Bookends Theme

I was walking in the park one day.
I saw an old man sitting on the bench with the worst frown I have ever seen.

I was feeling pretty good and decided to greet him "Good Morning.".

There was no reply, but as I decided to leave, he started to mumble.

I was about to dash off when it hit me that the old man might be senile,
But his words suddenly sunk in, and I silently listened to him talk.
Perhaps just to himself.

"I hate children.
Irresponsible, time wasting, ungrateful idiots
When will they grow up and see that the world isn't such a great place.

Why do you waste your time with hopes and dreams,
That you soon learn was all false hopes.
Once society has you within its grasps,
You'll see that this stupid world isn't as fun as your little childish adventures.

Why don't you grow up and stop questioning what had been and always will be.
Why do you conjure up wonderful dreams, that will only haunt you when they break.

Why don't you see that love was an illusion, love is a waste of time.
You grow so close, for them only to leave you behind.
The happiness that you seek, is as equal as the disappointment that the world serves you.

Little children who do not know their bounds, who do not understand their limitations in life.
Such idiots, hurting themselves more as they try to struggle, try to change.

Their parents work for them until their body gets worn out and wary,
Yet those naïve imbeciles try to pay them back, not out of gratitude, but out of guilt.
Throwing away what they truly give you, your freedom, not the material inheritance.

I hate that child…

I hate that child who was I. An old school dreamer.

The myself, that I have forgotten long ago."

After all these years, I never understood what he meant.
I just thought he had a cruel mind to justify the world as a sad place.

But then one day, I found myself walking by the same park.

The old man wasn't there anymore since many a years had passed.

I sat down the same bench he sat on, and that same frown, found its way to the corners of my mouth.

How Very ironic...

---------------------------------

Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories; They're all that's left you.

-Simon And Garfunkel (Bookends Theme)

From The Window

From The Window

One Beautiful Autumn Evening, I saw that girl by the window, again.

Light was glowing softly from behind her. I thought she looked very pretty.

There were rumors about her. Bad rumors. My nanna told me she is a gold digger. But someone with her size surely can't be able to dig deep into the ground. Nanna told me it was just an expression. That people like her sell their souls to the devil for a few pounds of gold. That they are nothing but whores. I asked her what is a whore, but she shied away from answering me. And so I kept quiet. Nanna sometimes does that, refusing to ask some questions I posed. But I never pressed on.

Every morning I walk past that big house on the way to school. Usually, it will be empty. But I did that still because I get to see her from that window. She always looked at the sky, and I thought sometimes she is dreaming. She never looked below, so I took the chance to glimpse at her whenever I can. Yes, she is indeed very pretty. Sometimes, she made me wish I can draw well, so that I can capture her face looking so quietly up the sky... I thought there was no one as beautiful as her.

Never mind what a whore is. I was pretty sure nanna refused to answer me because it was a bad word. But the girl looked nothing like that, or anything bad for that matter. There was something about her that made my eyes melt everytime I looked at her.

The man came by that window, and gently touched her shoulder. She smiled for the first time, and my heart almost skipped a beat. Nanna said the man was an old fool, an old, lecherous fox. I did not understand. She used to like Mr. Castle. Now all she did was speak badly of him. I don't even try to ask her what was lecherous. Mr. Castle gave me sweets everytime I met him, and we promised to keep it a secret from nanna. I thought he was a very kind man. He reminds me of Grandpapa, with the smell of tobacco and peppermint. He was almost 60 years old, nanna said. But sometimes he hardly looks like it at all, because whenever his eyes smile, they remind me of Charlie, my best friend, who always got us into trouble.

Mr. Castle saw me from the streets and waved. The girl waved too, and it made me feel very light at feet. Then they left the window. I thought Mr. Castle and his new bride were perfect for each other.

That Beautiful autumn evening, I saw that girl by the window, for the last time.

------------------------------------------------

My thoughts are scattered and they're cloudy,
They have no borders, no boundaries.
They echo and they swell
From Tolstoy to Tinker Bell.
Down from Berkeley to Carmel.
Got some pictures in my pocket and a lot of time to kill.

- Simon And Garfunkel (Cloudy)

Lightning Bug

Walking through a field of grass that was knee high, The little girl beside him finally became too eager, to reach the sight just ahead of them, to follow at his slow pace.

She hurried ahead into the darkness, and before long she was in the midst of a million tiny lights that flickered and pulsed as they drifted from place to place.
Reaching out, she snatched one of the lights in mid-flight. She peered into her cupped hands and a look of Wonderment covered her face when she saw what she had caught.

"A lightning bug!" she exclaimed as she ran back to him, Treasure in hand. She had never seen them before.

"It's so tiny... How did it swallow the lightning?" She looked up and asked him.

The old man smiled and said " I don't know my dear, but it goes to show that You can do great things if you try hard enough, Even if you're small."

She opened her hands and allowed the little bug to fly away into the night. They stayed there and watched them dance until she fell asleep in his lap.

He kissed her forehead. "Good night, my little lightning bug."

