Here I am in my fortress,
Alone in quietude,
Surrounded by the walls that I built.
The sky is blinding,
But all I see is darkness.
Feeling the emptiness
As I walk to the edge of my death pit.

Preoccupied with nothing but self pity,
Overflowing fears and uncertainties.
My head was spinning.
The Russian roulette had just begun.

I heard silent laughters from afar,
Deafening murmurs of my past.
My body became weak
As I wait for my bullet of fate.
I closed my eyes. I have submitted myself to hell.

Just then a small sound of cry
Snapped me back into reality
Before this skyscrapers witness my downfall
Or before I pulled the trigger
Of the deadly weapon in my hands.

Now I’m hearing voices:
The loving heartbeat of people who matter.
Their battle cries becoming clear.
I was awakened, soaked in cold waters.
New hopes reborn, renewed.

From this day forward,
As I stand on the pedestal
With the sun as my witness
And God as my strength,
Never will I give anyone again the satisfaction of my destruction.

Written by: Maria Nemy Lou Rocio
Photo credit: Jane Lyn Dupingay