LETTERS FOR MY MOTHER

ALPHABETS

It went from months to weeks, 
to days to hours. 
From hours, it slowed down.

Tiny minutes to seconds, 
seconds became flashes 
of moments, here, there,

As long as it poured, 
the tune remained the same. 
From the ricocheting of raindrops

to the deafening applause 
of thunder. From the twinkles 
of stars above the sky,

I always ask myself, 
"Is there a limit to it, though?"

---

A stood above the crowd, 
proud to be unique and number one. 
B was next to her, beautiful,

with boldness; her figure awed bystanders. 
C was curious, questioning my intentions courageously. 
D was driving our ship, eyes peering through souls,

voice so mellow that drove me insane. 
E was everything I would have asked for, 
but I did not have the courage to approach her presence.

F was familiar, stood by me through hard times; 
we became best of friends. 
G was grooming, her looks ever pleasing,

like she worked day and night throughout the slumber 
to look her best for her G. H was hilarious; 
she cracked my bones. To this day, I think of her voice,

and my laugh goes hysterical.

I had the most beautiful ink, 
inking her thighs, neck, back; 
even the lashes of her eyes were not spared. 
She was and still is my favorite,

but her secret markings stay hidden, 
like an introvert, never to socialize with strangers, 
or see the light of day.

J stood beside me, jolly like my favorite holiday, 
bringing adventure and wonder every second, 
every minute, with her presence is juicy,

like the typical tropical fruits of the Savannah. 
K had me kissing in public and private. 
I mean she had mine in a vase,

and all she had to do was play the flute, 
and kingly, I emerged like a cobra dancing to her tune.

L fulfilled and filled my soul, 
where others drew empty. 
She was love and preyed on my weakening strength;

every time I was around, I was lost with her.

M moved me in circles around the world, 
around the block. Even in mind, 
she was running things. Maybe that's why

I lose my marbles around her.

N was as noble as she could be. 
I mean, one day with her, 
and you already caught the fever,

moving around in demeanor and class. 
I went from drinking water to a party of tea with the folks!

O had her soul bare with me. 
Open-minded and kind, but fate, as you knew it, 
I couldn't make it work.

You know what they say in history: 
those who don't learn...

P had the right intentions at first. 
But my perception of the world and her perception of hers 
went in a bind, bang, and we all scattered,

lost in the sky, 
forming beautiful constellations. 
But like the moon and the Earth, 
we never had the chance to embrace,

just a mere shadow and eclipse of another.

Q had me in check. As old as she was queer, 
she had the best tactics in solving the world's problems. 
But when it came to ours, maybe the problem was too little

to pay attention to or the question was bigger than she fathomed.

R had the rarest soul. 
It could have wrapped her in my arms 
until she slept. She was the epitome of a beautiful soul,

from head to heels, carved to completion. 
I didn't want to ruin her, but pride had her galloping 
at a speed that would make time Kailua,

and just like that, she was taken away from me.

S had no intention of staying with me. 
But karma had her at lock-down. 
Even her slyness couldn't outsmart her fate.

She went bonkers with me, blinding them eyes, 
and stole my heart and my possessions. 
I think of her this day, and I smile.

All her eyes spoke when she left was, 
"Check your heart next time, mate!"

T had the worst taste in mates, I tell you that, 
because she went and solved the equation of life, 
and hid her x again and again and again.

While I was her punching bag when society was punching me 
with insults and laughter of harboring a good-for-nothing.

U had fun last night with a person unknown. 
She lived for the thrill of it. 
A junior in high school, a junkie at night,

chasing that fix. 
I mean one would've thought she had demons, 
because of the way she never settled down.

I ran into her at a coffee shop, busy flirting with another, 
and called her aside, and...you guessed it!!

V had the best accent, filled with her language 
rooted deeper in vernacular. 
I loved how she called my name,

and her pronunciation was the best. 
Her career, her camera calling, 
and she had to go and represent the country

in a foreign land. 
I still wet the pillows when I think of her departure.

W had what the folks in the hood say the "wow" factor. 
She had all the qualities of a woman, 
but her temper was filled with temperature,

and she would Ethelred me until I tapped out. 
I love how she wins her cases, not by shouting, 
but by improving how she argued her cases.

I am happy to have tied the knot with her, 
as there would be no woman like her.

I still remember all my X's. 
As they say, we learn from our mistakes. 
But repeating the mistakes, that is an error in my code,

as one left me dry and broken down. 
The X-ray still framed in my living room, 
reminding me never to look back.

For all the right reasons, I remember. 
You taught me a valuable lesson in life, 
that youth is like smoke, you only see it once,

so seize the moment before it disappears. 
For all my heartaches and breaks were left in the recovery room, 
taking a prescription of "One day at a time"

for years unknown, as hearts heal differently.

Z had the answers and abilities that shook my roots. 
Knowledge of flora and fauna, like she worked at the zoo. 
Her love for me was great, but her secret lover was mature and old,

loving the animals so much that I admire her soul. 
We still keep in touch because I understand 
that there are angels and demons and then there is Zee.

It went from months to weeks, to days, to hours, 
From hours, it slowed down to minutes, to seconds. 
Seconds became flashes of moments, here, there,

As long as it poured, the tune remained the same. 
From the ricocheting of raindrops to the deafening applause 
of thunder.
From the twinkles of stars above the sky, 

I always ask myself, "Is there a limit to it, though?"