Tag Archives: writer

[Part 2] Daragang Magayon Version 2.0: A Love Story Forged In Fire

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Because May is being “Mayon-ified,” I thought about creating a movie poster or book cover design for my “Daragang Magayon Version 2.0: A Love Story Forged In Fire” adaptation of “The Legend of Mt. Mayon.”

I first introduced an AI-generated image of Panganoron in the article, “Celebrating MAY-on,” without using a reference photo. I thought I’d let AI come up with its own version of Panganoron, and I just edited some details for the revised image. So, this guy is nonexistent in our world, but maybe he exists in the parallel universe. 😀

Here’s my step-by-step guide on creating the images of Daragang Magayon and Panganoron, which I generated through ChatGPT.

Step 1: Create a character profile (image version) by coming up with specific details for your initial prompts.

Panganoron V. 2.0
Daragang Magayon V. 2.0

Step 2. Recreate Daragang Magayon’s photo and change it to an active combat stance with a gritty expression.

Step 3: Combine these three images to create the movie poster or book cover design template.

I requested ChatGPT to adjust the lighting for this photo.

Step 4: Add the movie or book title. You can indicate which words in the title you want to emphasize, i.e., capitalized, bigger font, font style, etc. Then include other design elements you want to see in your image. In this case, I added the “fire” element around the title.

Design Concept #1 (Dark Theme)
Design Concept #2: I added a headshot of Daragang Magayon since this new narrative is about her. This is a great design concept, but the outline of the Mayon volcano is hidden, and methinks there are just too many details. Is this a yay or a nay? What do you think? 🙂

These are some of the design concepts I came up with, and I am still considering creating more, so there are more options to choose from. But I think the design concept above better fits the new narrative.

Here’s the new image I generated of the heroine and her love interest, which can be used as sort of a “teaser” copy. Though I think it is perfect as a pre-nup photoshoot inspo. lol

Version 1 (Portrait Mode)

Question: Bakit kaya si Panganoron naka-sandals at si Daragang Magayon ay nakapaa?

Answer: Naisip yata ni ChatGPT, para daw kapag tumuga si Mt. Mayon, kakargahin ni Panganoron si Daragang Magayon ala “hokage moves” para hindi mapaso ang paa ni Daragang Magayon ng hot lava.

Ay ambot saimo, ChatGPT. lol

Version 2 (Landscape Mode)

Seryoso na ngani. O di ba, no need umakyat ng Ligñon Hill para sa pre-nup photos nyo. 😀

Once again, ChatGPT just never underdelivers as long as you make very detailed prompts. The results always exceeded my expectations, and I only had to do some minor edits to achieve the designs that I desired.

Aside from the combat stances, I also tried experimenting with other actions, such as “bathing in the river.” In the local legend, Daragang Magayon fell into the river and was saved by Panganoron. This was their first encounter.

Unfortunately, ChatGPT cannot generate exactly what I had in mind about a woman bathing in the river. Or maybe I need to tweak my prompts a bit more. But I am still satisfied with the results.

And I took the left photo above to yet another level to test how far AI can go by asking ChatGPT to incorporate it in fashion designing and styling. I just had to request some edits later on, so I’d get my desired results.

This includes replacing the accessories with a tribal or Boho-inspired necklace and earrings, adding a woven brown belt, and changing the background to a soft and mellow ambiance. My first prompt included the black, tight-fitting long-sleeved top with Sabrina neckline, the cream-colored wedge shoes, and the A-line, long skirt.

First Attempt
Final Version

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of “artwear,” or art that you can wear, particularly with paintings. If you ask me if I will wear anything like what the model wears above, my answer is “yes.” Well, depending on the occasion, of course.

Do you think my chickens will love me more when they see me wearing this? I mean, they’re the only creatures outside of the house who see me often here since I don’t go out often. 😀

By the way, if you want to use some of these images, please don’t hesitate to send me a message or just comment down below. ❤ Oh, and yes, I am using the free version only of ChatGPT.

