New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve
busy doctors and nurses
at the emergency room





Photo credit:
http://www.pcij.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/arjay-punay.jpg

Santa Claus

No Coins

no coins
for his music--
Christmas chill in Baguio

Sweet Talks

sweet talks
at Baywalk--
Christmas breeze

Morning Bath

morning bath
at a free-flow faucet--
Christmas carol in Pila, Laguna

The Doughman

the doughman smiles
as he prepares the dough--
Christmas at the Mall of Asia


Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

At Baywalk

the flags
fly freely at Baywalk--
Christmas Day

Igorot

tasting
the heritage of the Igorots--
Christmas in Mine's View Park

Christmas in Baguio

thinking
of my home--
Christmas in Baguio

Farther and Farther Away

farther and farther
away, the swan boat goes--
Christmas in Baguio

Santa Hangs

Santa hangs
on a tree--
Baguio holiday

The Mansion

The hedges separate
The Mansion from its people--
Christmas Holiday

Baguio Chill

Baguio chill--
a blind man
tests his portable organ

Ro Batang Paea-away

Ro batang paea-away
Ginatubua't sungay.

Christmas Chill

Christmas Chill in Baguio--
free straw
for a strawberry flavor tahu

Lunch Time

Professional Regulation Commission--
at 11:30 a.m.
the employees start eating their lunch

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve--
Santa goes to Dr. Juan de la Cruz
to check his high blood pressure

Christmas Day

waiting
for Bing to return from Ayala Center
Christmas Day

Amat-Amat

amat-amat
nagamartsa ro mga mangunguma it Sumilao--
nagakilo-kilo ro paroe

Tahu Man

Christmas morning--
Sean Marie still waits
for the tahu man

Early Morning Rush

early morning rush--
a passenger jeep
in upside down

November Departs

November departs--
my boss clings
to her chair

House Fire

house fire--
the first fire truck arrives
without water

Atop A Santol Tree

atop a dead santol
an antiyamis
keeps on singing

New Year's Eve

New Year's eve--
atop a dead santol
an antiyamis sings

Mariannete Amper

Sos, ano eon lang ra?
Naghikog si Marianette
Bangod indi makatuon,
Bangod owa't makaon.

Boracay Beach

Sailboats

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
the blue clouds
cover the setting sun

At The Park

at the park--
a Pinoy picks up
a fallen cherry blossom

Truadlaw

truadlaw--
ro hangin it amihan
gapanihoe sa likod it sunflower

Maeara
October 23, 2007

Thinning Fog

thinning fog--
a crane calls
for her mate

A Hen Crows Twice

A hen crows
twice--
a moonlight night

I Miss Bing

I miss Bing--
I remember her scrabbing my back
when I took a bath

Ati-Atihan

Ati-Atihan--

all roads end

in Kalibo

Photo: From http://my.akeanon.com

Text: Melchor F. Cichon

A Setting Sun

a grandfather at dusk

watches a setting sun

at Boracay Beach

Forced Retirement

retirement day--
bundles of memo receipts
still waiting for inventory

After A Day's Toll

After the day's toll

a smile from her

a bark from Bantay--Melchor F. Cichon

Title: After The Day's Toll
Painting by Vicente Alvarez Dizon
Thanks to Inquirer.net
Retrieved: October 7, 2007

Crane

thinning fog--
a crane calls
for her mate

Rainbow

Photo: Edna L. Faral
Text: Melchor F. Cichon

Afternoon Shower

afternoon shower--
a rainbow appears
in full color

Evening Traffic Jam

evening traffic jam--
the jeepney driver
keeps on scratching his head

Lunar Eclipse II

Text by: Melchor F. Cichon

Photo by: Edna L. Faral

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar eclipse--
a pregnant mother
refuses to see the moon

Text by Melchor F. Cichon
Picture by: Edna L. Faral

Deal Or No Deal

Roadband scam--
P200 M
deal or no deal?