A Perfect Moment

Everything is calm and tranquil, euphony of the chimes is softly floating in the air. The boy sits contented for once, nothing worth worrying over in the back of his head. His bed is soft, his lap is warm. He reads contently, a prefect story. The rain falls gently as the clouds start descending into the valley. His eyes close and he thinks of this moment to engrave it in his mind forever. His couldn't help but smile softly and admit for once the world seems right.

What Wonderful Feels Like

The small ripples from the river were soothingly crashing on the shore and the stars and moon were shining brightly while a boy and a girl strolled, hand in hand, down the cool, rocky shore. A light breeze ruffled their hair and clothes, but the two were oblivious to the mild disturbance. The walk was silent, not consumed by the chatter and giggles that usually filled their meetings. It was in no way an awkward silence for it was filled with mutual understanding and serenity; it was perfect. The fresh mountain air swirled around them in a warm embrace as they basked in the peacefulness of this summer night, full of beauty and endless possibilities.

Slowly, the young boy slowed to a halt and the girl turned to him with a curious expression playing on her soft features. The boy just smiled, with eyes sparkling, at the girl before him. Her wavy long hair blew in the wind and her almond eyes shone in the moonlight. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect evening. The girl tried to speak, but was soon silenced as her companion cupped her face and leaned in, gently bringing his lips to hers. Her body tingled as her senses welcomed the new found warmth of this first kiss. The boy gradually pulled his face away and a shy smile tugged at the corners of the girl’s lips as they gazed into each other’s eyes. The boy broke out into a huge grin and he took hold of her hand once again as they resumed their silent walk down the soft, gravel patch, thinking about how wonderful life had become.

---

The air was filled with the scents of burgers and cotton candies, and the sounds of children laughing and playing carnival games. A pair of young lovers walked through the crowd, smiling and laughing. They went from booth to booth and went on roller coaster after roller coaster, having the time of their lives. As they were walking, the girl squealed happily at the sight of a large, stuffed teddy bear hanging from the tent of a throwing game. The boy smiled as he saw her entire face light up, and told her that he would win it for her. She protested, saying that he didn't have to, but he patted her cheek and told her that he would do anything for her. A small blush rose to her cheeks, and her smile grew even more. The young boy paid and received three balls to try and knock down the bottles, but he couldn't knock them all down.

Despite the girl's protests, he bought another round and tried again, but he still failed to knock down all of the bottles. After five rounds of missed bottles, he finally won the girl the teddy bear, and the smile on her face and glint in her eyes made it all worth it. She lovingly hugged him, and then ruffled his curly black hair, telling him how much she loved him. The girl adored the teddy bear, and would not let it go for the rest of the evening. It was a constant reminder of how lucky she was to have found this wonderful boy, and her smile was a constant reminder to said boy of how lucky he was to have found such a wonderful girl. Sadly, the night came to an end, but it left them both thinking about how wonderful life had become.

---

The afternoon sun was shining through the closed blinds of a young girl’s bedroom where she lay wrapped up in blankets, temperature blazing. She was miserable, sitting up there all alone with only the comfort of a twenty inch television screen glowing with the scenes of a trashy day-time soap opera. Suddenly she heard a soft knock on her door, announcing someone else’s presence. The girl expected it to just be her mother checking, once again, to see if she was ok. To her surprise, a head of short, messy black poked through the door way, and a young boy with sparkling brown eyes stepped through the threshold carrying a bouquet of Roses and a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup.

A grin spread across the young girl’s pale face as she reached for the roses with a shaky hand, and the boy couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. Her usually wavy black hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and there was no make-up on her heart-shaped face, and to him, she was the most beautiful creation that God had ever placed on this earth. The boy sat down on the floral clad bed and wrapped a loving arm around the girl’s shoulder as she sipped at the soup he had brought. They sat that way for hours just talking about everything and nothing while watching and making fun of the overly dramatic lives of the characters on the television show. All the while they were thinking about how wonderful life had become.

---

The rain was pouring down on this chilly evening while a young girl sat curled up on her couch, reading a book and sipping a large mug of steaming hot soup. She loved nights like these, where she could just curl up and read while the rain fell onto her roof in comfortable, mechanical pattern. She was so engrossed in her book, that she almost didn't hear the phone ringing. She got up and answered it, listening to what the voice on the other line had to say. Slowly, the color drained from her face and her palms began to sweat.

The young girl hung up the phone and grabbed her coat, leaving the house in a numb state of mind. If one asked her later, she wouldn't be able to remember getting into the car and driving to the scene, all that she would be able to remember was the sight before her when she got there. She got out of her small car and pushed through the crowd. The rain drenched her hair and clothes as she stared blankly at the mangled car in the middle of the road, illuminated by flashing red lights. She couldn't hear the shouts of the paramedics, nor the cries of the witnesses, all she could hear was the pounding of her heart, and all she could see was the hardly recognizable face of a young boy.