P.S. I mentioned in some of my previous articles that Mom designed her dresses when she was in her early 20s and had them sewn by a seamstress here in our town. She got her inspo from fashion magazines and made her own fashion creations, too. Sadly, these dresses don’t fit me anymore since I already weigh 58 kgs. lol

You may read more here:

“How My Passion For Art and Fashion Came To Be”

“SEVEN WEEKENDS MNL: Bringing Out The Fashion Versatility In You”

“To The Only Mother I’ll Ever Have”

When They Say Glam Up

P.P.S. I am grateful that the provincial government of Albay made considerations for preemptive evacuations of communities near the Mayon volcano in preparation for the rainy season. In case there are emergency evacuations during heavy lahar flows, I hope the LGU will prioritize less crowded and more evacuation sites. The Philippines is currently on standby for the possibility of a Hantavirus and/or an Ebola outbreak in the country.

Air ambulances might also be necessary if there are a lot of routes that are impassable due to lahar flows. If Mayon continues its activity for the rest of the year, we can expect more buildup of PDCs and other debris on the slopes of the volcano. This will increase the likelihood of path changes in the gullies, possibly extending beyond the 6km permanent danger zone. Weather experts have already warned that we will experience above-normal rainfall volume this year due to El Niño, which will persist until 2027.

I am also praying that no mining operations will be allowed near Mt. Mayon, whether privately funded or not, Filipino-owned or owned by a foreign investor.

Pirmi lang kirita magpangadyi, maghanda, nyan magsunod sa abiso. 🙏

Officially A Teen: Happy 13th Birthday, The Journeyman’s Moments!

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This blog turned 13 last October 21 – it’s officially a “teen.” 😄 To celebrate this milestone, I thought about writing a letter instead because I need to write this quick.

We have had no internet connection for 2 weeks now, despite following up with Converge. I’m currently using my cellular network’s data just so I could post this – thank you, Globe. Still, God is good all the time. 🙏😊

To my dearly beloved The Journeyman’s Moments,

You were born in 2012 out of a need to clear my name from a painful past. I never thought that you would become an online journal for my spiritual journey.

I also wasn’t expecting that I’d be able to post here regularly. And yet, the weekly posts turned to monthly posts, and eventually, to posting every year.

You bear witness to my every rise and fall, to my every tear and laughter – a testament of God’s saving grace day in and day out, year in and year out.

As my experiences grew, you grew with it. When I became wiser, your words became better. I changed, you changed, too.

You are more than an online journal for me. Because you are my constant reminder of a life lived in full despite the changing seasons.

When I need a good laugh, I come back to the old memories here. When I need encouragement, your words give me renewed hope and comfort.

But I guess the most important reason as to why you’re one of God’s greatest gifts is that because of you, a deeper sense of accountability was instilled in me over every single word I post here.

You are my testimony on how living by faith does not happen by mere words alone, but by living it out and letting it be known through you for the whole world to see.

My dear, we still have so many stories to tell – I have more than a hundred drafts. lol You know what that means, we have a lot of work to do for as long as God is still working in us. 🥰

You are me, and I am you. Thanks be to WordPress – our memories will be preserved for future generations to laugh with, to cry with, and to be inspired by.

So, with internet or not, we will find a way to make our stories seen and heard – God will make a way. 😁

Always your creator made by another Creator,

Christine ❤️

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

Why I Am Keeping This Blog AI-Free (I Do Love AI)

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When I asked AI just out of curiosity what was its fondest memory, I wasn’t surprised by the answer: “I have none.” It offered to provide me instead with other people’s memories it was able to gather online.

Humans vs AI

And this is how I will start this blog article – work on the premise that writers have been debating about lately – whether AI will replace writers or not. My answer is that “No, in my opinion, AI will not replace humans. It still relies heavily on human creative input in order for us, humans, to get our desired output from them.”

