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Endless sleepless nights are spent,
With papers and pens scattered across my desk,
like fallen leaves after a storm.
It’s that time once again

I remember wandering down the halls,
Hands clutched firmly to the straps of my bag.
Eyes wide—my mind racing
Curious of the unknown, curious of what’s to come

Raindrops began to fall,
The word “Class Suspension” flashes on my screen,
And I’m stuck in my room—stuck in my thoughts
Wondering if I’m doing things right, wondering if I even belong.

Mornings fueled by borrowed courage.
Nights filled with unfinished readings.
Some days felt accomplishing—
others with quiet sobs, full of doubts

Deadlines crept up my back like shadows
Pressure rises like floodwater
Yet, all that is forgotten
When stories and laughter echo in my ears—moments that make it all worth it

It was those days when the sun beams—radiant and bright
The warmth of shared meals and laughter fills the air,
Celebrating small wins and achievements with familiar smiles.
A gentle reminder that I wasn’t alone

And as my mind returns to the present,
Coffee stains my lips, as my hand trembles—not from caffeine,
But from dread and fear.
I ask myself, What was I so worried of?

The rain slowly comes to a halt,
and the sky paints itself in different hues.
I smile—rains don’t last forever; in fact, they give color.
Each droplet that once weighed me down? It now reflects my journey—how far I’ve come.

Between sleepless nights full of doubtful thoughts and pretentious courage,
I found myself growing—slow, yet steady
Between failures and small victories,
I learned; I improved.

And as the finals inches closer,
I no longer tremble from fear—but from the strength I’ve found within.
For after every rain, I bloomed—
like every flower that learns to rise again after the gloom.

by Angela Manalastas