Between Her Ears

between her ears
an empty
shell

Eve of Erap's Decision

Eve of Erap's decision
still the rain
pours into our room

Ro Gera Sa Basilan

Ro gera sa Basilan
Owa it katapusan,
Parero it bueang
Sa mga bueangan.--Melchor F. Cichon

After The Ambush

after the ambush in Basilan--
each one blaming
each other

Libagon Bridge

Clearing Skies 2

clearing skies--
Sunflower walks along
the Boracay Beach

A New Bamboo Sprout

a new bamboo sprout--
a sparrow sings
a new song

Body Bags

Basilan--
when will body bags stop
coming?

Still Leaves

Tangos Ilong

Kon ako mag-asawa
Pilion ko ro tangos-ilong
Ay kon maubusan ako't hamon
Imaw ro akong pritu-prituhon.

Sunflower Field

Sunflower Field--
Conrad lifts her
to Cloud 10

Only in Australia

I take this as an exception.
I wrote a poem upon seeing a picture of a kangaroo inside a supermarket.


Only in Australia
by
Melchor F. Cichon

May forwarded message akong natanggap
Mula sa dati kong guro.
Isa sa mga larawang pinakita
Ay larawang ng kangaroo
Sa loob ng supermarket.
May tali ang leeg na hawak-hawak ng isang misis
Katulad ng kabayo.
At ang dalawa niyang paa ay may kadena
Katulad ng isang bilanggo.
Kawawang kanggaro ginawang pushcart.
Ang biniling tsukolate, hamon at kape ni misis
Ay linagay sa kanyang pouch sa tiyan.
Peru de bale, nakapasok naman siya sa supermarket
At nakakita ng iba’t-ibang tinda.
Baka kumain pa siya ng halo-halo
Sa lamesa pagkatapos ng grocery.
Nakita pa siya ng libo-libong tao.
Di katulad ng Ati.
Malayo pa sa main gate ng megamall
Ay tinataboy na siya ng blue guard.

Heat Wave

visiting again
my old town--
heat wave

After the Fishing Season

after the fishing season
the cry
of the coral reefs

First Full Moon

first full moon--
the brightness
of Sirius

(for the people of Trinidad and Tobago)

Loving Her Again

loving her again--
re-reading
her Valentine's card

Sunday Mass

Sunday mass
the cry
of the baby

windy afternoon--
she kisses
a painting on the wall

Clearing Skies

New Cycle

new cycle--
her hand
reaching His shoulder

Johnson's Blue

please turn to me too
bee--
Johnson's blue

Offbeat

even the sound of the tide
in Libagon Bridge,
offbeat

gabunok ro uean--
gapinanilong man ro mga namok
sang batiis

Maeara
July 8, 2007

rainy Sunday morning--
mosquitoes take shelter
on my legs

Cash

cash--
the wind comes
the wind goes without notice

Nanny

early morning shower--
Nanny looks at me
wherever I go

*Nanny is the name of a dog of a Japanese haiku poet, Etsuko.

Sa Ana Nga Pagtaliwan

Sa ana nga pagtaliwan,
Nag-inuean ro kalibutan;
Mayad eang ay may tindahan
Nga puno't uga nga bantaeaan.

Diwata Ng Dagat

Diwata ng Dagat
knows that a fig leaf
is not enough for her

Sawa

Nag-agto ako sa banwa,
Nakadakup ako it sawa;
Ginbaligya ko kay Lola,
Si Lolo ro nagsumsuman kana.

Wild Fire

wild fire--
a woodpecker
still pecks on an old trunk

Beyond The Bridge

beyond
the broken bridge
another broken bridge

I Sing

I sing
the lullaby
my mother used to sing
for me. But my daughter is still
awake.

