Uwak

naghapon ro uwak
sa gahapay-hapay
nga kapayas

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day—
a priest sings
"Habang may Buhay"

Ugsad

gin-agbayan
ni Nanay si Tatay--
ugsad

Typhoon Emong

Philippine Summer
Typhoon Emong visits Luzon
no claases

Gintueod It Ueod

gintueod it ueod
to tando-tando
tigbueueak it narra

Aba Nagpati Ro Tando-Tando

aba nagpati
ro tando-tando sa ueod!
maueanon nga Mayo

Pacman-Hatton Bout

Pacman and Hitman bout--
no congressional session
no quorum

Labor Day

Labor Day--
a father waits for the first cry
of his first child

Aba!

Aba!
gabasa ka gali riya
gatunod ro adlaw

Hipos

hipos--
maagto kita
sa minatyan

asaw-asaw--
aba kantigo eon magbasa si Maria
galitik galing ra ueo

Sa Suok

sa suok, ro bibi hay
kalmado? Ra siki gali
hay sigi ra pagkapaykapay.

ni Rogelio G. Mangahas
Gin-inakeanon ni
Melchor F. Cichon

Tando-tando

Tando-tando, siin si Posa?
Tando-tando, siin si Nilo?
Ham-at ako? Ham-at ako?

Tuk-ko!

Tuk-ko! Uean.
Tuk-ko! Silak
Tuk-ko! uean

Suok

suok
siniad-siad rang uyahon
nga owa't dugo

On My 64th Year

on my 64th year
the sun still
rises

Blue Skies

blue skies
calm seas
and calm hearts in concert

summer picnic--
I pick up
someone's bag

Maeara
April 2, 2009

Sa Baeay Namon Kaina

Sa baeay namon kaina
Nagsaeo ro eanggam, kuring ag ayam
Pag-abot ku kobra
Tanan sanda nag-aealagwa

Maeara
April 1, 2009

Malinong Ro Palibot

Malinong ro palibot
Makaraya man baea kalinong
Ring pini-ino kon owa ako
Sa euyo mo
Ag ugsad?

Pag-agto Ko sa Batangas

Pag-agto ko sa Batangas
May ginbakae ako nga manok-ilahas
Ginbueang ko sa Takas
Napirde ay ra obra pueo eang atras

Maeara
April 1, 2009

Kon Ugsad

Kon ugsad ag owa ka
Nagaligum-dueom rang banwa
Kon eati ag sa ang euyo ka
Naga-ugsad, rang dughan nagapyesta

Maeara
April 1, 2009

Philippine Summer

Philippine summer
children swim in Manila Bay
together with garbage

Gaduyan-Duyan

Gaduyan-duyan
ro bituon
sa eati nga buean

Ginhugasan Ko

Ginhugasan
ko rang
euha king euha

Ginhugasan

Ginhugasan
ko rang
euha sa saeamin

Nabasa Ro Tanan

nabasa ro tanan
owa't eabot
kang euha

Maeara
March 21, 2009

Gabalik-balik

gabalik-balik ro hangin
nga may daeang kahumot
it aeanghilan

Maeara
March 21, 2009

Thinking of Summer

thinking of summer---
the mango is still
green

Maeara
March 18, 2009

Buti It Lezo

ugsad
gakaon it buti
pag-uli sa baeay

Siin Nga Parti

Siin nga parti
king tagipusuon
mo ako patueogon?

Blue Skies

blue skies--
sunshine brightens
the dried-up well

Adlaw Sa Bibi't Tinaipan

adlaw sa bibi't tinaipan
gataeang-taeang ro agagangis
kon anong tono ra gamiton

Haiku Guides

I lifted this haiku guide from http://irishhaiku.webs.com/haikuguidelines.htm



Haiku without rules is like a tennis match without a ball!

1. Haiku is a three-line nature-orientated poem expressing poet’s direct experience of something, description of background/surroundings, and an original and deep thought based on it.
2. The form of 5-7-5 can be used but is not essential.
3. No title should be given to a haiku.
4. Make sure your haiku consists of two distinctive parts, and not of one or three!
5. Time: use verbs only in the present or past continuous tenses.
6. Avoid end rhyme.
7. Avoid using capital letters and punctuation marks, unless you really have to.
8. Avoid turning your haiku into an aphorism or an epigram.
9. Avoid direct metaphors.
10. Use only common language.

Further Guidelines

1. Remove any words you can remove without losing the sense of the haiku.
2. Try not to use adverbs, pronouns. Avoid using more than two adjectives with the same noun
3. Avoid using too many ‘ing’ words (usually no more than two!)
4. Vary the articles (‘a’ and ‘the’). Don’t use too many of them (two is usually quite enough).
5. Avoid using conditional clauses, e.g. subjunctive mood.
6. Write about what you see, avoid writing hearsay haiku.
7. If you want to write a real haiku, use a kigo.
8. ‘Choose each word very carefully. Use words that clearly express what you feel’ – JW Hackett
9. ‘Never use obscure allusions: real haiku are intuitive, not abstract or intellectual’– JW Hackett
10. ‘Lifefulness, not beauty, is the real quality of haiku’ – JW Hackett

Summer Full Moon

summer full moon
he touches
her silver earring

Pagkatapos it Bagyo

pagkatapos it bagyo
owa eon mabatian
ro kanta it agagangis

Maeara
March 9, 2009

At Boracay Beach

a grandfather watches
a setting sun
at Boracay Beach

Kueang

Kueang
Ro sangkadueang
Nga humay hay kueang sa baboy
Kueang man abi ra
Paino-ino

Dagat

Dagat
ham-an it
masangag ka kon
gumon gid nga gumon rang
painu-ino?