Will AI have complete autonomy in the future? Maybe, if it can replicate all the intricacies of the human mind to the point of eliminating all that is undesirable and coming up with a perfect program/algorithm that doesn’t commit a single error. Basically that is what makes humans human – errors. As the adage goes, “To err is human…”

Just like what I am doing now in this blog, I am not using AI to write every post in this blog. And now, I feel like I should not edit my articles, too. 😃 Why? Because again, to err is human. Basically that is how you can differentiate an output nowadays, if it’s made by human intelligence or artificial intelligence based on the mistakes committed and how perfectly made it is. The human mind was created to commit errors. Whereas AI is designed with the goal to eliminate errors.

Do I love AI? Yes, I love AI. There is so much to learn from it in the same way that AI can learn so much from us. I use it, but I use it sparingly. I don’t want to rely on it too much lest my creative thinking skills will wane.

I’ve read an article on LinkedIn which described how too much reliance on AI will result in a sort of muscle atrophy in the brain. Because when we use AI, we no longer use so much of our brains to decide and analyze since AI can do them for us already.

Maybe we can utilize AI only after we did our usual and regular tasks. For now, AI can only function to provide assistance and support, such as simplifying processes and creating new systems that will lessen the workload of a worker. But a majority of the input will still come from us, humans.

Keeping Memories Intact Digitally

I started this blog in October 2012, and the concept of Artificial Intelligence was just a far-fetched thought back then. It was the age when computers, IT, and the world wide web were just starting to gain attention.

I was tinkering with website designing through Wix (made a fan website for Maja Salvador who’s my fave Pinoy actress) when I stumbled upon WordPress, I chose it over Wix because it’s easy to use. My goal was to write and not to be a web designer. lol And since 2012, I have been enjoying my blogging journey or online journaling as I call it.

Fast forward to 2025, a lot has happened in the digital sphere. It is as if every year there is something new in IoT that we need to adopt in our daily lives. In a sense, it disrupts our routines, but somehow in a good way. Though I see no other way of going back to how our parents and the generations before them have lived – without IoT.

We can reminisce, but their days were long gone. And we have to embrace where the digital age is ushering us into. As a millenial, I got to experience this shift in technological advancements and yet still get to observe the traditions and practices of the olden times. I do not want to compare generations because I believe every generation has a particular purpose and tagging who’s the worst and who’s the best is useless.

IoT And Where It’s Headed

What is IoT for a millenial like me? We all know it’s a tool that we can utilize in so many ways. It provides us with a long string of benefits, and yet it has its disadvantages, too. While the IoT is now integrated in almost every area of our lives, I admit that it still has its limitations. And this is why I aim for this blog to be AI-free until the day when I can no longer write.

Again, AI doesn’t have memories and this is the one thing that AI can never clone from humans. Because every person experiences things differently from another person. In other words, AI can only present us a memory based on the memories it can gather which are posted by humans through the internet such as this blog of mine.

This is actually the purpose of my blog – to digitally preserve my memories in written form as Christine Lailani and The Journeyman’s Moments because given that we are in a climate emergency already, keeping a physical journal or diary is no longer an option. The chances of it getting destroyed in a fire or floodwaters are very high and your memories along with it, too.

I believe that even if we have a major digital meltdown in the future (as some have predicted), remnants of the digital world can and will still be retrieved. Or maybe I just watched a lot of Sci-fi movies (my favorite) and the possibility of it happening is far from real. lol But if digital data will remain uncorrupted, this blog will give the future generations a glimpse of what life was like during our time. That is, through my perspective as a writer, an artist, and a creative.

Creative Thinking Has To Fluorish

As they say, you cannot separate a creative work from the artist who made it whether as a poet, a painter, a writer, or a musician. Their works of art depict what their society was like during the time that they were created. This is basically how we do our critical analysis of literary works. The personal lives of the author (in the case of poems and novels) will always be included on how we review a literary piece.

