Some connections feel like they were written in the stars—like a melody you’ve never heard before but somehow know by heart. Engraved: A Poetry Collection by Filipina Writer Maria Aranza Peralta (MAP) is a book that hums with that feeling. It’s not just poetry; it’s a love letter to the past, a quiet plea to the present, and a wistful dream of what’s still to come.
At its core, Engraved is a story of soul recognition—the kind that lingers across lifetimes, woven through unspoken words and paths that almost crossed. Dedicated to K-pop icon G-Dragon, the collection reflects MAP’s deep creative inspiration from his artistry, a muse that helped shape this deeply personal yet universal journey of love, loss, and the sacred pull of destiny.
Divided into four parts, the book poses an irresistible question: Do we ever truly leave behind the ones we’ve loved? Or do we simply meet them again in a different time, a different form, waiting for the moment our souls remember? In My Plea, the protagonist whispers a fear so many hearts have known:
How will I recognize you again when you come to me in another time?/ When our faces are no longer the ones we have known,/ and our voices are different from the ones our minds had memorized?
There’s something cinematic about the way MAP writes—like a slow-motion scene set to a ballad, like the quiet ache of a love song that lingers long after the last note fades. It’s no surprise that G-Dragon’s Untitled, 2014 played a role in the book’s creation; its raw vulnerability and timeless sorrow echo through Engraved's verses.
But beyond the poetry, beyond the celestial musings of fate and reincarnation, Engraved is profoundly human. It’s about the way we hold onto love, even when time tries to take it from us. It’s about the questions we ask the Universe, hoping for a sign that we are not alone in what we feel.
For those who have ever loved across distances—be it time, fate, or even a distant glow of a stage—this book is a quiet companion, reminding us that some hearts are meant to meet again.
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MAP is a writer and creative whose work spans poetry, content writing, and copywriting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where she received the prestigious Beato Jesus Villaverde O.P. award. Her craft was sharpened through internships at CNN Philippines and Big Shift Creativ Centrale before she officially began her writing career at Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, later moving on to GMA Network Inc. She is currently with Hakuhodo BCi. Deeply drawn to themes of Spirituality and Divinity, MAP often weaves these influences into both her writing and daily life.
📖 Engraved: A Poetry Collection is available to order through this link.
📌 Follow MAP on IG: @_maperalta
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