really a mutated oversized bee that could dance. I looked at their expectant faces, and replied in a manner they could understand, laugh at, yet always remember. I told them that Jollibee was also human and that he could also get hurt. Kamo bay tabangag sumbag di ba mo mabun-og, I told them. If you were the one being punched to death, wouldn't you be all black and blue? They laughed, but their faces gentled with a new light.

I actually enjoyed being with the kids. I got lots of hugs. I never felt so alive and so young for such a long time.

Before leaving, Joely asked if she would see me again. I told her yes, if she would be a good girl and that, she promised. She gave me a great big hug though she only managed to wrap her hands around my waist. But this she told me: Ate She, you're a very good person. I wish you were my sister.

Does a six-year-old lie? I wondered. Why did I ever say I hate kids? Perhaps it was because I was scared of the responsibilities and commitment but then, I'm no longer a nine-year-old.

No Goodbyes

2007-03-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

You left…

There were no goodbyes
No last words for me
To lay my hopes on

No last glimpse
No last smile,
No tears from you

As our beating hearts
Were separated
Million miles by a door

And when I saw you
The reality before me
Broke me to pieces
Stabbed countless times
Till I was only
Shattered flesh and bones

I wanted my scream
To go beyond where I was
I wanted to see
What’s behind
The slightly closed eyes

If I could just fade away
So I could grab you back
You’re out there somewhere
Lost, and don’t know
How to come back

Yet I was taken up
Upon the wings of time
Then I was laughing…
Telling myself I was fine
But I did not stop the mourning

I guess…
There never would be
Goodbyes from you
I was down and almost
Could not get up
As most of me left with you

I got more than a pair of arms
To comfort me
And more than one tongue
To push me down
Yet somehow I’m still here
Moving on with your memory

You’re still here, I know
Our bond is more than flesh
You’re not lost, I know that now
You’re home… right in my heart.

(to my father...thank you...)

2007-03-07T02:02:00.000-08:00

Telling My Son
a cancer patient's song to his son

I'll not paddle on a sea
Nor touch my feet on a shore
Nor carve a mountain
Nor scan a forest without
A word in the air
For your curious ears

I'll not lay a critic eye
On a director's latest fruit
Nor pass a night...
Without breathing a word
Of tenderness in me
To your sleeping form

I'll not shed a tear
Nor moan in pain
Nor sigh for the
Short-sheeted time

What I cannot spill
With my choosing mouth
I'll blot with ink
And the paper can
Speak for me

It's the only way
I can ever think of
To leave you unempty
'Cause I cannot say
How long this body
Can keep up with
This fast-paced journey

I'm sorry if I must
Leave a scar in your heart
I have no choice, I can't
Make my leaving painless

Because this fiend
I'm fighting inside me
Could someday consume me
Till I'll never wake again

Be good, my son
And grant me a smile
For me to bring with me
To my eternal sleep.

My Beauty Aura

2007-03-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

~Find Your Beauty Aura~

lasts and have you's - from my other blog

2007-03-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

LASTS:
8. last book read: stainless longaniza
7. last beverage: sprite
6. last phone call: last month from a close friend (via cellphone)
5. last text message: from a close friend
4. last cd played: alternative mix (just a description)
3. last BUBBLE bath: never had a bubble bath
2. last time you cried: last sunday (missed my dad)
1. last meal: taco style jahbee hotdog value meal

SEVEN have you's:
7. have you ever dated someone twice: if you call it a date!
6. have you ever been cheated on: nope
5. have you ever hugged someone & regretted it: hehehe...never!
4. have you ever fallen in love: once
3. have you ever lost someone: yes (my dad)
2. have you ever been depressed: yes, especially when dad died last year
1. have you ever peed your pants: if i had, i couldn't remember

SIX things you did in the past six days:
1. been on line
2. videoke
3. read
4. blog
5. eat jahbee
6. work

list FOUR people you can tell pretty much anything to:
1. ---- clizl ----
2. ---- jeanine ----
3. ---- elma ---
4. ---- cherryl ----

list THREE favorite colors.
1. violet
2. black
3. white

list TWO things you want to do before you die:
1. conquer the world (hehehe)
2. publish a book

With in the last 2 weeks have you...

