Eubong

Ro Pag-eubong
Ni Melcichon
October 31, 2012

Pag-abot ku bangkay halin sa hospital,
Ginpaligsan it albularyo ag dayon ginbanyusan it eana
Nga halin sa bugtong nga niyog.
Ginsuksukan it barong tagalog ag itom nga saewae.
Ro bag-o nga eaba nga puti nga medyas
Ro dayon nga ginpasuksuk kay Tay Jose.
Nag-aeabot ro mga bisita—mga onga, mga magueang.
Mga tawo nga mga kilaea nana.
Nga tagnagapaeaea pa imaw sa kanser
Hay owa gid it may nagduaw.
Makaron abu eon sanda.
Ro iba hay nagamueawmueaw ro andang mga mata.
Ro iba hay tabla ro andang mga mata.
Sa besperas it eubong, puno ro baeay
Ni Tatay Jose.
Pagpangadi, mga napueo eang nga mga magueang nga baye
Ro sa sueod it baeay.
Ro kaabuan sa guwa
Gatumbo, kamadyong, galakinine, gatung-it.
Isaea sa miyembro it tagbaeay hay busy
Sa pagpalibot it mga bisket, ag kape
Sa mga nagdueo-aw kuno.
Tanan nga limos hay maidid gid nga ginpanglista
Ku kamagueangan nga baye—sin-o ag pila ro amot.
Kon pila so amot ku sangka tawo,
Imaw man ro iga-amot sa ulihi kon may namatyan man ro andang pamilya.
Pagpanog it bangkay, tanan ro mga onga ni Tay Jose
Hay ginpasuhot sa idaeom it kabaong—owa ako kasayod kon ham-an.
Ag bag-o ginbutang ro kabaong sa puninarya
Ginsigurado nga ro ueohan hay una nga ginsueod.
Paris kon tag imaw pa hay nagatindog.
Indi magsueang ro pare sa krosing
Ay owa pa’t kasiguruhan nga may dugang nga bayad
Sa anang misa requiem.
Bag-o ginsueod sa pantiyon, ginbuksan anay ro kabaong
Para sa ulihi nga pagtan-aw ku anang mga igbata ag kakilaea.
Bag-o gin-eubong,
Ginhupead ni Nay Soriang ro panyo nga puti
Sa ibabaw it kabaong ku anang bana.
"Adios, Jose", hambae nana.

Ugsad

ugsad--

ra panghayhay

hay nahimo nga tulaylay

***Melchor F. Cichon.

October 29, 2017

poems, Sampaguita

Sampaguita

ni Melcichon

October 19, 2011

Ikaw, Sampaguita, ro ugsad nga buean

Nga gatao it kasiga

Sa madueom ko

Nga daean.

Matuod

Nga kon amat

Nagakaduea-duea ka

Bangod sa naga-agi-agi nga gae-um

Pero ring kasiga

Nagapadayon nga nagatuytoy

Sa mga paminsaron ko

Eabi eon gid

Kon magapaeuka it butong ro hangin,

Kon owa't untat ro pagbinunok it uean

Sa kabuhi ko.

Ikaw eon lang, Sampaguita,

Ro nagatao kakon it kainit,

Kainit sa tagipusuon ko

Agod ako makapanumdom

Nga may kabuhi

Nga may kapus-eanan

Pa rang pagkatawo.

Ag kon matunod

Gid man rang adlaw

Hueogan mo eang rang paeahuwayan

Ku imong owa't pag-eaya nga bueak,

Owa't pagkaduea king kahumot,

Magbutlak it oman rang adlaw,

Magbutlak it oman rang adlaw

Maski sa katueondan.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
By
Melchor F. Cichon
January 2, 2002
Revised: October 17, 2012

They are persistent.
They aim for excellence
They work while others sleep.
They consider criticism as a lesson.
They think of time as a precious resource.
They know how to use their speech power.
They do not forget their families and their God.
They consider failure as a challenge to improve their skills.
They are not afraid to try a new way of solving an old problem.
They stand on their strengths to booster their weaknesses.
They know how to make friends with the powerful people.
They work for the improvement of their fellowmen.
They are not afraid of committing a mistake.
They plan well and they work on their plan.
They know how to work with people.
They are creative and innovative.
They work while others dream.
They work with a purpose.
They know when to rest.

A TRUE FRIEND

A TRUE FRIEND

A true friend is an umbrella.
A true friend is a fresh red rose.
A true friend builds bridges instead of walls.
A true friend sticks with you comes rain or shine.
A true friend encourages you to spread your wings.
A true friend returns a thing he borrows from you.
A true friend uplifts you when you feel down.
A true friend volunteers to extend his help.
A true friend is the sunshine after the rain.
A true friend spreads your good points.
A true friend is the string in your kite
A true friend is someone you miss.
A true friend opens doors for you.
A true friend makes you smile.
A true friend keeps promises.
A true friend tells the truth.
A true friend is a shoulder to lean on.
A true friend makes your life important.
A true friend is a bell, not a nail in your coffin.