His messy black hair was caked in blood, and his once sparkling eyes were closed- forever? The police officer asked her if this was the right boy, and all of the sudden the freight train of reality hit her head on. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her face, the salty drops mixing with the rain. She tried to stifle the sobs that shook her petite frame, not wanting to believe the truth. She couldn't take her eyes off of his face. That beautiful face that had kissed her that night while they walked down the riverside, that embarrassed himself just to win her a silly teddy bear, and that brought her soup and comforted her while she was sick. She thought of how his brown eyes always lit up when he saw her and how he made her feel so special and happy. What now? The police officer helped her off the ground, sadness spreading across his features, but the girl didn't notice, all she could think about was how horrible life had become; how quickly it had changed and she found herself trying to remember what wonderful had felt like.

Hold My Hand

The mood shouldn’t have been awkward, but it was. They were the kind of friends that only really knew each other through another friend. There wasn’t an established relationship, yet. There were established feelings, however. His hand was right next to hers on the couch. If she had more confidence, had she been a bit more daring, she would have just grabbed his hand herself. But she was the oddly shy, slightly awkward girl that only knew how to speak up after she gave herself plenty of preparation to figure out what to say.

He was telling her a story about some friends from work, and though she nodded politely and giggled when he chuckled, she wasn’t paying much attention to anything but the small distance of their hands on the couch. His fingers were long, with his nails bitten down in the typical-guy way. The back of his palm looked a little rough from the cold winter weather. She studied her own hand: stubby fingers, wide palms, long nails with chipped purple paint on them. His hands were gorgeous, whereas hers were just as awkward as herself.

He slouched down onto the couch a bit more. He looked comfortable, so she leaned back, as well. A friend walked into the room, doing a double-take.
“Oh,” she said. “I thought you had your head on his shoulder for some reason.” She laughed and walked out of the room.
“You could, you know,” he said in a low voice.
“I could what?” she asked.
“Lay on my shoulder. If you want, I mean. Might be better on your neck.”
She smiled, thinking it over. “Alright,” she said, leaning down.

He continued on with his story, different than the previous one. She could hear his heartbeat and feel his chest rise and sink with each breath. His mouth was near her forehead, and she wished he would be cute and randomly kiss her forehead. Again, she took notice of their hands, so close to each other, even moreso now. He didn’t seem to notice, he didn’t seem to care that they were so close together. She sighed and closed her eyes, just enjoying his comforting warmth. He played with her hair.

“Are you comfy?” he asked.
She lifted her head slightly and nodded. He grinned, looking like a little boy with stubble.
“I’m not boring you with these stories, am I?” he asked her.
“No, no… I enjoy hearing you speak. Your voice is really comforting,” she said.
“Heh, I’m glad you like it.”
”Please talk some more?” she asked.
“Always happy to give people what they want.”
‘Then hold my hand,’ she thought. She snuggled closer to him while he started a new story about his childhood, knowing that he wouldn’t make a move and she was much too meek to try. ‘You take what you get,’ she thought.

Can you hear me?

She had lost her voice at a very young age. She was attacked by strangers and in the process they ruined her vocal box. Her mother had cried when she came home all bloodied and bruised. Her mother began to weep when she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing had come out. She struggled to speak her feelings, to tell the world how she felt. She tried so hard to get her vocals back, she tried so hard to tell someone how she felt, but they didn’t know what she said.

Inside her mind she could scream when she was angry. Inside her mind she could laugh when she was happy. Inside her mind she could cry when she was sad. Inside her mind she could sing along to songs when she heard their familiar tunes. Inside her mind she could speak of her deepest feelings and secrets.

“Hey,” he said as he sat next to her on the field. She gave him a smile of acknowledgement as she watched the grass sway with the wind and the birds fly across the sky. They did this everyday, sitting on the highest point of the fields looking down at everything below them.

“Did you know today’s the last day that the birds will be here until next year?” He said as he heard them sing while passing by. She looked at him in shock and then waved to fading birds.

“Why?” she silently asked.

“Migration, soon it’ll be to cold for the birds to survive here. So they fly off to somewhere warmer where they’ll be happier,” he said answering back the question he knew she asked. She gave him a nod of understanding and looked at the empty trees. She frowned at the quietness of the fields. He watched her eyes and read her emotions like an open book. If only she opened up a little more he could read the words she felt. She pointed to the empty field and looked at him with the frown still on her face.

“It’s empty” she silently stated.

“Yea, it is empty without the birds, but they come back every year,” he smiled. She tilted her head as questions raced through her head. Her eyes continued to stare into his in hope. Could he hear her? She pointed to the bare trees.

“It’s dull,” she silently stated again this time waiting for his answer. He stared at her with his eyebrows raised.

“I know, but the trees become dull so when winter comes everything can be white and covered in snow. It’s just as beautiful as golden and red leaves,” he said answering the statement her eyes said. She looked at him with a shocked expression.

“Can you hear me?” she said screaming in silence. He only smiled and nodded his head.

“Only if you tell me,” he said. She gave him a wide smile and told her stories with her eyes.