Origin and Rebirths: A Sestina With Chapters<\/p>\n
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I) Early Childhood<\/p>\n
I was born in a hospital that stood by the water<\/p>\n
In the first month of the year, on a day gray and cold<\/p>\n
In a state known for its beautiful flowers<\/p>\n
Being Filipino, I was given three names<\/p>\n
Two were from women who were filled with grace<\/p>\n
But I went by my middle name and not by my first<\/p>\n
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II) Being Different<\/p>\n
I never thought that I was different at first<\/p>\n
When I went to a school with a view of the water<\/p>\n
For a while, I lived in blissfully ignorant grace<\/p>\n
Then when I grew up, some friends turned cold<\/p>\n
Bullies started picking on me, calling me names<\/p>\n
Worst of all, feelings for boys started to flower<\/p>\n
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III) Out in the Desert<\/p>\n
Later on, I moved to a desert that still had flowers<\/p>\n
Where I fell in love with a boy who I thought was my first<\/p>\n
Real love, truly madly deeply, I loved the sound of his name<\/p>\n
When I learned that I would leave, the dark blue waters<\/p>\n
Of his eyes turned icy cold<\/p>\n
And for the first time, I had fallen out of grace<\/p>\n
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IV) Texas<\/p>\n
In a few years, there would be a new state I would grace<\/p>\n
A land of a thousand stars and pretty wildflowers<\/p>\n
Where anything below 70 degrees is considered cold<\/p>\n
I went to a college that I didn\u2019t choose as my first<\/p>\n
But I thirsted for knowledge like a nomad did for water<\/p>\n
And eventually, they all knew my name.<\/p>\n
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V) Stars<\/p>\n
I called some of my college professors by their first name<\/p>\n
And had friends who showed me a new state of grace<\/p>\n
I learned that with faith, you get into the water<\/p>\n
I was swimming around and continued to flower<\/p>\n
Priorities were having as much fun possible first<\/p>\n
Leaving fears of the future out in the cold<\/p>\n
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VI) Growing Pains<\/p>\n
With growing up came people with hearts icy cold<\/p>\n
Who tried to shake up my life so I\u2019d remember their name<\/p>\n
Taking on the appearance of friends, I trusted them at first<\/p>\n
And under their wrath, I once again fell from grace<\/p>\n
They crushed me under their feet like I was a dead flower<\/p>\n
I screamed out for help as they drowned me in the water<\/p>\n
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VII) Present Day<\/p>\n
Swimming for my life, I left the water, cold as a winter flower<\/p>\n
Saved by His name, His grace, and now I put Him first<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Origin and Rebirths: A Sestina With Chapters \u00a0 I) Early Childhood I was born in a hospital that stood by the water In the first month of the year, on a day gray and cold In a state known for its beautiful flowers Being Filipino, I was given three names Two were from women who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2156,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[271,676],"class_list":["post-2548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-life","category-poetry","tag-poetry-2","tag-sestina"],"yoast_head":"\n