She showed him,
How she no longer cared;
He showed her,
How he never did.
– Original-Dante ©2017
Photograph by: phoenixfeatherxlight
Penmanship.
As the pen touches the paper
It is notably dominated
By those inked strokes
Dominated
By those letters I settle
Straight on the papers lines
A hotline of emotions
Straight from the brain
And with that impromptu piece
Comes less of what I had set to expect
Rapid thoughts illustrated
With more of that enjambment effect.
-Dante
Dread-not
With every achievement, comes a new checklist
Re-affirmed vision, aiming higher
Like a three-volley salute.
The future is not determined
By that significant other,
Principles can never be bent
For that passionate lover.
No matter how tempting
Stick to those beliefs
That you grew knowing
The good, not the bad.
Peer-pressure, Social constructs
Nothing more than barriers,
Its like having a fly trap
To catch a Dreadnought
I know right,
Laughable outcome.
-Dante
Witness.
The ever-changing terrain,
Of the road so far
Ups and downs,
Like a life line
Just more for the adventure,
Right?
Mountains on one end,
Flat ground on the other
With category five storms,
That could tore you asunder.
A witness to life’s montage of events,
And sometimes
An unwilling contributor.
When the bad is hurled in my direction,
I try, with all I have,
To stop hope from diminishing,
Its simple really, mainly ’cause
I’d rather have anything,
But that drive finishing.
-Dante
Frozen Wave
Stagnated progress
The wave
That never came to be
Change on recess
Encased velocity
Rock solid,
Waiting to be set free.
No need to worry
Wonders can come
In any shape, form …or sum.
Yes, even a wave
With a major glacial trait
All you need to do?
Wait.
For when the sun peeks
Over the horizon
Watch as progress
Gets thawed out.
-Dante
(Still not completely free but decided to post. For those wondering, I’ll never abandon this blog; its like my home away from home ….just dealing with a few issues here and there, nothing too major…I hope all of you are well fellow bloggers)
contact me: michaeldante01@gmail.com
Champions.
Waist encompassing
Platinum plated belts
Invisible to the eye,
Born attached
Determination,
That makes hearts melt
Pessimism is smashed
With the ability
Not to quit
Because that
Is what we inhabit.
A moral compass
With one direction
Dream chasers,
Like the movie Inception.
Earplugs,
For negativity holders
You know
…They
A.k.a
The Positivity Smolders,
Definitely not perfect
But striving to be
The “Change” express
With a radiating ambience
Starting
With the victory dance
Practically a norm
For us
Champions.
-Dante
(Still not completely free, decided to post a poem when I got the time though)
Contact me: michaeldante01@gmail.com
Dante’s Corner (part 2)
-DARY! and indeed it was, smiles all around for my sister, and that’s all that matters. I’m glad to have been part of the overall experience, took a lot of energy but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for family. Even from my blogging station I hope she enjoys her Honey-moon and continues to be an inspiration to her younger (but definitely more ambitious) brother.
*WARNING!* ++++PERSONAL MUMBO JUMBO INCOMING+++
So, the New Year huh …hope it went well for everyone, mine was, well …okay …not to be a party pooper or anything but the last couple of weeks haven’t exactly been breath-taking. Illustration: Imagine you’re eating your favorite meal, devouring each and every bit, and out of the blue you find a cockroach in the depths of such a marvelous delicacy; that’s what I’m feeling. I like to believe the best in people, I really do, but right now …there’s something amiss …my sixth sense keeps tingling (minor Spider-man reference, don’t judge). Once someone betrays you, building that trust is really difficult, I get over things pretty quickly, ’cause I know I mess up at times, but when you start seeing the same pattern being exhibited again, a sense of de ja vu which you know leads to the same emotional pain? you have to ask yourself if its all worth it …I’m a fighter, but I work well in a team, If I don’t feel the same investment I offer emotionally ….I withdraw without even realizing it at times. I won’t mention any names, I believe in addressing problems face to face.
I don’t know whether to call it a curse or a gift, but I pay attention a bit too much… If I see an inconsistency, I feel the need to find out why… and i’ve been seeing plenty. This is probably the first time I’ve posted something so personal, and I know there’ll be people assuming i’m talking about them, but no, its just a thought that’s been piercing my mind of late.
