Category: Poetry

A Child's Stories

Poetry by | June 8, 2008

Before I nodded off to sleep at night
Mama would tell me a fairy tale —
The princess meets her dear prince…
“And then what next, Ma?’
A finger to her lips, she’d smile
“I’ll let you read the book tomorrow.”
When the sun came up
She’d point to the upstairs attic.
There, I sat on a dusty wooden floor —
The prince dances with his princess
to the sound of ten drums, violins,
trumpets, and lyres…
Downstairs, Ma and Pa danced
to the beat of angry voices, cries,
slamming doors, breaking china.
 
The royal couple now happily wed
Had a bonny daughter in the end…
Clambering down the stairs, I went
“They loved their princess, Ma!”
Pa slapped me very hard
“You and your fairy tales!”

Perhaps I had read the story wrong.
 
Many nights after,
I would tell myself another fairy tale
of a princess with a broken heart
crying silently in front of the mirror.
My story book went back in the attic, now
Covered in cobwebs, dust,
dried tears, and ghostly laughter—
 
Ma, you knew it would end that way,
didn’t you?

Lapis

Poetry by | June 8, 2008

kung ako
mabuhi pag-usab
pilion nako
ang kinabuhi
sa lapis:

kay kung naa may kapakyasan,
mapapas ra kini.

kay kung mahabol man ang akong paglantaw,
mahait ra kini.

kay kung maglisud man ko’g duyog sa kapit-us,
naa gihapoy mogunit sa akong agi.

kung maupos man ko, apan dili sama sa usa ka kandila
dili ko mamatay.

kung ang kandila mawad-an ug kahayag,
ang akong kahayag mabilin
sa papel nga puno ug balak
nga mudugay pa sa pipila
ka panuigon.

Chicken

Poetry by | June 1, 2008

I can hear our chicken in the backyard
following me at night
when I take her egg at day
and stares at me

I can hear this chicken following me at night
when I go inside the kitchen
after emptying the trash bin
with cracked shells sticking inside it

I can really hear the chicken following me at night
up the concrete staircase
suddenly it stops
to see if I’ll turn
to look at her.

Dalawa

Poetry by | June 1, 2008

Dalawang kaluluwang naglalayag sa batong karagatan
Dahan-dahang sinusuyod ang bagyo sa ilalim ng kahel na ilaw
De makinang mga nilalang, isa-isang iniilagan
Binabatong mga titig, paunti-unting iniiwasan
Pawis na tumatagaktak, kamay na handang pumunas
Mga butil ng maalat na likidong nahawi ng maitim na hangin
Mahapdi sa mata, malamig sa balat
Hinto!
Berdeng bwa’y nagpakita at nagmamadaling tumakbo ang mga de makinang tao
Naghahabulan na parang mga batang yagit
Nag-aagawan sa kakaunting espasyo ng dagat na bato
Lakad!
Pulang buwa’y lumabas at hinay-hinay na nagpaanod ang mga kaluluwa
Nilalasap ang bawat yapak, ninanamnam ang panandaliang kapayapaan
Tumitingin sa kalangiting butas—maitim at walang laman.
Katulad ng mga sikmura ng dalawang dakilang kaluluwa—nangangasim dahil wala pang nakain.