White & Blue

26/06/2025

𝗞𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗔/𝗦𝗦𝗖 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

With the aim of discussing, reviewing, and consulting the student body with regards to the amendments for the 2000 Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral/Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/SSC) Constitution, a Konsultak: Townhall Discussion was conducted at Saint Louis University (SLU) Library American Corner yesterday, June 25.

KASAMA/SSC Executive Committee (ExeComm) and the Congress of Louisians (CoL), together with its Constitution and By-Laws (CBL) Ad Hoc Committee spearheaded the discussion.

During the event, proposed amendments were presented to student organizations, publications, and assemblies that attended the forum. An open discussion was held thereafter to gather feedback, suggestions, and clarifications from the proposed revisions.

The proposed amendments to the constitution are intended to streamline the processes in the operations of the KASAMA/SSC.

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
Some of the major revisions revolve around restructuring the SSC’s organizational chart, tweaking future amendments to the constitution, and establishing the Council of Leaders.

The proposed new organizational structure of SSC will abolish the Student Court (SC) and the CoL will be concentrating on both legislative and judicial processes on the ExeComm due to “overlapping functions” between those SSC bodies and ExeComm.

Further, the creation of the constitutional convention was also proposed in order to convene future amendments to the constitution, ensuring equal representation from each school. The suggested members of the said convention are composed of one representative from every university-wide organization, editors-in-chief of school publications, and the KASAMA/SSC ExeComm, alongside the governors and vice governors of the school assemblies.

Moreover, it also features the establishment of the Council of Leaders, composed of all the heads or designated representatives of organizations accredited by the SLU Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS), streamlining communication processes within student organizations, as well as to serve as a consultative body for the student governing councils.

𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩
Also in attendance is the SLU Office for Legal Affairs director, Atty. Johanne Margarette Macob, who was also a part of the Ad Hoc Committee as their legal consultant. She highlighted the importance of the forum as a ground for feedback.

“Consultations like this are very very helpful because you get to have a feel of what others think about the provisions. Because we have to think that you cannot hastily propose revisions to the constitution without listening to the stakeholders. Sana nga sa susunod, there will be more students to participate, because townhall discussions should be taken as a great opportunity on what you think should be there and [what] should not be there.” Atty. Macob said.

Additionally, SSC Vice President and CBL Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson Xzylene Gutierrez said that the forum helped them see the gaps in the initial draft of the constitution with the help of the organization heads.

“Mas meaningful ang naging discussion kasi mas nakita rin namin ang mga lapses. Kaya as we do the revision for the amendments, mas pag-iisipan and mas i-scrutinize namin ang mga current decisions that we have with the amendment. Pero, we are taking consideration naman sa lahat ng mga naging insights at suggestions ng bawat isa na umattend ng townhall discussion.” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez also seeks patience among the student body in the process of amending the constitution.

“We ask for the whole studentry for patience. Since ang kabuuan din naman ng Ad Hoc Committee is mga kapwa estudyante na may mga student activities and responsibilities na hindi naman pwedeng iwanan. That’s why sabi nga rin kanina, matagal talaga ang amendments. We have to really be critical in every decisions, because sabi nga, the constitution is going to be permanent.” Gutierrez explained.

Further, she also encouraged students to participate in the process to address matters that need to be changed.

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀/𝐒𝐒𝐂 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sS9b8O9O33KpJmpi2UY3CBTJCb3v3BYIZUjTLDwssqY/edit?tab=t.0

By Villamor Dumlao
Photos by Ashley Pearl Walis and Zoie Austria

26/06/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗨𝘀

I blinked once,
Then twice,
And for the third time,
It was still the same—
𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.

To open my eyes in the dark is to realize
That although I perceive,
My brain comprehends nothing.
No sun to bask my soul free,
To warm my clenched hands that froze in fear.

I won't unclasp.
To reach and hold the light is death on the counterpart.
If I say, "I dare the light to see!"
Will I be given the chance to behold,
Or will the dark swallow me into the black hole, refusing to let go?

Light speeds in all corners
Yet I linger in its absence.
Do I chase a glimpse of the horizon,
To convince a dying hope that
Love is not truly farfetched?

But streaks and rays are not what I found—
Particles. Dust. Bits of what light is.
An iota of dream, and yet I've recognized.
These pieces, once imagined, slowly completes
The dying parts the darkness stole from me.

Now out of nothingness, no more void to lie
And tell me I'm alone and unloved,
Unreachable and unseen.
For light tells me otherwise:
I am all but the lies that dim my sight.

I see and am seen by
You,
Him,
Her,
Them.
Under the colorful sky,
No hint of darkness,
Is where love becomes visible.

I blinked once,
I see love.
I blinked twice,
I still see love.
And for the third time,
It's still the same—

𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌.

