by: GoRd

Tonight I think of you again
Same as yesterday and so many nights before
I let my desperate longing shape my thoughts
And take me to my make believe world

First, I give my loneliness wings
And make it wander to where you are
At first sight of you loneliness sheds its wings
And takes the form of immeasurable delight

After which, I offer you the gift of love
And give it freedom to experience you
To envelop you in its wondrous embrace
A gift that makes you cease to want
And seeks to celebrate you for what you are

Then, I kindled passion
And let it burn to its heart’s content
To sear you with its gentle touch
And engulf you in its flames of desire

Finally, I let happiness join us
For what would be expected next but total contentment
Happiness would become my coat and your dress
And towards our home we would go
A home where eternity resides
Through all these wonderful visions
I give order to my distorted world
This escape to our own magical place
Is the seed that I hope to grow our love garden in
So each night I pick up my tools and start toiling
Hoping that the soil would be fertile till its time to sow
And sit back to watch love unfurling.

by: Alejandra Rodriguez

I have done it. I have mastered the art of “Tambay”. Most people would say that this accomplished mastery of doing nothing is really useless. I just shrug these comments off like the fly that perennially floats around my shoulder. I believe that those who look down on the art of Tambay are just envious of those who practice it. Take this case in point. I am naturally bright, I read a lot and I know a lot. But then, I am classified as an underachiever. I aim low despite the fact that I can aim as far as any dean’s lister around. I don’t study, I just loaf around in school and yet I always pass my subjects with average grades to boot. In class, I can stump my professors with questions that make them feel as small as ants. But I’m not that cruel, my power to embarrass Ph. D’s are only used when a fellow classmate is being oppressed or when I get castigated for being eternally late for my classes. Now lets view case no. 2 which may represent the reader of this article or if not, almost everyone you know. Hmmm, lets call him Ed. Ed goes to school diligently, he attends classes on time and he prefers to hang out in the school library. Ed is also a dean’s lister and a class act pro establishment kind of guy. He sits in front of class and he will never question the professor even if the latter tells him that the Pythagorean theorem was named after a god or that Shakespeare actually wrote the Canterbury Tales. Ed represents blatant apathy; I represent the same except that mine is more righteous. I go to the canteen with my friends to hang around discussing the rudiments of Java as a language while Jim goes to the school library to get ready for a Philosophy test that he will surely ace. I make tambay to enjoy life in slow motion, Jim and most of the people in school live on the fast lane that is headed to a place where I already stay: Nowhere.

But then I fear for myself. Sure I can hang with my friends for four hours as we talk about any topic under the sun, but where does all this lead: a less stressful life and a butt that aches from too much sitting around. Maybe the solution lies with a slight change of environment. Maybe we should spend our Tambay time outside the school where we can smoke and play Pusoy Dos. But then again, why move to another Tambayan. Nakakatamad eh. Dito na lang kung saan relax.

by: Karla Vanessa Redor

A few days left before the most awaited day for the lovers and the not-so-singles pass by. The day of reckoning will soon come. It will be a day of spreading the Munching Cash Plague where lovers of the world join hand in hand to buy precious gifts for their loved ones. The soon-to-be victims of the said plague will have symptoms of paleness, continuous walking back and forth from one place to another, and eyes that looked shock. Beware of this plague. Most doctors prescribe the would-be-possible patients would have to put a special cream at the palm of their hand for the unusual allergies that leads to the said plague. Another prescription would be is for the patient to stay away from places that are expensive-looking.

This is also the day of the Loneliness Syndrome Advanced Level. The future patients of this disease most likely exhibit the following symptoms like type 1 malfunction of lachrymal glands (continuous crying in layman’s terms), state of shock, paleness, red nose, eating disorder, and insomnia. Doctors prescribe that the probable patients would watch mushy cartoon fairy tale stuff and romantic comedies every 5 hours. Likewise, it is best that they attend love relationship seminar or if anything else fails, contact Dr. Love for counseling.

If there is a Loneliness Syndrome Advanced Level, there is what we call as the Anti-mushiness Fever. It is really known as the Loneliness Syndrome Moderate Level. The symptoms of this disease are high blood pressure, number of heartbeats is lower than the usual one, type 2 malfunction of lachrymal glands (no single tear comes out), and the I-Hate-You-All attitude. Although this disease is the moderate level, curing this disease is much harder especially that patients with this disease have attitude problems. It is best that they attend an Interaction Program sponsored by the Lonely Hearts Club and it is recommended by 9 out of 10 doctors. Actually, the Interaction Program is a Heart Therapy designed for people with this disease.

