a Postcard from Banda Neira

in a clean white dress somewhere on the coast, a table for two. black coffee, scramble egg, and a bread. a picnic and the sky, clear blue without a cloud. hot sunny day. falling in love. on the wooden couch by the sea, underneath a brown classic gazebo which cover you from the burning sunbeams. sipping hot coffee, eating breakfast, a small slice of buttered bread. for the egg, save the best for the last you said. it was 7 in the morning. small island. so far away. 

it’s all in the eyes. “i can tell you are deeply loved loved loved”. a bracelet, a swan on it. which i lost on a hike with the apple of my eye. i managed, i got another one. i asked for the exact same one. wearing it reflects elegance, softness, love, peace, and devotion. a proof of how much i'm loved loved loved. clumsy, i know i am, but i promise i’ll take a good care of anything he gave me. anything. everything. 

a matching white shirt, i got mine oversized. it’s yours. a spice island it said. with nutmeg and cloves pattern on the back. “do you believe in a love that is unexpected?” i said maybe now i do. that kind of love that feels like a blanket in a cold cold rainy days. a love that feels like the first sip of a hot coffee in the morning. a love that feels like your favorite meals when you are starving. a love that feels like a cold water in a hot midday. a love that completes your puzzle. a love that makes you feel safe and well taken care of. no rush and just a soft gentle palette. like a miracle and magic. 

a soft love like coming home.

a small rain. drizzle. i swear it was sweet. a far away island. first time visit. yet it felt familiar. it welcome you like home. like a homecoming reunion with your people. 

September

one day at a time, tender and alive. 

mount hike, core memory. trees and leaves. a little rain on the way up, serene and soothing. us two making friends with nature and mother earth. with you beside me even the lightest rain feels like the earth breath softer, settling the world around into something tender. 

a soft gentle love. i didnt look for anything but it came all of a sudden. like a big surprise on a random tuesday night which none expected.

you; thursday night, 9, navy blue, october, 6 pm, sunset, windy evening, warm breeze on the beach, black coffee, fresh sweet light cinnamon scent. 

you came to provide a soft spoiled life.

North

on a vast grand night sky, upon constellations, you are my North star. just like the cassiopeia that circles around the north star. i drawn to your light, orbiting you in every season. 

every turn i take, every season i move through, from time to time, every now and then, in every possibilities, in every realities. you remain; the steady point my universe quietly leans toward. you’re like a gravity, pulling me closer toward your orbit. 

East

timezone is eastern time. the moon looks brighter on the east side of the earth. calm, coastal, beautiful islands. some friendly islanders, folklore and culture. it feels like a love story written in the island. a place too beautiful to believe it is real. the turquoise water, slow breezes, and the warm hospitality. a place for slow mornings and long walks. a place where time feels softer. a place where history and nature blend like poetry. a place where the sea feels like a love letter. 

In the AM

slow waves. everything moves slower; the sea, the wind, even time itself. it’s the kind of place you start loving softly, a quiet that feels like home. it feels like somewhere your soul has already known for a long long time. blue water, warm air, a quiet that wraps you like love, and hand holdings that never let go. here the sea heals and the heart feels strangely understood (in a good way) and listened. 

Radiance

the soft glow it brings into life, the way your love stretches without edges. reaching me in places, like a night sky that only expands, giving me home to breath to be hold all at once. 

Above the horizon

Cassiopeia resting above us, the North Star steady in the distance, the sea breathing slow against the shore. it feels like standing on an island brushed by history and constellation, where the world is quiet enough for the heart to whisper the dreams. and everything feels like an answered prayer. one by one, everything that once only a dream suddenly all checked, and even better.

Cassiopeia tracing her luminous “W” across the night. It’s the way the sea holds its quiet, the way the sky keeps its promises, the way my heart recognizes its home in you.

NEIRA might be it: a love letter written in the night sky and rooted in the soft glow of Banda’s shores.

I just knew im not really into long sail. i missed the island and the memories in between. can we took a flight instead for the upcoming agenda, eh?

these past three times around the orbit

i still remember the day i first arrived here, not much of an expectation; and was not looking for anything at all. i think it’s somehow true when people say what belongs to you will finally find you, effortlessly. three years ago, who would’ve thought everything would be this way; but deep down i know it just feels right to be this way. everything was and still is perfect, sweet and too sweet at the same time. blue skies with countless stars and the moon staring from up above… like sending a message everytime i get so worry about one tiny inconvenient thing “hey im here, why you worry much? everything’s fine and always will be” and thanks to the moon for always making the endless nights feel much more bearable. 

AM; it reminds me it wont go anywhere, it was there all along and always will be

PM; it lights up the dark skies and brings color to my eyes

AM to PM; PM to AM

every day and night

each passing time

i want to hold a little longer in that small moments i lived

with my memories restricted to a polaroid in evidence

i smile, all happy and calm without a storm

i lie down, all rested and feel relieved

i sleep, sweet dreams and full of hope

i wake up, writing much more stories of the upcoming good days with a pink glittery pen

is it all make sense by now? it is, it always has been

just like what the moon said since the very first day of it all: no worries i got you, always.

and how do i explain things to people? 

the moon said: no need and why would you, silly.

three full orbit around the sun

three times around, a wiser gaze

fireworks after one full orbit

another turn by the earth, bringing promises of tomorrow; 

a shooting star

came closer, warmer, and lighter; 

make a wish, make a wish, make a wish

im flattered, each day is different and everyday is new; yet the feeling was and still is the same

quiet, peaceful, and calm; no rush and gentle

each passing day captured in pictures as an evidence of the day went by;

sunsets, clouds, and constellations;

myths, magic, and miracles;

books, stories, and laughters;

how do i tell that each passing orbit was mesmerizing

and that im grateful 

“how do you describe your past 3 times journey around the sun, huh?”

perfect, i might say. everything falls into place and it’s just right as it is.