Category: Poetry

Vulture

Poetry by | August 3, 2014

Sadness.
It comes.
It swoops down.
Its beady eyes focus,
Seeing a prey, it lunges.

Vulnerable.
Poor soul.
Battered by life
And its unrelenting blows.
It falls to the earth.

Inevitable.
Sadness comes.
Piece by piece
From my very bones
It tears the happiness completely.

Pain.
Excruciating torture.
A gaping hole
Where my heart lies.
Torn apart by its claws.

Flight.
Sadness left,
Never looked back.
I am all alone.
Weeping, I am dying inside.

—
Ms. Olojan is a literature senior at the University of Southeastern Philippines.

Ode to Amparo

Poetry by | August 3, 2014

Yes, I vividly recall
the nights
And days we seem
to get along:
Was it just a year
or eonspast?
But it feels like a lifetime;
Or, another life;
yes, another time !

Honestly,howregretful
are the ways
Those nights progress, fade :
When shackled games
are played and replayed;
When spirits and egos
are bloated, sullied!
And then, there
you are , Amparo —
Coming like a fresh whiff
of air most serene
Sobering the drunkenness
ofsouls disappeared,
Massaging the numbness
of aruined, snuffed heart.

But, why, I asked,
O’ happiness dear,
As the laughterfills,
nay, overflows my glass,
arranging, uttering,
singing affectionate songs,
As the letters flow, rage down
my pen’svein,
rummaging , dredging
o’er buried pasts;
You remove
thewinged shield
thatfreely nurtures,
thatnaturally fortifies;
I am, ruined now,
buried.
By the hills
defenseless.
Broken,
alone.
Again.

—
Mr. Zarate is Bayan Muna representative at the 16th Congress.

Kunin Mo Na

Poetry by | August 3, 2014

I
Ano pa ba ang saysay ng
buhay ko
Kung di ko marinig, iyong
munting tinig
Paano pa ba ako muling
babangon sa mundo
Lulubog sa lupa ang lahat

Ref
Di magagawang ika’y hilain
pababa
Di magagawang kaladkarin ka
rin
Di ko aakuin ang sa’yo
Basta’t iyong iyo na ang sa akin

Koro
Kunin mo na
At ito’y ibulsa
Lahat ay inaalay ko sa’yo
Puso’t isipan
Lahat ng kailangan
Pangarap at musika

II
Paano ko ba sasabihin sa iyo
Ang araw at gabi ay kukulangin
Di sapat ang ‘sang
tanangbuhay
Para ‘yong mawari na
minamahal kita

Ref2
Sisikapin kong mapadama
sa’yo
Pagibig na wagas at di
magbabago
Papaligayahin lang kita
hanggat humihinga ako
Ang buhay ko ay sa iyo

Koro
Kunin mo na
At ito’y ibulsa
Lahat ay inaalay ko sa’yo
Puso’t isipan
Lahat ng kailangan
Pangarap at musika

—
Mr. Gomez works at the Campus Ministry and Service Office at Xavier School in San Juan, Metro Manila. He’s also a self-taught choral conductor on the side.

Sardine in Cosmos

Poetry by | July 27, 2014

Think of this, poet,
when you write down your little truth:

We pry our heads open with a knife
and spill out the brain on a tin plate,

and pass it on to four or five people
squatting on the bamboo floor.

We sprinkle salt
onto the red nebula,

Have to offer them vinegar
with kisses of a million chili peppers, too.

What we’ve given out may not do much
than to fill their mouths

and trim their bodies
into thin bamboo sticks,

but one thing’s for sure:
We offer something new

in this universe of plates,
appeal to those wide-eyed

who rarely have such a feast.
They all sure take our red cosmos in,

and think of black heaven
in a country of lost fish heads.

Think of this, poet,
when you write down your truth.

—
Erika Navaja works in a call center and is in love.

Dagayday

Poetry by | July 27, 2014

Pilua
ang habol
niadtong milabay
nga gabhiona.
Haw-ana
ang tapis
ug lilia
ang silahis
sa sanga-sanga,
motungha
sa imong bintana
Hinay-hinaya,
kutaw-kutawa,
lisu-lisua ang kutsarita.
salura ang gaasong
timbaya ning
kabuntaga.
Tunob,
ayaw kahadlok
sa paghaguros
ning adlawa.
Wala sa mugna
nga numero
sa Bandera
o sa badlis
anang kamota
ang agian
mong
bahada
ug subida.
Tiwasa
Hantod sa pagbagting
sa saktong taknaa.
Kon
Hagbong karon
Antoson.
Ugma puhon
Padayon

—
Born in Davao City and raised in General Santos City, Mark Arlo Segundo is third year Medical Laboratory Science student of the University of the Immaculate Conception.

Awakening

Poetry by | July 20, 2014

Her windows became
ribbons of glitter
layered through the glass.
A waterfall of peach
and cream roses became
her curtains.
Farewells to the moon
and welcoming dawn.
A pillow of tears
embraced her tangled
mane of nuts and wood.
Dreams of vividness,
escaping reality.
But alas, she
woke again from
unfinished words.
Just as her gaze
isn’t blind
anymore, she
forgets.
Except for his face
she no less remembered.

—-
Born in General Santos City, Monique is a Second Year student at UP Mindanao. She’s currently studying BS Biology.

Sky

Poetry by | July 20, 2014

One last time,
Let’s buy our wings
Pretend to be angels
As feathers flutter in the air
Let’s stretch our arms
Pretend to be heroes
Our capes will dance with the wind
Let’s shine
Pretend to be falling stars
And in the last seconds
I’ll tell you
It would be the last
The last del of pain —

—
Ten Ilajas recently graduated from Ateneo de Davao University.

Kon Ako Usa ka Bitoon 

Poetry by | July 20, 2014

Kon ako usa pa ka bitoon
buot unta nako nga masiplatan
sa takna nga dawaton
sa kahayag ang panamilit
sa kangitngit.
Bisan tuod dili magdugay
mahanaw ra gihapon inig
sabwag sa adlaw, dawaton ko
gihapon sa kinasingkasing
nga pagpaubos,
ug pagsunod sa kaalam
sa sidlakan nga kanunay
gapadayon bisan mapalong
sa higayon nga motugyan
sa kaugalingon.

—
Si Dr. Jondy M. Arpilleda usa ka magtutudlo sa Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology. Usa siya ka myembro sa Davao Writers Guild ug sa Bathalan-ong Halad sa Mindanao.