Melchor F. Cichon
Dec. 17, 2001

Luwa, Hambae mo kakon

Hambae mo kakon kaina

Ako gid lang ring nobya;

Gali may imo pa gid nga ginabuesa.

**Melcichon, Oct 17, 2017

Still Leaves

Still Leaves

still leaves
still mind
but not my heart
still longing
for you
***Melcichon
Oct. 10, 2017

Elbowing With Literary Giants

Elbowing With Literary Giants
Melcichon
October 10, 2014

It was in college where I started to read poems, short stories and novels written by Filipinos.
In short I was introducing myself to Filipino literary giants like NVM Gonzales, Leopoldo Yabes, Edith Tiempo and her husband Edilberto Tiempo.
Later, I read the works of Cirilo Bautista, Teo Baylen, Jaime Ann Lim, Raul Ingles, Leoncio Deriada, Hermie Beltran, Merlie Alunan, and others which at the moment I cannot recall.
As time went by, their names, not necessary their works, stuck to my mind. And obviously, I admire them. At times, I wanted to see them personally and shake hands with them. There were times too that I wished my name would also be included in the card catalog of the University of the Philippines Main Library along with these great Filipino writers.
But that dream remained for more than two decades.
But I wrote my piece of literature: poems, and short stories, never mind whether they are poetry or not. Some were published but many were rejected, especially in the Philippines Free Press. Some of my works were published in the Philippine Collegian, The Quezonian, Weekly Graphic, Philippines Free Press, and even in a book of poems along with two other translators of Teo Baylen's poems in Kalabaw at Buffalo.
Then I decided to transfer from UP Diliman Library to UP in the Visayas (UPV) Library in Iloilo City. UPV then was called UP in Iloilo City (UPIC).
It was also my turning point in my literary career.
I met Dr. Leoncio Deriada, the Father of Contemporary Written Literature in Western Visayas. I was then the OIC of the UPV Library when he came to me asking if his wife could work in the library, while he would be teaching literature in UPV. Upon learning this, I told him that I am also writing poetry. Really he said. He asked if I could show him some of my "best works".
The next day, I brought my notebook filled up with "poems".
After scanning my masterpieces, he told me if I wanted to have a one-on-one workshop with him. With some hesitations, I agreed.
The first word that he told me on poetry writing is to create tension in the poem. And the second one is to use words that create pictures.
These two words remain in my mind until today.
The next few days after that workshop were busy days for me.
I wrote poems, revised them again and again until I was sure that they would be acceptable to Dr. Deriada.
I showed some of my works to him. One or two were Ok, but the rest needed more revisions. Or be thrown to the waste basket.
Then one day, he told me to submit a poem for Home Life magazine where he edited the poetry section.
I did.
The title of the poem I submitted is A Letter.
Here is the poem:
A Letter
John,
I will definitely go home
To our house
Where we can see the clouds
Through the roof.
I'm fed up
With the twinkling neon lights,
But I have not yet paid
For the earrings that I got
From Mama San.
I need them so my tinkling
Will be louder and my hips
Will be heavier.
Don't worry, John,
This Christmas
You and I will create a moon
And through the roof
We two alone
Will grasp its light.
Ana
And that poem was the first major poem that I wrote that won a prize, first prize in a national poetry contest.
With that award, I was able to attend national poetry workshops, national writers conferences/assemblies.
And it was during these meetings where I elbowed with Filipino literary giants.
I shook hands with them. I shared dining tables with them and discussed with them the various aspects of Filipino literature.
Now my name appears in the virtual catalog of the UP Library System.
And in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Indi Gid Kunta Ako Magpati

Indi Gid Kunta Ako Magpati
ni Melchor F. Cichon
October 3, 2017

Indi gid kunta ako magpati
Nga nagpanaw ka eon
Nga owa ako kasayod.
Ingko mabuka rang dughan
Pag-abot ko sa baeay
Nga owa eon kakon
It gaabi-abi sa pag-sueod sa atong baeay.
Owa eon kakon
It gapapangutana kon nakainum eon ako't bueong.
Makaron nga Disyembre
Nagdugang pa gid ro pag-eamig ku atong kama.
Kanugon
Ro ginpundar naton nga paghigugma
Kanugon
Ro handum naton nga kaeangitan.
Indi gid kunta ako magpati
Nga owa ka eon sa ang euyo.
Pero ruyon ro kamatuuran.

##binaeaybay
##Indi gid kunta ako magpati

haiku, Pangako

pangako--
hanggang sa likod ng abot-tanaw
ang pagmamahal niya sa akin
***Melchor F. Cichon.
October 1, 2017