Haiku IV

A burning candle.
Slowly, it's melting itself,
Giving off bright light.

Bobbing for Apples

Love is like bobbing for apples;
You disgrace your head,
Plunging into murky waters
Looking for that sweet shiny and red
among many others.

You sink your teeth
Into this sweet sweet love
and find that sweetness
comes from that hidden blade,
Sweetness from your own that bleeds.

Salty fetid waters
Sweet apple juice
Bitter blood of yours
All come from the same choosing
All come from the one you choose.

What do we learn from this Halloween game?
Beware when you bob for apples,
For love and blood are one and the same.

-2006-

Smothered

I do love you.
I want to shower you with
EVERYTHING
Like you do.

I want to fill you up
With shame, fatigue
and false hope.

I want to embrace you
In guilt, cages,
and endless waiting, too.

Because you have taken all,
And with all you left me with,
I shall smother you.

-2004-

Dumadaloy ang Wika

Iniluluha ng langit pabagsak sa
Lupang iniimbak at dinadalisay ang
bawat salita ay patak,
bawat pangungusap ay batis,
bawat tula ay ilog
na bumbuhos sa dagat
na nag-uugnay sa ating
mga kaluluwa...
ay aking nasilip sa gitna ng lawa:
ako, ikaw o kaya'y kata...
ay nakukubli rin sa kailaliman
ng laot ng kasinungalingan.
Tagong perlas, putik at pangarap
sa ilalim ng unos at panatag
ng nagdadalagang dila't pluma.
Nagdadalaga'y tumatanda
Sa habang panaho'y humihinog,
Hinog; at ang katas ay nasa
ating tinta
ating bibig
ating dugo
ating langit.

-2003-

Bahay-bahayan nina Hansel at Gretel

*here's something (relatively) new. Still needs some editing.

Halika, tayo'y maglaro:
Kunwari ikaw si Tatay,
kunwari si Nanay ako,
'tong kama mo'ng ating bahay.

Halika, tayo'y maglaro:
Tunay mo daw akong mahal...
Tunay naman ako'y iyo.
Laro man ay di magtagal.

Tayo'y magbahay-bahayan.
Tamis ng kasinungalingan,
Pait ng katotohanan.
Dito ako, iyo mang saktan.

Tikman ang tamis ng dingding.
Sa yakap ko 'ka'y umidlip,
Tagong saglit 'ka'y kapiling.
Lulong na sa panaginip.

Tikman at wala nang tamis,
Tira'y mapait na bubog.
Lasap pati luha't tangis:
Himagas ng pusong busog.

-june 11, 2005-

Kabuki

*such an old poem, first appeared in Ripples, St.Scho San Fernando's literary folio, even I am tired of this poem someties, but it's still my baby.

First is the white paint
Making my sun-ridden face
Smooth
Fair
Porcelain

Then my lips
Are reddened and decreased
Sweet
Silent

Then I make my eyes
Better with black paint
Sweet
Innocent
Stupid

I know this paint is heavy
But I can't perform without it
Dignity
Stupidity

Roaming and performing
Paint lead will soon take me
Insanity
Suicide

I look at the audience
There I see
Judges
People
The Great Kabuki

-Nov 17, 2000-

just a haiku

Mighty shining sword
Flying through the cold night sky
Goes down and draws blood.


*did this in the first year of highschool.
Hi to my former classmates in St. Scho San Fernando! :)

BATO

The most beautiful
stones you'll see on the shore
have been
sailing, smashing, sanding
all over the seven seas.

They have been rocks:
Rolling, rocking,
grinding, grunting,
roughing, hurting
'til they reach the shore.

They must have been
tough to withstand
timeless torture.

These gems have been
scoured to shine,
shimmering against
the soft senseless
spineless sand.


-August, 2004-

Wednesdays & Rain

Wednesdays and rain don't match.
Papasok pa lang ako ng school,
putikan na ang uniform kong puti
(bakit kasi puti?
nagpuputi-putian lang naman)

Maaga ang uwian;
at sa jeep
binabaha ako
ng pagdadalawang-isip
pag-aalilangan
at pag-aalala
Ngayon kaya'y nilalamig ka?
nagtatampo?
o di kaya'y basa?

Dapat ngayon ay kasama kita
at tatalunin ng mga yakap
ang anumang lamig.

Ang lakas-lakas ng ulan...
Pagbaba ko ng jeep, inanod
ang lahat ng tapang ko.
Kaya umuwi na lang ako.

Ang lakas-lakas ng ulan...
Kahit sa loob ng bahay
binabagyo ang isip ko.
Bakit ako nagpaanod sa takot?
Ulan lang naman 'yan.

Ang lakas-lakas ng ulan...
Kahit saan tumingin
malamig, malagim at basa.
Sa lakas ng ulan,
pati mga mata ko nababasa.



* this is something from way back 2003