Category: Poetry

Smoking in the Attic

Poetry by | May 17, 2015

Sneak away from the daily buzz
Lighter in hand and light footsteps, too
Treading up the staircase
To where I feel desolate
Cigarette now lit; inhale
The smoke coaxing, to surface
Lost to the air, and with it
Forgotten yearnings of past
Only the filter remains
Baggage I should dispose of
To avoid outing myself
My needy nature; to be loved
Washing off the nicotine
Masked with soap suds and toothpaste
Rid my teeth of plaque from smoke
Ready to flash my dummy smile
When I break off, thinking I’m safe
I prop a stick in my mouth
Waiting, for someone to light the spark
Or a mouth to keep my own shut
Until then, it’s the attic for me
My own penthouse of solace

—
Gari Jamero is a BS Biology Student from Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and a member of The Xavier Film Society.

Talagsaun

Poetry by | May 17, 2015

Nipatigbabaw ang imong nawung sa akong huna-huna samtang gatan-aw sa wisik sa abohon nga balod. Gadala og kabalaka nga malumos sa imong handuraw kining pagbati kong talagsaun.

Apan ang panganud gitiklop ang gabii sa akong daan nga kahadlok ug nisidlak ang kamaayo sa init sa akong nawung. Gihiwa sa bidlisiw ang ngitngit nga balod, aron mahimong sama sa langit nga bulawanun.

Ninggitiw na sab ang imung pagtambong sa akong kiliran, dungan sa paggakos sa bugnaw nga tayhop sa hangin. Gapamati ko sa tapyok sa balud ug sa akong kasing-kasing, samtang galaum nga dili mo tuya-tuyaan ang talagsaun kong pagbati.

—
Cyrell is a psychosocial worker in a local NGO that helps young adolescent children in vulnerable situations. She is a graduate student of Masters in Applied Social Research in Ateneo de Davao University. Aside from writing fiction and poetry, she paints and sketches.

shift happens

Poetry by | May 10, 2015

koro:
eto na ang pagbabago
shift happens
huwag mag-pahuli
baka maiwan ka sa byahe
sanayin na ang sarili
huwag mag-sarili
there’s no planet b

human transportation
kay bilis na ngayon
tele-portation,traffic signalization,
nag-transform
e broadband, e-email, etx, elevator, eroplane, e mrt, e lrt, taxi, e usb, e flash drive
ecd e dvd hanggang ma corrupt ang memory

Human transformation
Ka bilis na ngayon
Isang saglit, isang sachet
Kani-kanina lang
Nag- transform
Ecellophane, e wax, e pa relax, epa dye, e hot oil, e rebond, e highlight, e pakulot, epa upaw, dugagan, pakuratan
Hanggang, mamamatay

Human trans-figuration
Kay bilis na ngayon
Saglit lang, maghapon
Kanin-kanila lang
Nag-transform
hair removal, lumina therapy, Thermasculpt,botox, waxing, power peel, whitening, anti-ageing, e facial, facelift, threading, tattoo, branding,
hanggang ,manlupaypay

human fast food station
kay bilis na ngayon
nag-transform
Gud morning sir, gudmorning mam
dine-in sir, take-out po
Side dish po, add on po
Beta-carotene, msg pakapin
junk food na may anti-oxidant, inom synthetic, hanggang magkaroon ng
Degenerative disease

koro:
eto na ang pagbabago
shift happens
huwag mag-pahuli
baka maiwan ka sa byahe
sanayin na ang sarili
huwag mag-sarili
there’s no planet b

—
Noy is an art practitioner, art educator, and art student, teaching Hum 1 at Ateneo de Davao University.

Acumen

Poetry by | May 10, 2015

ascent of a scent, your scent—
a nascent I wished
prescience was sentient,
like Lourd with Anna,
as Emma with Charles,
like ramen kills pain,
as adobo brushes off ruined hearts,
unlike devouring monggo
with Lav, or gorging
caldereta with Raya
a decadence of words and
feelings devoid of coherence

—
Kim Ocariza is an Electronics Engineering student at the University of San Carlos and a soon-to-be-legit-cinephile.