I’ll admit (even my friends know this) that I’ve never liked sharing my inner emotions, makes me feel vulnerable…and I don’t like that feeling ….I guess this is a start.
-Dante
Broken Pieces: Chapter 3
It had been long since Cherise had seen Walter, more than ten years to be exact. She could see how much he had changed in every way, from the timid little boy in primary he looked much more, confident.
“It’s a wonderful coincidence isn’t it?” Walter smiled.
“Yes, it is” Cherise was still digesting the fact that she had seen him again, after an awkward silence, “Walter, about what happened in primary – ”
Walter chuckled, “Cherise, that was a long time ago, we were still kids” he looked into her eyes, “It really doesn’t matter anymore”
“So did you forgive me?”
“Yes, of course I did”
“Even though it was a long time ago, I still felt bad about it” She looked at him, he was still smiling, “I really shouldn’t have done what I did, it was horrible, and I know an apology doesn’t make for a good re-union, but …”
“There was no need, it’s all in the past now, I’m just happy to see you again” Walter’s brown eyes were radiant, as if reflecting the sunlight.
Hearing him say that made her feel at peace, she had been waiting for him to say those words for a really long time. She didn’t care if it made her seem childish to want forgiveness for something that had happened a long time ago, but she felt she needed to do it. She talked to Walter for more than thirty minutes, they told each other all kinds of stories during that time, about their high school days and how they had applied to come to Sunderlake University. She did most of the talking; Walter kept saying his stories were boring.
“So those three are your friends right?” she asked referring to the two people he was walking with.
“If you want to call it that” he fished a phone out of his leather jacket, “can I get your number?”
“Yeah, sure, we’ve got loads to catch up on” She took a phone out of her purse and noticed 10 missed calls from Seth. Her mouth widened unintentionally.
“Whats wrong?” Walter asked.
“It’s my boyfriend, he’s called me more than ten times, and I didn’t even realise it” She decided to call Seth back to let him know that she was catching up with an old friend, “Give me a minute, I need to call him back”
“Isn’t that him?” Walter said, pointing in front of them.
To her surprise it actually was Seth, and he was walking right towards them. She could tell he was angry from the sheer speed of his pace; he rushed past the picnic bench where Walter’s friends were and came straight to them. She knew what he wanted to say but he didn’t, most likely because Walter was there. Cherise hastily eased the tension, “Seth, I would like you to meet Walter, my childhood friend; Walter, this is my boyfriend, Seth”
Seth looked at Walter “Hey Walter” he gave out his hand and Walter shook it.
“Seth, I’ve heard a lot about you, in fact, you’re all we’ve been talking about” Walter said putting his hands in his pockets, she could tell he was trying to protect her from a possible Seth attack. It was quite sweet of him, she thought.
Seth put one of his arms around Cherise’s shoulder, pulling her closer, “I’m lucky to have her aren’t I?”
Walter started walking ahead, “Aaand that’s my cue to leave, I’ll talk to you two love birds later”
“Walter!” Cherise called out to him, “Are you coming to the under-grad party?”
Walter shrugged a little “I didn’t know such a thing actually existed”
Seth chuckled, “That party is not going to be all that special, you should come to the beer fest, now that’s going to be a real party”
“Is that the separate party which honour students are planning?” Cherise asked.
“Yep, it’s happening next week, and I think we’ll have more fun over there than on campus” Seth was already oozing with excitement.
“I don’t think I want to go there” I felt like the party with Honour students was going to be wild, and that was not my kind of thing.
“I’ll think about it” Walter said, resuming his walk away from the couple.
Cherise waited till Walter was far away before talking to Seth, “Seth, it’s your fault he left”
“What?” he laughed, “but I didn’t do anything”
“You tried too hard to mark your territory around me, I don’t like that” She felt like the hug Seth had given her was a message to Walter; anyone else would probably have come to the same conclusion.