It is not mere touch or a strong pull;
Sometimes it's a sweet acceptance
That I don't feel as much as others do,
Nor crave what others long for,
And yet I am allowed to be.

Light saw me and gave space for my being.
To this place that held me like an ember
Waiting for my glow to shine more
Brightly.
Warmly.
Proudly.
But for now, they cheer and wait patiently.

Wherever we go
We'll always meet
at our favorite spot—

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒖𝒔.

Artwork by Candice Rosario
Words by Keziah Lois Sargento

25/06/2025

25/06/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖: Saint Louis University (SLU) Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral/Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/SSC) and Congress of Louisians (COL) hold a Townhall Discussion, aiming to tackle the amendments of the 2000 KASAMA/SSC Constitution at the SLU Library American Corner today, June 25.

The SSC Constitution and By-Laws (CBL) Ad Hoc Committee initially held consultations with SLU Office for Legal Affaris (OLA) Director Atty. Johanne Margarette Macob last May 15, as well as with the student organizations and school assemblies last April 30.

Further, the Minutes of the Meeting of the Preliminary Consultation can be found on this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17AuSGhfBZ93yeZqqz81vrW1CYcD0D_61Mw5KXnuTAWM/edit?tab=t.0 =h.b44jwsyja10c

Photo by Zoie Austria

24/06/2025

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗜 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗧𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲

It is almost as if there is an urgency, a demand
to be understandable, therefore embraced. As
if to remain unsolved is to gather white chalk
underneath your nails.
I do not yet know what
color to wear from the cabinet;
I do not yet know what
comes after my name.

You see, before it escapes as a beautiful fracture
over the sky, it must first be pure white light.
Do I need to encounter some trial,
some challenger,
some prism or prison,
to become who I really
am or must be? My conscience asks:

“Is there a shade that distinguishes you?”
(I do not respond as quickly as I might have)

Color theory includes the idea that every hue
has a corresponding pair. Electric blue burns
in buttery yellow, red suns sink to purple waters.
To know how to love is to be twice as bright.
This is why

We take pride in our choices by daylight,
when dyes are most striking; I fear my pallid
disinterest will label me indecisive. But I
am here, I swear, I hear our polyphony
somewhere. I hear it with my eyes but the
drawback of synesthesia is being

Colorblind.

To this perhaps there is no correct choice
when personhood has no given deadline;
describe to me if there is a permanent kind
of life. Living is liquid and transparent
because we are not made to solve our
existence. Not yet. One day I will learn

The answer. Until then I am content to be
a query, until some lightning hits me one
afternoon, and by then I will know, for
once this prism of my body is set aglow,

I will know
I will know.

Artwork by Hermione Namay
Words by Gabrielle Louis Paolo Santiago

24/06/2025

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Louisian students, faculty, staff, and alumni gather for the Feast Day of St. Aloysius Gonzaga in line with the 53rd Founding Anniversary of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish Church at the Fr. Paul Van Parijs Events Center, June 21.

The Eucharistic Celebration was presided over by Most Rev. Daniel O. Presto, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of San Fernando de La Union. Also, Fr. Emery Mwako Ebumea, CICM, Fr. Emanuel Enjang Pranatal, CICM, Fr. Mart James Presillas, and Fr. Junrey Aguillon, DCB were also present.

In his homily, he highlighted the willingness of St. Aloysius to live a simple life despite his social class.

“Mayaman itong si St. Aloysius, binabasa ko iyong buhay niya. He belongs to the aristocracy… Pinili niya maging simple. That is why living a simple life, he was happy. He found happiness living a simple life because he follows the example of Jesus who also lived a simple life,” Most Rev. Presto, D.D. said.

On the latter part, he further gave emphasis on another practice of St. Aloysius being with those who suffer and accompanying them.

“This attitude of St. Aloysius Gonzaga to be one with those who suffer would also be the invitation for us today… Even in spite of his disease, he was persistent to help those in the hospital [and] those who were suffering from the epidemic. He would die with them. He would die for them,” he stated.

In the latter part of the homily, Most Rev. Presto, D.D. reminded the importance of living a life the same as St. Aloysius, which is to be simple and accompany those who suffer stating, “when we do these things, we are already choosing heavenly treasures.”

In line with this, a 9–Day Novena with the theme, “Faith, Hope, and Love: United in the Spirit of St. Aloysius Gonzaga” was conducted prior to the Feast Day.

Photos by Rouize Pancho

22/06/2025

𝗜𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗮

Hindi ako natatakot mabasa,
kung kapalit nito'y pangalan mo sa bawat panalangin,
at kamay mong hawak ko, kahit pa lihim.