Made a new friend? just got a good laugh with some people... the latest was at jahbee

Laughed until you cried? man! that's the easiest way to make me cry

Gotten close to someone? make that... lots of someone

Found out who your true friends were? I've always known

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF

1. Bush? Haha! Very exciting life... only with Hugo Chavez around.

2. Gay Marriage? just let them be.

3. Lowering the drinking age? absolutely not!

4. Straight, Gay, Bi? I'm straight... as a line

6. Do you believe in love at first sight? that's just plain attraction

7. Is there something you want to tell someone? yup

9. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends? with the gals, its ok. with the guys? I could barely think about it.

10. How many people on your top friends do you know in real life? 89%

11. How many kids do you want to have? 2 but it would be a long... long... time before that happens

12. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? because of them, I know God

13. Do you wanna change your name? not anymore

15. What time did you wake up today? 6 a.m. but got out of bed 7 a.m.

16. What were you doing at midnight? watching TV

17. Name something you CANNOT wait to do? eat, surf the net and travel!

18. Who’s most likely talking behind your back right now? some enemies aka my fans bwahahahaha

19. What are you listening to right now? the sound of guys screamin' over an online game

20. Have you ever donated money to a good cause? yep... i pay my taxes

21. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? that's one thing i've minimize and aim to eradicate. that deed always depresses me

22. What's the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone? you mean given to me? blouse

23. Who's getting on your nerves right now? just some copycats of my likes and dislikes

24. Most visited webpage? friendster

25. Coke or Pepsi? both

26. Do you have a crush? I don't remember the feeling...

27. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past 2 weeks? hahahaha!

28. Do you disagree with a lot of things going on in the world? not a lot. i've learned to accept most of them... that's life

29. Do you enjoy your friendship with your friends? very much!

2007-01-31T03:09:00.000-08:00

2007-01-31T02:49:00.000-08:00

To The One Who Broke My Heart

2006-11-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

You had my heart...you were my soul...
You were the air I breathed
And everything beautiful

You were my beginning
But chose to be my ending
When you left and tore my dreams apart

Your leaving I mistook
Thought no one could ever love me the way I loved you
Just because I plainly wasn't good enough for you

I didn't know that
Out of the ruins, out of
The one you left behind
You gave me a new beginning
That out of the pain, you showed me truth
Out of your leaving, you gave me hope
Out of the loneliness and the lack of you,
You gave me a chance to live my life
Oh, I was given the world
When you faded from my side

Then I was free; Free to see so much beauty
Much more than what I saw in you
Free to fulfill what I can be
That was wasted when I was confined in you
To stand alone when I used to
Live because of you

Your leaving took away the fear of losing you
As well as the thinking that
Your loving me was all I needed to know
I thought I never could imagine life without you
But now I know better…there is a life
Even after you

Still...

2006-09-25T01:55:00.000-07:00

It's been long since you breathed your last
But the cold-hearted reality's still so hard to grasp
I still sense the faint wisp of a presence hovering all over me
Begging me to set you free

The wound your departure caused is yet too raw for time to heal
The loneliness seems to have no remedy
Smithereens of you still vibrant, still floating in my head
I'm bound with regret for the things yet unsaid

I'm by the shore where the stars witnessed your passing
And they still shine as brightly as before
Everything seems untouched except the fact that
You are now where I am unborn and you're not coming back

Then the waters catch my tears and the heavens come down to cry with me
The waves, touched with sympathy, reach for me...beckon with gentle murmurings
And my heart ponders on...asking that same question born on the same day you faded
"In the arms of Osiris, would sleep be at last dreamless sweet?"

A Brief Walk On A Sunny Morning

2006-09-25T01:51:00.000-07:00

It was September 7, 2005, and I was on my way to work. I was a bit early. It was 7:25 a.m. and work would start at 8:30 a.m. Thus I decided to enjoy the gentle warmth of the sun. I took a walk.

People who passed me by offered me smiles and hearty hellos. Oh, you could never understand how a simple greeting of a stranger could lighten up your day. You simply could not help but smile as if the sun has suddenly risen on your face; you simply glow.

But that seventh of September was different. The upward curl of my lips could not disguise the hollowness of my breath, nor the tears glistening in my eyes. I felt warm all over and I found it quite hard to breathe. I never liked starting my day this way, but there was no choice to make. Things just…happen. On and on I had told myself in the past, this too shall pass. I was referring to the problems that came my way. I thought of them, and figured I could no longer be easily be put to tears. But still, there I was…about to pour out stubborn tears. This day, I knew, would be one of those loneliest days of my life.