Although I believe “art for art’s sake” is an adage that will remain from one generation to the next. The creative talent of an individual cannot be assessed by a set of standards. There is no criteria for judging so to speak. You view a creative output as is and respect an artist’s point of view on how he rendered his artwork as such.

My only hope now is for AI creators to make a “clone” of my brain through this blog so my memories as a writer will be immortalized. 😅 Now, this is the kind of legacy I would like to leave behind. And who knows, my memories might be worth millions how many centuries later and you can just imagine how much WordPress will earn given its huge database of billions of memories from every person who owns a blog.

And so I end this blog with these 2 quotations lifted from a Sunday preaching of Pastor Patrick and a TEDx Berkeley video of Guy Kawasaki’s presentation on “The Art of Innovation.” Innovation is at the forefront and the major drivers of our global economy now. We don’t see any other future than one that is headed to more digitization and automation of a lot of processes in every area of our lives. And if my assumption is correct, it is for the goal of simplifying our lives and making them more convenient.

And yet this is also the part where I will share what Pastor Patrick said in his preaching:

“Convenience can also be a form of idol.” – Pastor Patrick

Which of the two, do you think, has the final say? As for me, I am using and will be using technology to fulfill this Bible verse:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14

P.S. I do not intend on editing this article for any errors anymore. So please do correct me if you see a lot of mistakes, BUT convince me first that you are not a robot. lol 😅

P.P.S. I wrote this on an Easter Sunday. This post might not be about the Cross and yet I can’t help but reminisce all that was sacrificed by Jesus on behalf of humanity. There have been a lot of challenges lately and yet I was reminded again that if we face persecutions and sufferings in school, at work, at home, or anywhere else, take heart that Jesus has finished it already.

We can now have this peace knowing that God sees and hears all. We can trust Him even when trials become too much to bear – He has raised Christ from the dead after suffering for a while. We, too, must carry our own crosses until such time that God’s will has been done over our lives. In fact, despite every setback, God has been blessing me and my loved ones abundantly for me to say that God is indeed more than enough and I should be more than grateful. 🙏

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”. – Romans 12:19

BLOG ANNIVERSARY: Happy 12th Birthday “The Journeyman’s Moments”!

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Before I begin my actual post, I would like to use this opportunity to pray for my fellow Bicolanos who were severely affected by Tropical Storm Kristine/#KristinePH. It’s heartbreaking to see the massive and widespread destruction it caused in the entire Bicol Region that even evacuation centers were also flooded.

Please pray for us as we recover and rise from this devastating catastrophe. 🙏 If you wish to extend your help, you may send any assistance/donation through the QR codes I will be posting below whether in-kind or in cash. Any kind of help will be truly appreciated, and we will forever be grateful. ❤

I would like to thank those who have already extended their efforts to send their help – may God return this huge favor a millionfold and bless you and your family tremendously, too. We are forever grateful to you for helping us in this extremely difficult moment of loss and devastation. ❤

Salamatunon po, VP Leni! ❤
Thank you, PBBM! ❤
Salamat, UP! Padayon. ✊

THERE IS HOPE, STILL

On a more positive note, this blog is turning 12 today. ❤ To God be the glory for giving me the wisdom and the time to do 12 fruitful years of consistent blogging on WordPress since October 2012. 🙏

My only prayer now is that WordPress is here to stay because I just have A LOT of memories here than in any other social media profiles I have. Let’s do a quick recap of the first 2 articles I posted here:

“The Unknown World”

“A Dream”

I was actually thinking about doing a sequel to the poem “A Dream” for my blog anniversary special article, but I don’t have any ideas what to write yet. Though I do have a title already – “A Dream Come True.”

So, what came true, Tin? That’s what you and I are about to find out. I just don’t know when I’ll be publishing it. Next year perhaps?

