I wrote this for a dear friend, Ding Gagelonia whom I never had the chance to talk to in person but has always been a friend to me. Interest in politics and technology are what we share in common. Among other things, I do know he loved verses/prose poetry and so I thought it’ll please him to find one especially made for him. Ding, wherever you are, I hope you like this. RIP Kuya.
——–
A Subtle Smile (a poem for Ding)
by: RJ Marmol
A hi, hello. A subtle smile.
Such are things that make your while.
A nudge, a laugh — though never heard
Move mountains usually unperturbed.
What words can say, thy spirit could.
It carries your wishes and sunny mood.
If there is gloom, no one can tell
For your voice sound strong, like a tolling bell.
Should I be sad, or reluctantly glad
That you will never again hurt so bad?
Should I cry and mourn or say out loud, Alas! You are now together with your one true God?
A gentle look, a lovely book
Neither one nor both can compensate for smiles you took.
No wasted years, no bitter tears
For someone whose life was full of cheers.
So I may pray each day for blissful May
‘Oh Lord skip March or a day away’
But I trust that God does great things His way
And need I mention, always with no delay?
So night came swift, it whisked away..
My dear friend Ding with Him to stay.
Yes, I agree to you Rieko , She is a nice writer. She can used that talent to own a business, even a small business but profitable. I really really like your poem RJ MARMOL. Why you should have a try about my suggestion? Maybe it works.
Hi, I enjoy reading your poems. I wish I could do as well, although I am a writer my “specialty” is much less creative than this. I stil am glad I found your blog, will be back to read more…thanks!
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
Music
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome”released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
Contact
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
RJMarmol.com 
Let me know what you think… :)