Father was ill again. He had not fully recovered from the problem in his kidneys. Mother thought he had to be hospitalized again. Slowly my thoughts drifted back to my younger sister's face. September 7 had never been lonely to her. Yet this time it was. I could clearly recall the tears burning in the corners of her eyes. She was going out for a field trip and would arrive late. I felt so sorry for her. But she understood.

In our lives, we have to make certain sacrifices for more important things. Things don't always go our way and we are left with no choice but to…sacrifice.

I glanced at my watch - 7:42 a.m. Time to stop this trail of thoughts and get to work. Happy sixteenth birthday, sis. I'm sorry. All I could do was pray for her a happy day.

22 Steps to Poetry

2006-09-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

First things first. What is Poetry?

Poetry, as what I learned in my literature class, is a timeless and creative expression of beauty, humanity and reality. It is a language of the heart to the heart. It is a union of heart and mind.

Writing poetry is like dressing up - you consider the style, the cut and accessory and harmonize them with a touch of good taste.

Here are 22 steps to make it right:

1. "Don't study an art, practice it." - Japanese Proverb
It is practice that can propel you to greater heights. And yes, natural talent wouldn't hurt either.

2. Charm - The success in writing poetry lies in the personality of the poet. You are coaxing readers to read a few words, go on reading until you win them over.

Charm in poetry requires:

A big heart - I'm talking about kindness, unselfishness, a sympathetic nature and humility and being fair;

A big imagination - for you to come up with your own string of words and manner of presentation, for you to be able to put yourself into certain situations. Take a stone. How would you describe it? Consider where it came from, what it could be and with it will be. See. Feel. Imagine;

Honesty...with how you feel and what you think. Make poetry your testament; make it yours;

Eloquence - Describe in any way you can, in any way you want…any way. Just make readers feel and see, make them experience; and

Uniqueness - It is what sets you apart from other writers. It shows in the way you use words in writing. Just be your lovely self and everything will follow.

3. Write when you feel like emotions are about to overflow from your heart or, find your strongest emotion and use it. Being rich in emotions would help you go a long way in poetry. Emotions are powerful tools. Humans after all are also governed by them. If poetry could speak, it would probably say, "Judge me not with your mind but with your heart. Don't tell me I don't make sense, only tell me if I have touched your heart."

4. If you don't quite trust yourself, have an audience in mind. Know who to please or who to share. It gives you focus. Take sides - "pro" or "anti". Ask yourself what you want your readers to feel and think.

5. Have a reason. Why do you choose such topic? Why do you write your poem that way? Why do you want your readers to feel that way? But you can keep the answers to yourself.

6. The right environment. Although a silent environment is conducive especially when you write about tranquility or loneliness and lots of other things, you may write with noise all around you. Blaring stereos and people screaming each other can help fuel your writing especially when it is about anger and chaos. Keep it close to real.

7. Consistency. It is easier when you write only with one emotion or when you write about emotions that are closely associated such as anger and pain. I'm advising this to beginners. Shifting emotions (like from sad to happy or happy to fear) is quite a job to do. Do it when you are more able. For short poems, I discourage you to shift emotions but if you can find a way, the better.

8. Short poems are catchier than long ones. Having room for spaces eases the mind and makes you think of simplicity. The problem with short poems is, you tend to become unsatisfied especially when you could have written a lot.

9. Long-short-long-short or long-short-short-long - you've got the idea. This pattern may be modified according to what suits you. Like in paragraph rules, long-short patterns are also effective in lines and stanzas. You may follow a long phrase with a fragment. Play with the dots. But use them reasonably.

10. Punctuate to emphasize and to show. Ellipses, for example, can heighten and prolong emotions by giving the reader pause. It can cause doubts, reveal satisfaction, regret, doubt and confusion. Through ellipses you may make your readers "fill in the blanks".

11. Don't be too obvious. Make your readers think. Place a bit of mystery; play up the details. Play with your readers' minds. Grasp their curiosity.

12. Play with words; enjoy. Discover what you can come up. Make them dance, laugh, cry. Use sound effects and you may even put in your reactions. For example, splash!