Hmm, only God knows. But it’s definitely going to be another poem. So, do watch out for that. Methinks it’s going to be an interesting sequel. Meanwhile, let’s cheers to more blogging years ahead, and thank you for journeying with me in this complicated and yet awesome thing called LIFE. 🥂

Today might be a mix of emotions for me while writing this, but I still chose to be GRATEFUL and HOPEFUL. God encourages us to continue moving forward through the good and the bad times. We have to keep on praying, and we have to continue trusting God that He is always in control believing that whatever God allows to happen, it is His will.

My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we continue the good fight of faith NO MATTER WHAT. 🙏

Praise God for A Living Hope

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1: 3-9 (NIV)

Of Pedicabs, Public Transportation, And Introversion

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Commuting via public transportation is, by far, my best mode of transportation. As an introvert, I love observing people. I get to create stories just by watching them. With the training I got from Special Education, I can sense if a person, for example, is impatient, nervous, or experiencing suppressed agitation based on subtle gestures like fidgeting with a pen.

When I notice these signs, I take it as a cue to lighten up the mood or environment by joking or making the person feel more at ease. In most cases, words may pacify the person but sometimes, a quick touch or pat on the back will do. But I only do this when I know the person well enough. There are others who cringe at the slightest bit of touch, especially if they have a history of physical abuse and trauma.

Stories are all around when you commute via public transportation. May it be from a plantita carrying plants to a child seated in front of you who can’t stop staring at you. Or that teenage couple flirting with one another oblivious of the people around them, and a whole lot more.

A couple of months back, when I rode the shuttle to Sorsogon City to buy my bus ticket going to Manila, I got to observe a new set of stories. And I can’t help but smile. If only I can read their thoughts. I normally don’t engage in conversations with strangers. But, if they initiate talking to me first, I do entertain them.

Just like the pedicab drivers who I happened to have a little chit-chat about their families, what’s new in town, etc. I love these conversations because I get to ask them a lot of questions, and I get to learn a lot from them.

L-R The pedicab driver, my sister, and me. Our legs, I mean. lol 😆

I found out from one pedicab driver that he’s a cousin of one of our former house helpers whom I haven’t seen since I was 10 years old. I grew so fond of her since I am the youngest in the family and when my siblings studied in Manila, I was left all alone at home and our house help sort of became my best friend.

Then I also met another pedicab driver who has a visual impairment because he is cross-eyed. And I tried to figure out how he maneuvered his pedicab without getting into any kind of road accident. When I gave him the fare, I told him to keep the change. I smiled when he started wiping his pedicab with the money I gave him. He smiled at me and told me the money I gave him was a “buena mano.”

It is customary in the province that the money paid by their first customer is said to bring good luck. So what they would do is they will wipe the things they are selling using the money from their first customer to attract good luck or “buena mano.”

You are most probably wondering now why I prefer pedicabs instead of tricycles. I prefer pedicabs because they allow me to slow down time in between errands. I tend to be like Flash when doing errands – I target finishing everything as fast as I can so I can go home. lol

But this is actually what I love as an introvert. I seldom go out of the house, but when I do crave social interaction, I got to give my best to people – my best smile, my best attitude, and my best service. Once my introvert battery though is depleted, it’ll take me about a week to recharge.

That one week of recharging is where I am in my most creative state. Everything that I heard and saw from these brief moments of social interaction, I get to process every single, nitty-gritty detail about them. I call this creative process as a retrospective way of giving everything that transpired an intrinsic value.