Seth sighed, “That was not the case” he held my hand, “look, if it makes you happy, I’ll show you that I actually don’t hate the guy, I’ll hang out with him at the beer fest, if he comes”
“You don’t have to prove anything to me…”
“No, I insist”
Cherise agreed with him hoping to finish the conversation. She knew he only wanted to hang out with Walter to prove that he was not feeling insecure. She figured the both of them hanging out would not be such a bad idea; if they became acquaintances she would not have to worry about Seth questioning her about talking to Walter.
*****
Walter closed the door behind him before he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water; the lights, television and radio were off which ultimately meant none of his family members had come home. He slowly drank his glass of water while staring out the window, he was thinking of something, calculating; he smiled briefly before pouring the remaining water into the sink and going upstairs to his room. He shut the door and locked it, he didn’t like people entering his room uninvited; in the process of putting his leather jacket into the wardrobe, he made sure to take out his phone to check if he had any messages. There were a couple of them to his surprise, one was from Ned,
Walter, was that THEE Cherise from Quanterbury primary? If it is, I hope you’re not going to pull one of your usual stunts Walt. New school, new principles, none of that high school stuff
Btw Marie said i can c her @ the under-grad party on campus, its gonna be gud, tell me you’re gonna come, i need ur supprt on this
p.s. next time u leave campus tell ur frends ur going idiot, I spent bout 30 mins looking for you, and learn to answer your fone.
Walter responded,
You don’t need me for this one White Knight, that damsel is ripe for the saving, and you have those weird girls to help you, for now. Bright side: if all else fails, at least you have those two, I smell a threesome.
And since when did you think I was that predictable?
Ned replied almost immediately,
Wat!? Threesome!? Are you mad? They’re my friends, and urs too if u learn to have a conscience.
and yes, Remember that school trip to Madrid, tell me I ddn’t predict the outcome of that blunder ….
talked to Cherise a bit though, you were right, her hair really is crazy red. Oh, I also got Marie’s number haha 😀
Walter smiled at the response. Good job buddy. The other message was from his mother, it said something about finding his food in the fridge; he quickly read it and moved on to the next message which was from an unknown sender,
Hey Walter 🙂 its Cherise, i got ur # from Ned since we ddnt manage to exchange them. My bf said he wants to go to the beer-fest wit u. Its all up to u lol cuz i knw its gonna be weird for the two of u to be 2gether in one place. I wud totally undrstand if u ddnt go.
*+*Cherise*+*
After reading the text message Walter stared at the ceiling for nearly 3 seconds before responding,
Its no problem. Tell him i’ll be there.
The last message was from Meryl, he couldn’t help but mumble to himself over it. This was the girl he had stopped talking to because of distance; the girl he had last heard from three years ago. He looked at the text highlighted before opening her message,
Hey Walter, I know its been ages, but I wanted you to be the 1st to know that…..
Walter was tempted to open the message and read the rest of the content, but instead, he went ahead and deleted it. He remembered the memories he shared with her, but he thought it would be best if they stayed where they belong, the past. He couldn’t risk it, not again. He lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, a lot of thoughts were running through his mind; one thing was for certain though, he was not planning on missing the beer-fest.
*******
******
(Please leave a comment, and if there’s a particular part that struck you or if you have a favorite character, i’d love hearing about it) 😀
That’s right, two chapters in one day, to make up for lost time, apologies for those who waited; things are a bit tough to balance right now.
Side note, I’m planning a QnA if you have any questions contact me: michaeldante01@gmail.com
Broken Pieces: Chapter 2
After orientation Walter and Ned got out of the lecture room and waited by the entrance. They were bickering as students passed them on their way out.
“Is this necessary?” Walter questioned.
“It is Walt, just give it a chance” Ned said wiping his forehead.
Serra and Beatrice exited the lecture room laughing amongst themselves.
“Uh, excuse me…” Ned said, cutting the girls’ laughter short.
Serra responded with a puzzled face, “Yeah?”
“I know this is kinda weird but – – – would you two mind hanging out with us?”
“Um…” Serra looked just as confused as Beatrice “…why?”
Ned scratched the back of his head, “Well, we got off on the wrong foot, and uhh, since we’re all new, it’d be nice if we became friends”
“Uh, o-kay?”
