The healing verses of Agnes Villaruz - A life of service, a life of words
Agnes Q. Villaruz turns a life of nursing, public service and leadership at the Gerry Roxas Foundation into "Reveries," a healing poetry collection paired with original art. Read her story and order your copy.
THE LIL THINGS I LIKE
PJ Valenciano
7/29/20263 min read
Poetry has long been one of the ways I make sense of the world. Through the works of Emily Dickinson and Mary Oliver, I discovered that a few carefully chosen lines can hold an entire lifetime of emotion, hope and truth.
That same spirit connected me to Agnes Q. Villaruz, whom I fondly call Tita Agnes. Over the years, we've traded poems, reflections and conversations that built a friendship rooted in words. We belong to different generations, but poetry became our shared language, and through it, I came to know not just the poet but the woman whose generosity, compassion and faith show up in every verse she writes.
Long before readers discovered Agnes through "Reveries," she'd already spent much of her life serving others — through nursing, community leadership and public service, including her years as executive director of the Gerry Roxas Foundation. Each chapter carried different responsibilities, but the same purpose ran through all of them: to care, to encourage, to help others grow. That calling continues today through poetry, which makes "Reveries" less a collection of poems and more the natural next chapter of a life built around healing, service and hope.
When passion found its purpose
"Writing poems has been a passion, not just a crafted artistry. Now, it has become a mission."
Agnes talks about poetry with the same sincerity that's marked every chapter of her life. What started as a personal love for writing grew into a calling — her poems now reach toward people living with grief, uncertainty, loneliness or quiet moments of gratitude. They offer companionship more than instruction, reflection more than resolution.
"Healing poetry has become a path toward healing others while healing myself as well," she says.
That line captures the generosity at the heart of her writing. Agnes never places herself above her readers; she writes as someone still learning, healing and growing alongside them.
The heart of Reveries
"Reveries" is more than a collection of poems — it's a reflection of the values, experiences and quiet moments that have shaped Agnes throughout her life. Its pages move through faith, gratitude, remembrance, resilience, love and renewal with honesty and compassion. Rather than offering easy answers, the collection makes space for reflection, inviting readers to pause, sit with their emotions and find meaning in their own journeys.
When I asked Agnes where her poems begin, her answer got at the heart of her writing.
"In a poem, I bare my soul, my true feelings, my real self."
Each poem grows out of lived experience — joy, loss, hope, faith, healing — and through metaphor and imagery, Agnes gives voice to feelings that are often hard to say plainly. Every poem starts from something deeply personal, but it also leaves room for readers to find their own stories inside it.
What sets "Reveries" apart is its conversation with the visual arts. Throughout the collection, Agnes' poems are paired with paintings, photography, digital illustrations and other artwork by fellow artists, each pairing letting words and images deepen one another. One example is "Poetry in Nature," paired with a digital illustration by Sophia Frances N. Villaruz:
"A Spirit breathes like a breeze,
Like sweet honey of a flower;
A mystery unraveled by bees,
Grateful for such a wonder."
That's what makes "Reveries" so relatable — it doesn't ask readers to see the world exactly as Agnes does. It just invites them to pause, reflect and notice what resonates on their own.
One verse at a time
Poetry doesn't end with the last page of "Reveries." Through Healing Poetry by Granny Annie on Facebook, Agnes keeps sharing poems, reflections and conversations that connect readers with her words and with each other.
When I think about the poems we still exchange, I realize they were never just verses passed between friends — they're conversations that carry the same generosity, compassion and hope found throughout her writing.
I asked Agnes what she hopes readers carry with them after finishing her work. Her answer captures the purpose behind every poem she writes:
"I hope that readers of my work feel the spirit that will move them toward an awakened reality that healing comes from within. And hopefully, my poetry can carry them through a path of clarity and peace."
That hope runs through every page of "Reveries." As Agnes writes in "Nurture of Nature":
"Tomorrow's allure,
Nurture of nature."
It's an invitation to pause, reflect and discover that healing often begins within ourselves — and sometimes, it begins with a poem.
"Reveries" is available in print for ₱1,500 and as a digital edition for ₱1,000. To order a copy, email aqvillarruz@gmail.com.