Natalia GoLeave a comment

Sonnet X

Sonnet X

(A Birthday Sonnet)

One hundred forty-first day of the year;

Unaware the world in its randomness,

Born a soul to my heart would be dear

For all her genuine light and genius. 

Though years ahead is she of my becoming,

What fortune have I received to find her!

You whose presence wonder and happiness brings

To me and all whose love for you I share. 

May this revolution bring your desires,

And in this lifetime your dreams in waking. 

May you come out a gem in life’s fires;

Your beloved stay in your safekeeping. 

  ‘Tis a day to celebrate of all days

  For the world has been made a better place.

Natalia GoLeave a comment

Lull the Shadows to Sleep

Doesn’t matter the veil

of darkness

descending upon us,

or the monsoon

of sharp-edged rocks;

if I can paint a smile

on those lips,

it will dull the sharpest

tips

and lull the shadows

to sleep. 

A smile that lifts

the doubt

that thickens around the heart

when it clenches its claws 

on the uncertainty of tomorrow. 

Doesn’t matter the soot

about to fall from the sky,

overflowing 

from the factory of lies

in the machine’s paradise;

if from the dust it leaves

on the pavement,

I can write our names

to remind you

of the truth they can’t erase—

our history

and the story

of how we’ll live to protect

this place. 

Doesn’t matter the noise

already drowning our senses

if I can single out

your voice

that builds the strongest 

defenses

against the pull

to choose indifference. 

If I can draw out

your warm and infectious 

laughter, 

no, none of these would matter.

And I will guard it

with my soul

like a love letter. 

Lull the Shadows to Sleep

May 13, 2022

Photo by Sampreety Ali

Natalia GoLeave a comment

Nameless

Nameless, boundless, infinite,

This harrowing anguish.

This silent and profound anger,

Propelling one to unfathomable

depths of desolation.

The light of day is but a silhouette

Hanging faintly over the endless abyss.

Ever present, ever tempting,

Never within reach.

I sail the black waters to

neverwhere

To disappear into nothingness,

forever.

Nothing more can be said,

Nothing a lone soul could comprehend.

It is I, in my own internment

Sentenced for life

Alone could see its face.

It is I, in every atom of my being,

Alone could recognize its weight.

Not seen by eyes not tethered by

the fibers of my consciousness.

This nameless, infinite, profound

antipathy.

Toward life, toward other,

Toward self.

Nameless by Natalia Go © 2018

The Glass Jar Virtual Play by Natalia Go

Natalia GoLeave a comment

Watch the glass jar by natalia go

The Glass Jar is the first virtual play I’ve written and directed, starring Ina Salonga and Mary De La Vega.

Synopsis:

No one’s watching the pharmacy. The pills are up for grabs on the top shelf. Only the glass case and a lock are separating them from Chloe and Max. What would they risk by stealing a few pills? Max only wants the pills to help her sleep, but it appears Chloe has other things in mind. Would the two women risk extending their stay in the psych ward for this operation? As Chloe and Max scramble for keys and face mishaps, they talk about life before and after their confinement. 

Inspired by first-hand experiences in similar facilities, The Glass Jar takes us inside the minds of two mentally ill women who have very different perspectives on recovery. Will their little heist plan strengthen or break their friendship? 

*Trigger warning: suicidal ideation, drugs, profanity, and mature content.

Get your tickets now at https://ikarustheater.com/shop!

Photo by Sam Willis

nataliagoLeave a comment

Within a Supercluster

Specks of dust we are, 

you and I.

Wrapped in a cluster

within a supercluster 

of stars,

all of which have stopped

at the perfect time,

singing in perfect rhyme

that two specks of dust

may meet

at the start of a new

revolution,

a world about to be changed

by love. 

Favored by Fortune, 

daughters of Ishtar;

we are lucky

for we dared to seek

each other

in a world that doesn’t bother

to love anymore. 

Let us sail the skies

together; 

we will fly 

and write our names

in the canopy

right above our galaxy

among those

who are meant to be. 

Within a Supercluster

April 30, 2022

nataliagoLeave a comment

When My Palette is Empty

I wish for songbirds 

to sing joyful songs

around your dwelling

when I carry 

heavy tunes. 

I wish for rainbows

to appear before you

at the wave of my hand

when my palette is empty

and my brushes too dry

to paint them on your sky. 

I wish for the winds 

to lift you from the ground

at my command

when I’m not strong enough

to lighten the pains

that come around. 

And when things are bleak

and my words too weak

to make you smile,

I pray that my hand

in yours

is enough to remind you

life is still worthwhile. 

For I will not stop

hanging little lights up

above your head

to let you know

I am with you

though they may flicker

in hard times ahead. 

My love will linger

far longer

after darkness has fled. 

When My Palette is Empty

April 26, 2022

nataliagoLeave a comment

Fount of Your Smiles

Let me be the cushion on your back

at the end of a long day;

let me be the ice pack

to numb your headaches away. 

Use me as your diversion;

let me sing you songs

with your favorite renditions;

play me all night long

till your rest your eyes

then I will sing you lullabies. 

Let me be the sunlight 

peeking into your window, 

let my sweet little ray write

over your sorrows

with poems of love

and of bright days ahead.

Look above!

High atop your bed,

I am the canopy

embracing your galaxy. 

In truth, I am small,

with a voice tiny and faint.

I cannot be your all;

I am no match against

the offerings of the world

that you most deserve.

But I am true to my word;

for you, I will serve

as the fount of your smiles

for as long as you deem worthwhile. 

Fount of Your Smiles

April 18, 2022

nataliagoLeave a comment

Two Billion Heartbeats

Two billion heartbeats

in a lifetime;

every one of them for you

since we’ve met.

Each as loud as a bass drum,

shouting your name. 

And perhaps the secret chord

is playing in the background

for the heavens seem pleased;

yes, indeed. 

And our song, 

chiming along, 

telling our story

each time the drum rolls. 

A hundred thousand

heartbeats 

in a day;

only one thing they say:

that I love you—

this lifetime, for sure

and perhaps in many lifetimes

before. 

And every minute, 

a hundred heartbeats more

can attest to the truth,

here sworn. 

Not a day is happier

than every day we spend

together. 

Two Billion Heartbeats

March 27, 2022

nataliagoLeave a comment

A Letter Sent Through Airwaves

Long stretches of roads

lay between us.

You said hello

in a letter—sent

through airwaves,

defying distance and time,

past traffic and borders.

And I wrote back…

Now I’m caught

in this electric exchange

of synapses

in which the world dissolves

and the hours stand still,

and only the words between us

remain. 

And it’s a struggle

to stay sane

when I could barely restrain

my thoughts

from going to the private

spaces we’ve reserved. 

But I will hang

onto every sliver

of the promise of the day

my lips would lock

with yours

as our fingers intertwine;

the beginning of a tale

that makes all the wait

worthwhile. 

A Letter Sent Through Airwaves

March 11, 2022