Maeara
March 27, 2007

After Her Kiss

early Sunday morning--
after her kiss
another kiss

Nanga Bridge

one year after--
Nanga Bridge still looks at the sign
"Sorry for the Inconvenience"

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge after one year--
the notice: "Sorry for the Inconvenience"
still hangs on the post

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge--
one year after,
still unbridged

Edge of Summer

edge of summer--
the smile
that brings in sea breeze

*The model is Ms. Elsa Surmieda, Iloilo

Brown Out

brown out--
outside the window
the leaves stand still

Ob-Ob Hill

Ob-Ob Hill--
wishing the fishermen
to be in the seas

Blue Skies

blue skies--
the calm seas
still wait for the fishers

Listen

listen...
the white lilies long
for your whisper

For Jenny Laurente

Early Summer

early summer
Bing's smiles
bring in a sea breeze

Kalamansi Juice

kalamansi juice--
a black ant
still moving around

Lilies

spring dawn--
on top of a broken aquarium
white stargazer lilies

After Sundown

after sundown--
she picks up
the broken pieces of sun rays

Mossy Fountain

mossy fountain--
slices of a moon
in ripples

Shamrock

Sunday morning--
I kneel to kiss
the shamrock

After Katrina

after Katrina--
sunset creates
sky ripples

Beneath a Forest

beneath
a thick forest--
a pathway

Sunset

sunset--
he looks out beyond
the rolling waves

My Eyesight

misty morning-
no one passes this pathway
but my eyesight

Misty Morning

misty morning--
still no shadows
on the pathway

Cool Breeze

cool breeze--
faint Sirius
beneath Pasig River

Falling Star

falling star--
she finally grips
my hand

After Sunset

will you smile
with me
even after sunset?

Bulol

sickbed--
a man pours pig's blood
on the bulol

Linger On

after sunset--
will you linger on with me
till moonshine

Humid Noon

humid noon--
nobody stops by him
but the house fly

Morning Funeral

morning funeral--
the mourners
prefer to walk

Early Dawn

early dawn--
I woke up smiling
again, I saw my parents

Passing Clouds

passing clouds--
the puppy in the barrel
peeps at me

Elections Over

elections over--
candidates' pictures on trees
still smiling

After Elections

after elections--
no quarrels
on money for votes

Crescent Moon

crescent moon--
passing by
my arm-length skies

Mother's Day

Mother's Day--
father does
the laundry today

Election 2007

election 2007--
all trees at the highway
wear propaganda materials

I Kiss the Sun

I kiss the sun
in my room--
summer noon

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon--
the church bells
keep on ringing

Preserved Turtle

a preserved turtle
looks at me
wherever I go

18 Cakes

18 different cakes
wait
for her 70th birthday

Free Jackfruit

a slice of free jackfruit--
a homeless man eats it
including the seeds

This Christmas

this Christmas Eve
nobody sings
but the lizards

Can't Carry His Spoon

he can't carry
his table spoon anymore--
setting sun

White Mountains

125, ooo feet above the skies--
white clouds like mountains
and valleys

Swimming Over

This picture was taken in Guimaras in April 2007.

Casher's Office

blue skies--
they only have eyes
for cash and figures

Calm Day

calm day--
the rock waits
for the waves

Heron

summer--
the heron thinks
she is bigger than the carabao

Sun Bids Goodbye

Manny Pacquiao-Solis Fight

Manny Pacquiao-Solis fight--
again
no recorded traffic violations today

Two Long Nights

two long nights--
your answer freezes
like the moon in Maeara*


*Maeara is a man-made lake in Lezo, Aklan, Philippines

After Summer

after summer--
brown flood water
rushes to the sea

Cherry Blossom

a cherry blossom falls
in front of a young couple--
a worm wriggles

Philippine Summer

Philippine summer--
raging fury
dry fire hydrant

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday--
Words from the Empty Tomb
for the empty hearts

