New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve--
deafening sound from
the neighbor's sterio

Rain Forest

rain forest--
seeing the future
in your hands

Keeping Her Nipa Hut

grandma--
sweeping away cobwebs
in her nipa hut

After Christmas Day

the morning after Christmas--
the streets rest
from footprints

Kinayog nga Paeay

kinayog nga paeay--
ag kita tanan hay paeay
matimgas man o upa

After Ten Years

after ten years
I again embrace
the giant acacia tree

Sa EDSA

Sa Edsa
walang
"Sandali lang!"

Ro Botong

paghawod it botong
ro adlaw
naghayag

Full Moon

full moon,
on a cloudless night,
not sliding anymore in Iloilo River

After Typhoon Labuyo

after Typhoon Labuyo
oriol
finally flips its wings

Sa Ibabaw It Bilbord

ro tatay ag anang ungang maisot
sa ibabaw
it higanteng bilbord

Sa Ibabaw It Sanggutan

ginpatik it oman
ni tatay Jose ro saeod
kon abu ra sueod

Caged Pigeon

caged pigeon
the chicken wire
slices the skies

Ilang-Ilang

soon someone
will pirate your fragrance
Ilang-Ilang

Sanggutan

sa saeod--
sa kada tueo it tuba
may rebolusyon

Stepping On Somebody's Net

dawn--
he steps on
somebody's fishing net

Revised: February 1, 2010

After The Burial

after the burial--
mourners look at the prepared merienda
at the cemetery gate

Mosquito

mosquito, do not worry--
my swatting
is my way of loving you

Crossing the Highway

late afternoon--
an old woman crosses alone
a busy highway

July

He lifts me
from the curling
sea

Late Afternoon

a red ant
moves out
of a chicken's shadow

Gathering Grains

white moon--
father gathers scattered grains
in the street

Full Moon

the full moon
winks at Kal
in his nipa hut

White Moon

I lose
the white moon
when our car turns to the left

Old Chair

old wooden chair
I used to sit on it
beside my wife

Rainy Season

rainy season
a spoonful of sunshine
between dawn and dusk

Tiny Stars

beside Pilma
tiny stars
in a rippling lake water

Empty Nest

dreams
rest in
their empty nest

Catching Rain

catching
summer rain
with our tongues

Manila Bay

Manila Bay
the sun kisses
the sea

In The Air

in the air
an eagle looks back
at the chicks

Our Bridge

in my room
your lingering perfume
our bridge

Atop A Mountain

atop a mountain
seeing plastics and cans
instead of flying eagles

Homecoming Dove

homecoming dove
the wind is now
lesser under her wings

Early Harvest

all our chickens died
except one
for my birthday

From A Nipa Hut

gray afternoon--
a boy at a nipa hut
smiles at me

Ligum Dueom

ligum dueom...
gulping nagdueom
ro Eangbon ni Lolo Empoy

Taeagbasan

Taeagbasan...
ham-at
permi kang madaeum?

Kanyon Nga Butong

Paskwa...
rang kanyon nga butong
sa pantaw pa gihapon

Mendiola

Mendiola...
ginpaligusan ka
eon man't bombero

My God

after the fight
father looks at a bloody Mike Tyson
and says: "Oh, my God!"

After Summer

after summer
my grasses
are still green

Caged Kitten

after lunch
the kitten in a cage
does not feel sleepy

June Rain

after a hard rain
the skies are trapped
in our bedroom

Above Aklan River

plastics
at the river bank
wave to the passengers

Black River

above a bridge
a boy looks down
at the black river

Deepening Night

deepening night
eyelids becoming
heavier and heavier

A Wild Flower

a wild flower
blooms in a cracked
concrete road

A Sign At The Gate

a sign
at the gate of a cemetery
"A Gateway to Heaven"

A Bleeding Night

A bleeding night
approaches
a shining dawn

Nadusmo Si Inday

nadusmo
si Inday
sa Boracay Beach

Lemon Juice

squeezing lemon juice
on a fresh wound--
this full moon

Empty Table

New Moon--
he walks away
from an empty dining table

She Grips My Hand

Sunday afternoon—
she grips my hand
as we cross the city street

Not Today

Friday morning—
a young mother
refuses to bath her first son

Hamtik Sa Sampaguita

sa kagang
it Sampaguita
gadasig it pagkamang ro hamtik

To Begin With

I plan to post here my haiku to be interspersed with luwa, both in English and in Aklanon, the language of Aklan..