May mga mata sa kalye
na parang bagyong nakaambang bumuhos
ng tanong,
ng panghuhusga,
ng mga bulong,
ng titig na tila kidlat—
mabilis, maliwanag, masakit.
Pero mahal,
iindahin ko ang lahat ng ulan,
kung sa dulo'y bahaghari mo ang dudungaw.

Hindi nila alam kung paano tumibok,
ang isang pusong puno ng kulay
kapag tinawag mo akong "mahal"
sa pagitan ng siksikang dyip
at umuulang traffic.
Hindi nila naririnig ang katahimikan
ng dalawang pusong nagkatagpo
sa gitna ng alingawngaw ng mundo.

Iindahin ang ulan.

para sa bawat panawagan na “sana, pakinggan din kami,”
ipipikit ko ang aking mga mata at sasayaw sa ulan
dahil ang pag-ibig natin ay protesta,
upang bigyang pansin,
at unawain.

Habang ito ay lumalakas,
lalong luminaw ang dahilan.
Ibigin ka — hindi lihim, hindi tanong.
Isang karapatang ipinaglalaban
hindi lang sa salita,
kundi sa bawat patak ng ulan
na dumuduyan sa ating mga balikat.

Hindi lahat sumasabay sa agos ng pag-unawa,
pero pipiliin kong maligo sa unos,
basta't ang dulo nito
ay ang yakap mo —
malaya,
buo,
totoo.

Iindahin ko ang ulan

kung ito ang halaga
para sabihing
mahal kita
nang buong tapang
sa harap ng lahat.

Mahal,
nandito ako,
basang-basa man,
nakatayo sa gitna ng itim na lansangan
bitbit ang bandilang may pitong kulay,
at ang pangalang sa puso ko’y iisa—ikaw.

Ang ulan ay hindi hadlang
kapag ang pag-ibig ay malinaw.
Ang kulog ay hindi banta
kapag ang karapatan ay sigaw.
At ang bahaghari
hindi lang kulay,
kundi panata,
na sa kabila ng unos,
may liwanag tayong lalakaran.

Kaya iindahin ko ang ulan,

at kung kakailanganin,
lulunurin ang mundo sa tapat na pagmamahal,
para sa karapatang ibigin ka
nang walang takot,
nang buong-buo,
nang buong ako.

Halika mahal,
Samahan mo akong mabasa sa ulan
Samahan mo akong magtampisaw sa ligaya,
at maglakad sa bahaghari na iginuhit ng ating pag-ibig.

Artwork by Via Patricia Rivera
Words by Russel Joseph Albano

21/06/2025

𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 & 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆: 𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗲

It is quite difficult to locate oneself in a world that constantly rolls—spinning like a cassette tape on the deck. But in the specific staging of Cassette Tape by the SLU Concert Orchestra, the resident musical ensemble of SLU Center for Culture and the Arts, we are reminded that we can always count on music to breathe, enjoy the hymn it provides, and even turn back the time to a nostalgia-filled world.

Last June 20, Fr. Joseph Van Den Daelen, CICM Center for Culture and the Arts Theatre once again opened its door to exhibit a harmonious production featuring the songs of the 90s. Completely blending the soulful fusion of lush harmonies, melodic texture, and the band’s original arrangement capturing the era’s spirit, a unified musical experience packed with emotional depth was delivered to the audience.

From the first song “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor until the concluding song “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, the atmosphere inside the theatre has sustained a resonating vibe of immersion that even made the audience silently tap the armrest of their chairs in sync to the pulse of the conductor as if they are a part of the symphonic group having a trip down memory lane.

The title, which primarily serves as a means for recording and playing back an audio in the olden times, is an apt description of the show. But more than that, it is also a fitting tribute to the graduating members of the orchestra—a musical send-off to the alumni-to-be ensemble performers by honoring their journey from where they started to how far they have come through songs that stood the test of time.

Reflecting through his journey as a member, Elijah Noel Maximo, a pianist of the orchestra, expressed that the greatest lesson he has learned is to value the importance of perseverance and the refusal to settle for less.

“Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned in being a CCA member is the dedication needed to master an art. It has taught me to always persevere in life and not settle for mediocrity,” he said.

According to Eliza Esther Faith Nafianog, the Vice President of the SLU Concert Orchestra, playing for the orchestra one final time is a bittersweet moment.

“The most bittersweet feeling actually. I get to feel the enjoyment and excitement of playing with the people I love, but at the same time being hit with the reality that I am no longer gonna be with them regularly,” she said.

Donna Raziel Lopez, the President of the SLU Concert Orchestra, also elaborated that the feeling of sadness leaving the orchestra hits hard but it is also a turning point that a bigger stage is set to be their playhouse.

“Syempre nakakalungkot kasi malaking part ng college journey ko ang concert orchestra pero it is a reminder na may bagong chapter at mas malaking stage na ang nakalaan para sa amin,” she said.