An impatient Walter entered the conversation, “He has a ‘need to fix everything’ problem, so either you say yes, or get the hell –“
Ned quickly stepped in, “ – SERRA, and Beatrice, forgive Walter’s politeness. It would be nice if you said yes, please. It’ll just be for a few minutes, just a few, I promise”
*******
Beatrice and I tagged along with Walter and Ned, we had some small talk as we walked casually towards the Sports field. I still didn’t get it though, why Ned would go out of his way to stay on good terms with complete strangers such as us. It wasn’t because he was interested in either one of us, I was sure of that, as we talked I could feel he was genuinely being friendly. Walter on the other hand kept staring into the distance, he would smile occasionally; it wasn’t clear if it was because of our conversation with Ned or something on his mind.
We reached the Sports field and a number of students were there, some were playing basketball and others tennis. The rugby field was not being used, the number of students sitting there idly chatting made that abundantly clear. From where we were standing we could see the entire field with ease, there was a long set of stairs ahead of us leading downwards to the lush green rugby pitch. All four of us stood by the first step, silently soaking in the view, and noise.
“Walt, there she is” Ned said with his eyes focussed, Walter and Beatrice looked in the same direction.
“Good luck, soldier. I’ll pass on this one” Walter gave a weak handed salute.
Ned looked disappointed as his shoulders dropped, “Really? Come on man”
“Well Ned, it’s been nice talking to you and walking around, but it’s time for us to, um, go” I said preparing to turn around and leave.
“Serra! Its Marie, look!” Beatrice exclaimed in excitement pointing towards her. Marie had a bunch of girls surrounding her, a common sight, even in high school.
“You know her?” Ned asked looking intrigued.
“Of course! She’s our best friend!” a joyous Beatrice responded.
“The irony of it all, I was just planning to talk to her and introduce myself, isn’t that amazing?” Ned grinned.
Beatrice beamed with excitement, “It is! Serra, we’ll introduce Ned to her right? We owe him that much at least”
“Um, sure” I could feel my throat swelling.
Ned turned towards Walter, “Last chance, you sure you don’t want to come along and be a good wingman?”
Walter gave Marie and her friends a second look, “You know me, I rarely change my …” he paused as his mouth opened, like he’d seen a ghost, “… mind”
“Whats up?” A concerned Ned asked.
“Let’s go talk to her” Walter said proceeding down the stairs.
Ned raised his eye-brow, “Whoa – – – I don’t know what peaked your interest, but I’m glad it did”
********
“I’ll take the girl with the red hair, your friends can take the other ones” Walter said to Ned, he looked excited about all this.
It was none of my business how Ned was planning to get Marie, in fact, I didn’t really care that much. Although, the sudden interest by Walter came as a shock; all of a sudden he had this drive and eagerness I hadn’t seen since I met him. This was the closest I had seen him get involved with the three of us that afternoon.
As we came closer, Marie and her friends were now sitting by picnic benches on the very edge of the rugby pitch; it was common for students to have picnics and hang-out there I’d heard.
Once we were in Marie’s earshot Walter made our presence known, “Hello, Cherise” he said, looking at the girl with red hair.
“Wait, wait, wait, you know her?” Ned was highlighting our shock as well.
“Walter!?” Cherise said in disbelief, “Wow, I-I can’t believe this” she stood up and gave him a hug, “It’s been so long!”
“Yes, it’s been long” Walter was actually showing his teeth as he smiled, the girl must have been really special to make him do that.
Beatrice and Ned quickly greeted Marie and her other two friends, I did the same. It all made sense why Walter was eager to help, he knew the red-haired girl, but from where? Cherise gently pulled Walter away from the picnic bench where everyone was, she probably wanted to talk to him privately.
******
*****
(Please leave a comment, and if there’s a particular part that struck you or if you have a favourite character, i’d love hearing about it) 😀
Chat.
Talking to you
Reminded me
Of what it means
To be alive again.
Your humor,
Brews
Non-stop laughter.
Your wit,
Bordering on genius.
The art of conversation
Effortlessly executed.
Images embedded,
The font,
The chat bubbles,
The emotes.
If I could
I would
Replay
Every single thing
All over again.
-Dante
O.D. 