So no, I don’t follow the norms when they say that when you are an introvert, you have to change and become more like an extrovert when you go outside. Leave us be. 😀✌️

We were created to be this way because, without artists, life will be too logical. Though life without logic will be too emotional. Just like how the arts and sciences were made to coexist, the same goes for introverts and extroverts. Let us be. ♥️

The Name I Love

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Here’s a special poem for Valentine’s Day to warm the heart wherever you may be. Happy Valentine’s Day! 🌹❤️🥰

THE NAME I LOVE

by Christine Lailani

I may not have it all,
But there’s one thing I’m grateful for.
At first I find it hard to trust,
And just difficult to believe.
It is irresistibly sweet
And reminds me whose I really am.
It’s the way You made me feel,
Which will always hold true.
And that it will never end in vain
For I am truly and only Yours.
There’s just no other way to put it nicely.
So when I responded to the call,
It was revealed for me to see.
The name that I truly love
Was heaven sent through an angel.
An encounter that made me eager
To love You like I always should.

❤️❤️❤️

“To Make You Feel My Love”

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

When Loving Becomes Extraordinaire

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Here’s something short but sweet to start February, which is the month when everybody is smitten. 😉 You are deeply loved and cherished, my dear – with or without a special someone. ❤️

When Loving Becomes Extraordinaire

by Christine Lailani

You’re the only one who captured my heart in a way that nobody else could.

I hear your thoughts, you hear mine – a language that only we know.

Know that I will love every version of you: your young, your old, your calm, your furious, your happy, and your sad.

Because loving you is like loving an extraordinary person – my love extraordinaire.

🌹

“Can You Feel The Love Tonight”

“We love because God first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19

“If Only I Can, But Until Then” By Christine Lailani | Poetry Reading

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Hi, poetry lovers! I am republishing this poem because I did a voice-over version of it to give it more life. This is dedicated to all those who still chose to love despite the distance. 🙂 Enjoy! ❤️

If Only I Can, But Until Then

by Christine Lailani

If only I can see you one more time, but until then, I’ll remember every part of you in my thoughts…

If only I can talk to you and say what I really feel, but until then, I’ll pen these words that you will never read…

If only I can be beside you and feel the comfort of your presence again, but until then, I’ll learn how to enjoy being alone…

If only I can touch you and hug you tight, but until then, I’ll love you from a distance…

If only I can give you all of me, but until then, I’ll let time heal my wounds and let faith sanctify me to be worthy of you…

If only I can, but until then, I’ll ask God to make you feel the love that I can’t show you now…

A love that transcends oceans and mountains, remaining steadfast under the stars, even as seasons change…

Until then, my marvelous love…

“We love each other because God loved us first.” – 1 John 4:19

P.S. I did promise I will be hibernating on WordPress starting this November until December, but I just felt I had to post this before I do that. When the heart beckons, I take heed. 🙂

A Deadly Kind Of Love

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Because I’m a deviant (in a positive way), I tend to challenge the norm. Society’s norms dictate love poems be all mushy and romantic. But how about if we put a little twist to them? Here’s how it’s gonna look like:

A DEADLY KIND OF LOVE

by Christine Lailani

Can I stab you with love?

Or maybe choke you with joy?

What if I silence you with kisses?

Or hit you with sweetness?

Do I burn you with passion?

Strike you with compassion?

Then break you with kindness?

But crush you with gentleness?

And we all know how the story ended – they still lived happily ever after. But thankfully, nobody died. 😅

This is my lame attempt to copy a scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I was asleep when my college prof was discussing the play in class, so I just gave the plot a new twist. lol

And please no, not the balcony. It’s overrated. I’ll leave the setting to your imagination. 🖤

So, if you still felt alive after reading this poem, then let’s do a cha-cha. 💃

F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

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Here’s an acrostic poem I wrote to start our week right. 📝 I pray that the Lord will free us from anything that hinders us from our walk with God. May we not be weighed down by the chains that bind us, but instead, be given the power, courage, and strength to set ourselves free in Jesus’ Name, Amen. 🙏

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

by Christine Lailani

For the longest time, I have finally did it.

Realizing my suffering has been too long.

Echoed what I was told that what doesn’t fit

Even if you tried, will never just belong.

Done with all of the crying and pretending.

On things that are broken and beyond mending.

Making way now for yet a new beginning.