In a world that constantly urges us to move forward, there’s quiet power in pressing rewind whether it is on a cassette tape or in life. Looking back isn’t about getting stuck in the past—it’s about understanding where we've been.

The beauty of cassette tape lies beyond its rather complex magnetic tape technology. It lies within the fact that despite it being left in the background as time goes by, it never really disappeared. Its presence still makes a lasting impression up until today just as a beautiful melody that lingers even after the last note—touching lives and etched in memories.

By Nadz Aldrin Benico
Photos by Andrea Caigas

20/06/2025

𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽 𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗸𝗮𝘀:“𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙠, 𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙜𝙖𝙥 𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙖”

matagal ko nang nais magsalita, ngunit laging nauuna ang kaba.
baka hindi mo ako maintindihan,
baka ikaw pa ang magsilbing sepulturero ng aking buhay
—o baka mahalin mo ako nang may "pero" dahil sa aking banyuhay.

naririto ako—sa loob ng aparador,
hubad sa takot, buo sa loob.
naririto ako, may inililihim.
sa katahimikan, may kinikimkim.
sa bawat salita, may hindi kayang sambitin:
"kapag nalaman mo ba, mahal mo pa rin ako?"
"kapag sinabi kong ako ay… 𝒂𝒌𝒐, matitira pa ba ang yakap mo?"

ngunit, kay hirap nang walang kasangga rito sa mundong puno ng mapanghusga.
kaya nang minsang mabuksan ang aparador ng sarili kong mga kamay—
mga mata ng aking ina ang unang hinarap, mga mata na puno ng lumbay.

"ma, pasensya kung ikaw ay aking madidismaya."
mga salitang parang pako sa aking lalamunan ang sumunod.
inamin ko ang tunay na pagkakakilanlan.
isiniwalat ko ang mga karanasang sa akin ay lumulunod.
akala ko katapusan ko na, ngunit—

hindi ko inaasahan ang isang mahigpit na yakap.
hindi ko inaasahan ang isang pagtanggap.

tumigil ang mundo.
walang natirang tunog kundi ang pintig ng aking dibdib.
sa katahimikan, winika niya—

"𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌, 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒑 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒂."

ang mga “baka” ko'y nawaglit sa isang salita—
nayanig ang lahat ng pader na itinayo ko sa pagitan naming dalawa.

"𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌, 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒑 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒂."

"sa bawat hibik ng iyong katahimikan,
naririnig ko ang sigaw mong pinipigil—
anak, alam kong may nais kang aminin.
at kahit hindi mo sabihin, puso ko'y nakikinig.
buo at walang kondisyon, anak pa rin kita sa aking paningin at damdamin."

"𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌, 𝒎𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒂."

Artwork by Jon Vincent de Guzman
Words by Jim Clark Abella

16/06/2025

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀
𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆

𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
Not because I expected you to love me back,
but because I had hoped.
And hope, when it breaks, is a god that dies screaming.
You sat beside me on that old wooden bench,
bathed in the soft glow of a sun too gentle to witness tragedy.
You spoke of the clouds, the warmth, the orange sky—

𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Not with trembling hands or grand confessions,
but with the stillness of someone who had loved quietly for too long.
I told you that your laugh felt like home in a world I never belonged to.
That I had memorized the weight of your presence,
the way your footsteps stitched time back into meaning.
I told you that your silence had become the scripture I prayed to.
And that if the heavens rewrote our stories a thousand times,

𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻—

by the sound of your breath,
by the way your shadow leaned toward kindness,
even if the world gave you no reason to be kind.
In every life, I would have loved you.
In stone or flame, in dust or dream.
Even if I were born blind and you nameless,
I would have known you.
For your soul had long since made a home in mine,
before either of us had the courage to speak.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱.

Softly. Gently. The way one closes the door on a child afraid of the dark—
with pity,
not love.
You said my name as if it were a wound.
You said, “I don’t see you like that.”
And the sun did not dim,
the birds did not hush.

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿.
We sat in silence after.
Two silhouettes against the bleeding sky.
Two people who shared the same world,
but not the same story.

You talked about the future,
about someone—a girl, maybe—who made your chest feel lighter.
And I nodded,
splitting open in places no one could see.
I memorized that moment like a gravestone.
A monument not to what we were,
but to what we would never be.

There are no villains here.
Only a boy who dared to love,
and a boy who couldn’t.
And now, within these silent walls,
I bury a love that never lived,
but still haunts me with the cruelty of what-if.

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.

But some part of me stays—
on that bench, under that sunset,
where a heart once bloomed
and quietly
𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱.

Artwork by Jon Vincent de Guzman
Words by Zhiann Andrei Remnor Sagubo