Serene Spaces, Countryside Life, Short Term Love Course,
By: Avril Shakira Villar 🕊 Zamboanga City, Phillipines 🇵🇭
Serene Spaces
When quiet is a melody that carries the environment of nature,
Minimalist echoes softly bring welcome solace to the hearts that have grown weary.
Where chaotic proclivity regards its abode,
every corner breathes out in a tone so very hushed.
Only the essence of the pure shall be aware.
There lay a life unencumbered by all the things
that overshadowed the intricate web of stuff.
My dear, this is the life now that is free of all those unneeded worries and problems.
In a minimalist's gentle caress,
a room, a canvas, is simple and empty.
It possesses a quality that makes one’s mind want to start afresh or take a fresh stock.
For the disordered room, depict the mind.
Internally chaotic and difficult to control.
But that’s all and very thin, walls exposed.
Invite clarity beyond compare.
They need space for thinking and physical space.
The psyche finds its harmony distant from pathology,
unshackled from material binds.
That is the song of peace—soaring on wings unchained
to the rhythmic calmness and groovy tunes,
where every item that one has assigned has an assigned chore, and in that space is the experience
of a shelter, a place of untold peace.
Thus, minimalism softly speaks;
its psychological effects are unique;
in serene spaces,
hearts find ease,
and inner turmoil vents out at last.
Countryside Life
Every city girl needs a countryside life.
A grown-up woman now, seeking solace amidst the greens
The scent of freshly cut grass healed my inner child.
Our occasional visits to the countryside once in a blue moon
Whether in sweltering heat or biting cold, I’d run in the grassy fields.
Picnics beneath the azure sky were our cherished pastime.
Plucking fruits from branches anytime I want
Also the roses of our aunt, but we’d run so we wouldn’t get caught.
They gave away the flowers anyway, because we were just children living in the moment.
I made friends with the cows, elephants, horses, and sheep.
Just to name them all based on their colors and characteristics
Nighttime brought cool air, as if under air conditioning.
Wrapped in thick jackets, giggles echo under cozy blankets.
Grandma’s mythical tales kept us wide-eyed till we fell asleep.
It’s the everyday cycle in the countryside until the next day.
The morning brought visits to a river, whose water was clean and clear.
We’d bathe and chase one another, splashing with playful abandon.
Then we’ll pause to fish when the river holds none to find.
Who cares if we’re clumsy and carefree?
This moment happens rarely, so we’ll treasure it.
What a life in the countryside!
It's like reliving all the flashbacks.
Short-term Love Course
Am I allergic to happiness?
Afterwards, facing unbearable consequences
I walk alone because you pushed me away.
You know how much I carried the conversation all the time.
My friends warned me to be safe.
But I’m loving the burning pain.
I swear, I tried to fix us.
I kept it secret when I saw the smoke rise up.
You left me on read, which happens every time.
I tried to kill the fire alone.
Until the fire consumed me
Now I’m burning down slowly.
I pretend I can bear the heat, but I know
I know how much you hate elaborating.
But that’s just how our love worked.
They said, Don't be too emotional.
But what if it happened twice?
It’s all too real.
About the Author
Avril Shakira Villar is a writer and youth leader hailing from the Philippines. She is a mentee of the esteemed international organization WriteGirl LA and has been elected as the City Youth Vice Mayor of Zamboanga City. She has 5 published poems, 1 published song, and 1 published essay in various international literary magazines. She was the 2nd placer in the National Poetry Competition conducted by Under the Madness Magazine and applies her writing to her life and leadership journey.