Penitensya ni Magdalena

Holy Friday—

sangka gabii ro penitensya
ni Magdalena sa tong-itan

Holy Friday

Holy Friday--
Mary meets her only Son
on the Cross

Lone Tombstone

blue skies--
blue mountain smiles at
the blue tombstone

Blue Skies

blue skies--
sparrows tweet while picking worms
from acacia blooms

Line by Line

line by line
the waves erase my letter
on the sand

After The Rain

after the rain--
the butterfly flips its wings
and flies again
© Melchor Cichon

Brown Out

brown out--
a firefly
enters our home
© Melchor Cichon

First Quarter Storm

First Quarter Storm--
the leaves in the university campus
keep on quivering

© Melchor Cichon

Full Moon

full moon--
dark clouds
move closely to the moon
© Melchor Cichon

Gray Morning

gray morning--
creaking sound
of the bamboos

© Melchor Cichon

Angelus

Angelus
praying time...
a nun sleeps on the Abbot's lap

© Melchor Cichon

I Sing

I sing
my mother's lullaby
but still my daughter is awake

Early Morning Check-Up

early morning check-up---
the touch of
your healing voice

Sunset

the sun kisses
the edge
of Manila Bay

Low Tide

Low tide--
I hear the first cry
of my first child

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
the setting sun
waves in the sea

Homing Herons

homing herons--
the streets of Kalibo
still filled with dancing tribes

Alitaptap II

tangan kong alitaptap
'yon lumilipad
hindi ako umiyak

Alitaptap

Tangan kong alitaptap
'yon na sa gulod--
muli siyang lumipad

Round Table

a cat looks at me
while a rat eats sauted pork
at the round table

Bush Fire

thick smoke from bush fire
wants to catch the passing moon--
a mongrel dog howls

Morning Star

Sunday morning star--
a boy digs in the lahar
that buried a home

Golden Snails

two golden snails stare
at the two-leaf rice seedlings--
dark clouds loom eastward

Passing Moon

passing full moon looks
back at the golden rice fields--
a spider quivers

March Raindrops

morning rainbow--
March raindrops
cling to the windowpanes

Sueat Sa Baeas

amat-amat nga ginapaea
ro sueat ko sa baeas--
primero nga uean it Mayo

Cracked Ricefields

cracked ricefields--
thin clouds smile
at them

The Spring

late afternoon--
the river
looks back at the spring

Jawili Falls

full moon--
two lovers frolic
under Jawili Falls

Town Swells

after a mountain rain--
the whole town proper swells
like the river

Hangin it Tigsililak

hangin it tigsililak--
banjo ni Lolo
ginatukar kang apo

Waving Heat

a young lady
in lettuce bikini--
waving heat in the street

Ro Tulalay

hangin sa tag-eaeamig--
ro tulalay
ginkanta sa kato-anay nga dila

ni Billie Wilson
Gin-Inakeanon ni
Maeara

Asiong Aksaya

early misty morning--
Asiong Aksaya encodes ten records
of the same file

Showering Summer

showering summer--
shooting a star
with a bow without an arrow

A Blind Leads

cloudy summer--
a blind woman leads
a normal woman

Your Shadow

high noon--
your shadow
does not touch my shadow

Sun Sets

sun sets--
my misty eyes
seen in your eyes

Fresh Dews

Valentine's Day--
fresh dews
on a fresh red rose

Coffee Break

coffee break--
smell of fresh coffee
in a cup of hot water

Batan Waves

First Night--
the soothing sound
of Batan waves

Election Period

election period--
posters now cover
a clean wall

White Tulips

white tulips--
I closed my eyes
to see your purity

I Face My Shadow

mid-afternoon--
I face
my shadow

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
her red t-shirt
is inside out

My Guitar

after planting rice--
I tightened
the strings of my guitar

My Frayed Belt

August--
I tighten
my frayed belt

Misty Morning

misty morning--
all my thoughts
point to my parents

Dawn

dawn--
Sirius lights
my cold bedroom

Moonbeam

moonbeam--
I touch the shadow
as if yours

Sunset

the sun refuses to kiss
the edge
of Manila Bay

Villa Beach

Villa Beach--

rotting plastic bags

waving in the sand

Sangka Pisok

sangka pisok--
ro hueot ku hugom mo
kato ag sa makaron

Sunbathing

sunbathing--
the crooked shadow
of an open umbrella

My Hair

my hair has whitened
while waiting
for your return

Bueak It Tigbaw

bueak it tigbaw--
nagisi ro buesa ni Tatay
sa pagbinakae it antibiotic

January Breeze

January breeze--
again she tells me
she will retire

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
wishing your lips
were kissing mine

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang--
Boracay bites back
to neon lights