13. Be able to identify poetic words. There are words that sound dull in poetry such as collaboration, augment…business words. They're unromantic! But if you can't do away with them, do something with the phraseology or change the word. Instead of evening (sounds unromantic), use night – shorter, but gives you a picture of dark sky, shadows and stars. Leave evening to business correspondence or to formal writing. Trust your poetic ear - gut feeling, in other words. Read not only with your eyes but also with your mind's ear. Translation: the lines should sound good.

14. Accessorize, but not too much. Use adjectives sparingly. Prefer verbs. They are simpler, but they give you a clearer picture. Adjectives, on the other hand, make your lines bulky.

15. Be graceful. Don’t merely tell it in plain language or what’s the point of writing poetry when you can just write it as prose? Try not to be corny, please. Don’t use word that bring no impact or that does not add weight and meaning to the line.

16. Allow your thoughts to wander. Follow the trail they make by writing whatever comes to mind. Be in a trance, and then be reasonable afterwards.

17. Use your innocence or innate goodness. Most people sympathize with that. But also, being someone knowledgeable or cleverly bad (whichever) is an advantage. Learn how to use whichever persona. With the innocent persona, don’t overdo; with the knowledgeable, don’t boast…never boast, period. You’ll drive away your readers. In poetry, too much is too much.

18. Choose the mood. Cheerful? Gloomy? Anything you’ve got.

19. Be able to see beauty and appreciate it. There is poetry everywhere because beauty is everywhere. In silence, in tears looming (tears that hang from long, thick lashes), there is beauty.

20. Gentleness is the key. Even in anger and vengeance, the readers must be able to sense your gentleness and even vulnerability, consciously or subconsciously. Even in the vengeful, they must see innocence. Use the why or the how of the situation. Make them want to care for you.

21. Use symbols. What does a blanket give you? Comfort. Warmth. Protection from the cold.

22. Inspire someone! Have a person in mind. Make him or her believe.

Mum

2006-09-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

I've fought and failed…
Visions of spring have deserted me
The poetry of my life has gone
Murky, garbled and vague
Words failed to flow
In their usual effortless dance
Have become tangled tendrils in
Taunting barren trance
And the pen in my hand…
Once an armor of my soul
Now caged in reluctance…stuck in
A tiny puddle of ink
As tears start to fall

Unleash The Writer In You: Vanquishing Writer's Block

2006-09-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

No one is exempted from Elizabeth A. Ryan's "Dudley Doolittle", and no one could have coined a better name for every writer's enemy - the dreaded "block".

Dudley Doolittle (hope Ms. Ryan would not mind my borrowing) is a little devil that appears as soon as you grab a pen, or even while you're in the middle of a major writing session. You are so engrossed in scribbling your thoughts when suddenly you pause to ask yourself how could you write something utterly useless and - poof! Where have all those loud thoughts gone?

It is frustrating especially when you are cramming for a writing project such as an essay you only have an hour to write, because that is when Dudley likes it best.

I have imagined Dudley as a little red devil complete with a pointed tail, two tiny horns, little fangs and that fork which he should have left at a dinner table. He sits on your shoulder whispering negativity to your ears to lure your focus away from writing.

The truth is...Dudley Doolittle is that part of you that doesn't believe in your self. It is pessimism in action. It is your defense mechanism, meant to ward off embarrassment and frustrations before they happen. But such mechanism could never help you if you want to be a better writer. You would end up being unable to put coherent sentences together to save your life. If you dream of being a Sheldon, a Dan Brown, a J.K. Rowling or even an Elizabeth A. Ryan, brace yourself from lots of frustrations and embarrassments but be willing to accept them as part of the learning process. Take it as a christening. I know I have. And I'm not even an R.L. Stein yet. As long as you are not breaking rules nor stepping on somebody, there is no harm in trying.

If I have not magnified your confidence with my perk talk, here are some tips. Read on!

1. Have the courage to pick up your pen and let your heart out. Say what you have to say. Do not mind your grammar. Forbidding rules on grammar as well as rules on punctuation only choke you up, preventing your creative juice to flow and narrowing your exploration space. Write what comes to mind in fragments, jargons, vernacular or slang, or even in your abbreviations. There is only one rule to follow - yours!

No matter how simple or ridiculous it sounds, write it. Think about how laughable you are later. Just get it on paper!

