To Love someone
dearer than your life
is a beautiful but reckless feeling.

To trust your heart
in the hands of your lover,
you surrender to the eventual consequence
of its demise or the birth of something beautiful.

Either way, you have to
walk on fire and
bare your soul out,
speak your truth and
follow your heart however frightening
it may be to discover whether
your love has the potential to bloom or
is it going to rot away.

You have to go down that
scary road towards
the eye of the storm
-hand in hand with your partner
at some point of your relationship.
And you either come out stronger than ever
or you don’t come walking out of the storm together.

You grow together
You inspire each other
You bring out the best in each other.
You belong together.

Darling, the way you inspire me.
I am mad for you.
Your quiet ways and idiosyncrasies
your silly habits and your passions,
I indulge them all.

The way your calm washes over me
as we deal with our storms
hand in hand -a testament of our love.

You embrace my weird
and call it wonderful.
You make me feel beautiful from the inside.
It’s frightening- but I have never felt more alive, empowered and vulnerable all at the same time.

I am glad my heart
chose you to fall in love with.
I am glad that it still gravitates towards you.
You’ve become my heart’s compass.

Write a poem in five parts. The sections can be numbered or named but they must all be clearly separated from each other within the poem as a whole.

Fear is my Familiar excuse
In my days of darkness,
I sought comfort in fear.
I got used to living in that
space of wretchedness.
I built my castle on that familiar excuse.

Remedies
Do everything with love,
gratitude and hope in your heart.
Train your eyes to view the world
with kindness and compassion.
-this is my mother’s remedy to living well.

Readiness
The break dawn is a new beginning
a world of possibilities awaits me.
I am ready for the day.
I am ready for a new challenge.
I am ready to grow.

Uninspired –
my words so uninspired
my thoughts are tortured in a cave of emptiness
that reverberates desperate hopelessness.
I feel so uninspired –
Ah shit… it’s writer’s block again.

Fatality of feeling
She sang me a lullaby,
deadbeat hearts who once were alive
and felt everything so intensely.
they died of over-feeling.
Victims to the fatality of feelings.

Brim with confidence.
step into the light.
Shine bright.
Don’t be afraid to dance with your dark side.
Take a trip to the wild side.
I promise it’ll be worth it.

It’s your time to shine.
let the words flow,
let your heart express,
let your soul feel.

Feel the wave of emotions
wash over you like a tidal wave
Surrender to the undertow
-as they dance on paper.

You are going to feel
this immense tiredness in your bones.
Your eyes are going to feel heavy
that is going to tempt you to give up but
don’t you dare do any of that nonsense.
Just write the night away into rejuvenation.
Coffee will keep you functioning.

Sometimes you are going to be full
so full of inspiration, your heart won’t be
able to handle it, your pen won’t be able to keep up…
Remember to take a deep breath,
trust the process and let go,
let the words guide your hand.

Overwhelming and exciting
this journey has everything to offer
and adventure awaits you.
So hop on my dear.

-Janice Raquela Mendonca

I made it to the finish line.
I conquered sleep 
and fatigue.
I have my coffee to thank for mainly 
putting in most of the effort.


I made it, 
We MADE IT. 
HURRAY! 

-Janice Raquela Mendonca

Delicate Brutality

You breathe purpose into this broken heart. 
Your love is healing 
it is in my blood. 
I can feel you in the air tonight. 
You shook me up 
electrified 
woke me up 
my restless heart beats only for you. 

Save me from this restlessness. 
Help me from this hopeless desire. 
Every breath you take 
is love breathing air into my lungs. 

Your love is infectious 
like a viral coming over, 
I feel it with an aching desire 
to get to know you more.

You planted roses 
and now I am breathing just fine. 
I become one with the thorns, 
I ignite in your passion.

I am love, I am delicate brutality.

-Janice Raquela Mendonca

img Alisa Olaivar

I came into this world with a bang.
 On a stormy Thursday afternoon, 
     the trains stopped working, 
        the roads were flooded,
          I came into this world with 
5) the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck.

I loved food.
   I still do, no one had to coax me to finish eating.
    I loved eating mud, 
     and drinking soda
10) stuffing my face with chocolates .

I was a chatterbox
  I still am 
   I loved swings and merry go rounds. 
     oh I could never get enough... 
15) Hopscotch was my favorite.

My favorite thing about my childhood
 my mother pampering me with cuddles 
   my grandfather smuggling the tasty goodies 
    and sitting on his back as if I had 
20)set out to conquer the world.

Nana rose was the best
 she let me be
    she let me grow 
     and explore.
25) never holding me back.

These are some of the Precious things I hold dear.
Carefree running wild, full of laughter and uncomplicated childhood.  
  

-Janice Raquela Mendonca

Leaves are ripe 
with the colors of fall.
Vibrant hues of fiery red, 
electric orange, 
and calming yellow...
death looks so divine in 
this quaint little town. 

Rows and rows 
endless rows of 
Maple trees, 
Leaves rustle on 
The air is crisp.

It's the arrival of autumn
and preparation for winter 
that makes it so spectacular.

Walking down the
concrete sidewalk
Nature's canvas
A beautiful red carpet lay.
-of fallen dried maple leaves  

Autumn the best time of the year,
where nature sheds her metaphors 
to bring to light the simplicity of 
the circle of life. 

-Janice Raquela Mendonca

My furry friend
my faithful companion
my playmate
my guardian.

You were always brave, 
with those expressive eyes 
you'd always manage to get your way.
Even when caught red handed...

Oh what simple pleasures
satisfied you, 
playing fetch,

Taking long walks in Albert Park

digging in the backyard 
and hiding the bones.
And how you'd clean my plate up
and eat my veggies for me.

You were such a good boy.

How you'd wag your tail
to express your excitement
upon my arrival from school.
How you planted those adorable 
big wet kisses upon my face. 

My true partner in crime. 
You will always be my little boy.



My golden sun, 
My brightest days, 
My little boy.



-Janice Raquela Mendonca 

Prompt #4 Numb

Dead from the inside 
I am numb.
A complete shut down
unresponsive to the external.
Immovable, life wasting away.
Tired eyes and hungry heart
all dead in a row.
No thirst to quench
no dreams to conquer
powerless in one way
powerful in another
- nothing affects me.

Nothing to lose,
no fear, no feelings, 
no attachment, no sorrow, 
Just the bottomless pit 
of nothingness -encroaching.

Overtaking... overcoming...
infectious and familiar

It feels comfortable, 

I am doomed anyway, 
Damned if I do,
Damned if I don't.

Hopelessness looms 
like a shadow. 
Wasted life, 
Wasted years,
The Pointlessness of the point,
at the edge of reason 
and lingering disappointment.

Far from any harm,
removed and isolated
detached and unemotional, 
I let that shit go. 

Only to dive deep
Head first into the chaos of living.
The madness of emotions.
The passage through life.

I am waking up,
Undoing these chains 
that have held me down 
for far too long.
I am becoming human.
I am living. 

I open the doors 
and let it surge.

-Janice Raquela Mendonca 




Heightened Sensitivity

Awakened

Aware
Alert
Alive 
The flood gates burst forth

Let them in

Life so consumed 
Overwhelmed 
Crowded by so many things
waiting to be felt, 
acknowledged. 
Waiting for some sort of response.

Smack dab in harms way
involved and participated.
So many emotions 
which should I feel
Indecisiveness takes over. 

I want to break free
I want to let go
but I can't escape.

I want to become invincible, 
I want to become powerful.

I am human, 
I am not perfect.

-Janice Raquela Mendonca