It was my first time to see the famous dunes of Maspalomas — where the solitude and beauty of the sands gracefully sway with the trade winds. In the silence of the dunes, I got this phrase stuck in my head. And it reads: "Friendship is the island you can retreat to when the world becomes overwhelming."
This trip indeed felt like an escape for me. With friends or the actual island itself — that was a retreat. I forgot about things that don't matter. And the ones that really matter. I was just thinking about me. Soft whispers in my head. Whispers like the dunes rising and etched in the golden sands of time. What a beautiful sight.
Then, I started to scribble. I wrote this short poem in my native tongue (Tagalog):
"Dito sa Las Palmas, kami’y nagpunta. Inaantay ang araw, san ba ang gala? May hinahanap ba? Di ko alam… Biglang ulan, takbuhan. Sarap ng kapehan. Sarap ng kuwentuhan. Titigil ba ang oras? Sandaling paglimot. Pero ok lang…"
It's a simple verse when translated to English (at least for me). But the thought is there. It's a simple joy I felt during that time. And it felt so genuine. Here's the translation: Here in Las Palmas, we went. Waiting for the day, where would you go? Searching for something? I don't know... Sudden rain, run for cover. The joy of coffee moments. The joy of conversations. Will time stand still? Just a moment to forget. But it's okay...