2. Remember: you can write. Let it be your battle cry. You are an interesting person and you have something important to say. My personality development teacher once said, "Don't be inhibited by holding back." Think of your accomplishments and recall how interested your friend was when you told her about it. Picture someone who would just love to know about the topic you are writing about.

3. Tune Dudley out through brainstorming. Let your thoughts do the noise. In brainstorming, your brain gets itself into a storm to spill ideas out onto paper. More often than not, you end up looking at a long list.

4. Writing more than one draft clearly reminds you that no one will ever get a glimpse of your early disasters. It's like practicing until you've perfected it. The draft is yours to keep, just to figure out what you can write.

5. You may pretend you are writing only for the eyes of close friends or for your grandmother who spoils you rotten and who will love and appreciate you, wrong grammar and all. Besides, what are editors for?

6. Stop worrying about "not knowing what to say". Often you may feel as though you've got "zero balance" as far as knowledge on a certain topic is concerned. But that is the purpose of brainstorming, my friend. Brainstorming is for you to know what you already know about the topic and fill in the gaps later.

7. Don't be afraid to be wrong. You may be holding back perfectly good ideas. Don't excuse yourself by saying your cerebral bank is empty or the "info feeds" in your school days as well as TV sessions (call it media bombardment) have been null and void. That is pure laziness. Take the trip down the memory lane.

8. Write as much and as often as you can. Make it a hobby. A journal is your best shot.

9. Write what interests you.

10. An added suggestion would be...by all means, meditate! If this doesn't help, you still have research to save the day.

More than hundreds of people could have been writers if they had not let Dudley get the better of them, if they had not held back perfectly good ideas for fear of being wrong.

So stop fretting. Get rid of Dudley Doolittle and pick your pen up for battle!

The Whys

2006-09-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Whys of Writing

You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and scribble…or, nowadays, turn on your PC, go to MSWord, exhaust your fingers on the keyboard…and you’re done…instant article! That easy, and you’re an instant celebrity.

It has been made clear that everybody can write. Why not? It’s as basic as reading. Once you’ve mastered the alphabet, able to distinguish plural from singular and loaded your cerebral bank with tons of vocabulary, you’re off to a good start.

Much has been written on the how-to of writing �" from poetry to essays to novels �" but only less on the why side of writing. Allow me to blab on that for a change.

Why write?

A semester of essay writing classes and four years of enduring journalism teachers who were fond of dumping projects with tight deadlines helped me come up with the reasons for writing.

Reason #1 Power

Writing is a good weapon in swaying opinions, influencing people’s mindset and way of living and in fighting for causes believed in.

Being a writer, you can bask in the glow of glamour. You become a celebrity but most of all a leader.

Reason #2 Expression

Other than being a weapon of might, writing is a good outlet for your pent-up emotions. Also, it allows the graceful or direct presentation of opinions and know-how.

Reason #3 Attention

You can use writing to bring attention to an issue you deem important or to things unheard of, which you want to share. As for my case, the scribbled words became my voice.

Through writing, you can reach a great number of readers from all walks of life without exhausting your vocal chords.

Reason #4 Entertainment

You can write for people’s delight, and even for your own entertainment when you’ve got nothing else to do.

Reason #5 Immortality

You can be immortalized through people’s memory; the written works you leave behind would remind them of you and your ideals.

Reason #6 It’s a Write-Or-Starve Situation

It’s your job. No escape. Write or be fired.

Reason #7 For Others

Most of all, write for others, not only for your self. Use writing to reach out to someone who feels alone and misunderstood, and who needs all the comfort in the world. Use writing to teach a lesson. My mentors had made that perfectly clear to me.

Before, I was merely satisfied with creating a world of my own. I enjoyed playing god. However, I soon realized that to be a better writer, I must not write merely for myself.

As a writer, you have readers whom you communicate a world of ideas, and who are affected by what you write. Don’t only think of yourself. By becoming a writer, you have taken a responsibility to the society. You are molding and reshaping somebody’s persona.

As a writer, you move readers to do something. Lead them to the light; lead them to the truth. They deserve nothing less.

One of my mentors used to read this to me: A writer without a sense of responsibility is no better than the leader who goes on with his work without regard for the welfare of those he leads.

I have failed to remember the writer from whom those wonderful words came, but they are words that are not easy to forget.