Kay ang gugma puno ug kasakit

Poetry by | May 3, 2015

Ang gugma dili puro kalami
Dili pirminti nindot sa pamati.
Ang gugma dili kanunay mahimayaon
Dili kada adlaw sa preskong baybayon.

Ikaw buhatong kabos na ulipon
sa tanang kalisdanan paantoson.
Buang ang gugma kay malipay sa imong kapait
Giatay ang gugma kay biyaan ka sa kangitngit.

Burag kawatan sa tungang gabii
Kawaton imong pangandoy ug kinabuhi.
Walay ibilin ang gugmang tinuod
Imong pagkatao ibahug sa mga ulod.

Mas sakit pa sa kung matunok ka ug tuyom
Kay tamas tamason lang imong mga pahiyom.
Mas alaot pa sa pagkapildi sa lasto
Kay wala na jud mahibilin kanimo.

Ang gugma dili para sa mga talawan
Dili sa huyang ug sa dali muundang.
Kay ang gugma puno ug kasakit
Kay ang kasakit maoy dalan sa langit.

Busa kaugalingon ayaw pagpasagad ug sangpit
Nga ikaw gusto mahigugma nga hingpit.
Kay ang gugma puno ug kasakit
Kay ang kasakit maoy dalan sa langit.

—
Gary Mondejar is an engineer.

if i am to write about you&i

Poetry by | May 3, 2015

if i am to write about you&i
it will be like this—
no capitals, all small caps
no proper punctuation marks
some words have rong speling
stream of thoughts, free flowing
like a river meandering, unrelenting
like raindrops falling, dancing
sometimes freighted with meaning
other times devoid of anything

if i am to write about you&i
it will be like this—
no period, no sentences
peppered with commas to give us space
no rules, no labels
relationship rebels
with inside jokes between the two of us
shower, bon appetea—it just made me laugh
with you&i separated by an ampersand
us, holding each other’s hand

if i am to write about you&i
it will be like this—
fantasy colliding with reality
certainty with a tinge of ambiguity
the past doesn’t matter
only the present and forever
oozing with sweetness
sealed with a kiss
with an ellipsis
it shall end like this…

—
Gary Mondejar regards himself as “nationalistic”, having been to schools with the word “Philippines” in them: Philippine Normal University – Agusan Campus for elementary, Philippine Science High School – Southern Mindanao Campus for high school, and the University of the Philippines Diliman for college. When he’s not working as an engineer, sometimes he finds himself writing or sleeping.

Tulo Ka Matang

Poetry by | April 26, 2015

alibangbang
nitugpa sa bulak
gikulbaan
pako di mabuklat
alibangbang
nawagtang ang kiat
ginapugngan
sa hangin mukalat
apan…
alindanaw
nilupad kapaspas
gilamian
nikirig ang lawas
alindanaw
gibitbit ang hawak
nitugsaw
sa tubig gilamat
apan,
ang apan niambak.

—
Rory Ian Bualan usa ka OFW sa Indonesia.

Puka Beach

Poetry by | April 26, 2015

Under the shade
of these cumulus clouds
here the earth greets you
with blinding light, but
the rain is always in
your somnolent eyes.
And you gather something
out of the viridian sea:
a handful of shells
for your dead loved ones
a fistful of sand
for your city of rust.
You hear flatlines
in the distance
as the horizon blooms
with a procession of waves—
beneath the fire rainbow
a sailboat drifts
towards carabao island
like a slow
moving funeral.

—
Simon Anton Nino Diego Baena, originally from Bais City, Negros Oriental, is now based in Iligan. Some of his works have already been published in Mascara Literary Review, Philippines Free Press, The James Franco Review, The Blue Hour Magazine, among others.