All of us will be affected by the sudden spread of disease for V-day is the day of reckoning. The question is, what disease will inflict us.

by: Kulasisi

Sex is part of human nature. It’s not stupid. Pre-marital sex is a natural occurrence, it is also not stupid. Getting pregnant at a time when you haven’t finished school yet & when you are not ready to have one– this is stupid. My cousin is getting married soon cause she got herself pregnant. A condom costs how much?! A freaking 5 pesos. You can get 3 rubbers for 5 pesos, and you can choose your favorite flavor. A five-peso rubber would have made a difference. I can’t believe they haven’t learned anything from school! In fact, she didn’t learn anything…

Having a child is a serious commitment, something that cannot be a result of trial and error. Being young– the hormones have this rush that is so unbearable that you need to release. Lust composes 75% of your being when you are young… A touch here, a kiss there… you are willing to experiment, you heightened the feeling– getting lost into the emotion and the new feeling..Until all you can sense is the need to let it out. I have long accepted the fact that my cousins would have sex with their bf’s/gf’s, anyway.. Sex is a part of life…However, I haven’t readied myself that SHE would get pregnant. Get marry at an early age, yes.. It was predicted that she will get marry ahead of us… but that is AFTER she graduated not BEFORE. I don’t pity her cause she is young and I know that she’s aware of the consequences of her actions. I pity her dad the most– he’s been working his butt to be able to let his children attend school. To finish school and to work and help in the expenses.

Luckily, her in-laws like her. I haven’t met the Hubby yet nor the in-laws but I will soon enough. Haaaaay… I’m lucky to be educated enough when it comes to s-e-x. I got my friends.. hehehe.. they have taught me well. A new baby in the family.. Another blessing.

Practice SAFE SEX.

by: ASDF

FUNNY THINGS happen every February, every February 14 to be exact. Yep, it’s the day of lovers - otherwise known as St. Valentines’ greatest contribution to humanity. On this auspicious day, every delusional star crossed pair in school decides that it is really cool to go out on a date, whether be it on the 14th or during the days that surround the 14th. Red would be the in color of the shameless and chocolates and roses would be the generic gift of choice. All is expected to be happy in school, all except those who are loveless and this list includes my name. My friend Karen (who, due to that ever popular McDonalds Ad, is now referred to as Gina) will once again send herself flowers so as to convince people, which includes herself, that she has an anonymous lover in school. I guess this is a lame way of self-marketing among the male population of the school. It’s sad really. I told Karen this and she managed to convince me that sending flowers to myself is a good idea. I’ll get at least a dozen roses on Valentines Day, all of which will be funded by my own pocket. It’s sad really.

Then there’s my friend Cess, a beauty and brains combination with supermodel measurements. Her problem is that she’s too good for all her suitors who can rival, at best, the personality of a can of beans. Cess has everything except a boyfriend so, just for fun, even though she is beautiful and smart, Karen also convinced Cess to send herself a dozen roses on Valentines Day.

I told Karen that it would look odd if we all received Roses on the 14th so were thinking about chocolates for one of us and a box of doughnuts for the other; I hope I don’t get a box of doughnuts, people might think my imaginary suitor slash admirer is cheap or something. I believe we have to diversify our self-funded gifts so that it won’t look that obvious. Of course, our dark secret would embarrass us to death if someone discovered it.

On Feb. 14, my fellow students will celebrate the day of hearts. Commitments will be renewed, the usual load of petty quarrels will be lessened and of course, the entrepreneurial Pinoy will exploit the event with tons of Valentines Day caboodles that the public will surely gobble up. The 14th of this month will be a happy day for everyone, genuine or otherwise. My two friends, Cess and Karen, they’ll get some gifts on Valentines Day, gifts that will come from their own pocket. I know the happiness they’ll get from this will be short lived and hollow. So I thought I’d send them some carnations on the day of hearts, and maybe a romantic poem to really make their day.

I’ll sign my gifts with a short and spine tingling note: From your secret admirer.