Maeara
May 30, 2008

Baeay

Baeay
Ku eamang
Gahabyog-habyog
Bangod gaalipugsa
Ro daga-daga.

Maeara
May 30, 2008

Note: Please take note of the number of syllables per line. I hope to continue this kind of poetry. I am calling it Bakod, with 2,3,5,7,5 line structure. Try writing one, just for fun.

Gulping Naglinong

Isaeahanon
ako makaron
apang bangod sa
pagpanumdum mo kakon
rang painu-ino gulping naglinong.

Maeara
May 21, 2008

Ginahikap-Hikap

ginahikap-hikap
ku ungang baye
ro tiyong kuring sa idaeum it biseklita
siin baea
si Nanay makaron?

Maeara
May 3, 2008

Kon Hikit-an Ko

Kon hikit-an
ko si Edna Sunz
madumduman ko dayon
ro bag-ong buskad nga Sampaguita
nga gatan-aw it bag-ong ugsad nga buean

***Maeara
April 30, 2008

Kahapon

Kahapon
gatanga eang ro pueang bougainvillea
sa eangit
pero kaina
gaharu eon imaw sa eugta

***Maeara
April 30, 2008

Breath Away

breath away—
my thumb marks
join with other marks in the sea

Baguio Fire

Baguio Public Market fire
welcomes
the Fire Prevention Month

First Dose

Summer sun
taking the first dose
of chemotherapy

Typhoon Frank

one year after Typhoon Frank
ants crawl across
the brown mark
of the floodwater
on our wall

Malinong Ro Palibot

Huni eang it suksok rang mabatian
Makaraya man baea kalinong
Ring pini-ino kon owa ako
Sa euyo mo
Ag ugsad?

Mud Nest

mud nest--
the sound of an insect
the sound of a falling jet

Summer in the City

summer in the city
mostly
the sound of sirens

On the Gravedoor

On the gravedoor
a haiku
for his beloved

New Moon

New moon--
she wears nothing
but jewels

Ligum Dueom

ligum dueom--
ginsiad it kilat
ro agi't ugsad

Maeara
February 24, 2009

So Many Ways To Die

so many ways
to die
gamo-gamo on the table

Katapusan it Enero

Katapusan it Enero--
sumueod ro eanggam
sa eagpit ni Lolo

Ati-Atihan

Ati-Atihan
naggoeutok ro karsada
sa Kalibo

Adlaw it Tagipusuon

Adlaw it Tagipusuon
nagmaeahae
ro mga rosas

Mga Anay

makaron nagalinuae
ro mga anay
sa libro

Rush Hours

rush hours--
a cops car passes through
a one-way street

Taeabong

mainit nga silak--
nagkapakap ro taeabong
sa ibabaw it anwang

Handum

Akean--
hin-uno eon man ako makapaligos
sa pangpang mo

Mainit Eon Ro Silak

silak it adlaw
nagkapakapa
ro taeabong sa likod it anwang

Ginpueot Ko Ro Libro

ginpueot ko ro libro
gintika ako
it ueod

Igto Sa Kanae

igto tanan
sa kanae ro tatlong
pueang rosas

Sa Bueak

sa bueak
it Sampaguita
rang mga sabat king tueok

Amihan

Amihan--
nag-untat it pagbueak
ro kapaya

Gintukuran

gintukuran
it eamang
ro nagakipot nga dahon it akasya

A Spider

a spider
watches
acacia closing its leaves

Ending of Day

ending of day--
acacia leaves close
silently

After New Year

two days after New Year
Christmas tree
still stands inside our sala

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008
I say goodbye
to Hospital Room 306

New Leaf

new leaf sprouts
after sunset

Hindi Nakikita

hindi nakikita
Ang Pasku
Sa bahay ni Aling Alma

The Rising Sun

The rising sun
In Tacloban City
Keeps me thinking
Thinking of what the color of the western skies,
Of the setting sun in Cebu City without my wife

Weathered Coffee Cup

weathered coffee cup--
emails still waiting
for sun breaking
----Maeara, December 19, 2008

Paeupok Nga Botong

paeupok nga botong--
operahan kuno rang ilong
ay may nagapugong
owa abi't alibyo ro mga bueong
nga akong gina-inum

Amihan Breeze

Amihan breeze
now engulfs the Philippines
a headache to most parents
a fiesta among doctors
and drug stores

Tigmaeais

tigmaeais--
owa't mahapunan
ro sangpanong nga maya

After Typhoon Frank

After Typhoon Frank
The streets of Kalibo
Look like Payatas--
A child looks
For her mother among the debris

Show What You Got

Show to your countrymen
What you have gotten
Isolation cells
Unknown graves
Sto Niño Shrine in Tacloban

Discovery

The day I learned
That they are not my parents
I could not sleep
Wondering how cold my bed would be
Without them beside me

I Wonder

I wonder
what the owl
would think
the rat gnawing
the snake crawling

Frank's Memories

After Frank left Panay
Everyone shared experiences
While shifting out
The debris Frank
Left behind

To Confirm A Dream

I woke up
to see if you were still
beside me
to confirm
my dream

Danog

danog
magueang ako
ikaw eang!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve
alone, alone
with these stars

Agagangis

agagangis
amat-amat
rang euha gatiurok sa anang tagipusuon

cicada
little by little
my tears penetrate her heart

Christmas Parade

Christmas Parade
free airplane tickets
from a book dealer

Lantern Parade

Lantern Parade--
aba,nagpakita eon ka handong
ro kapaya

Misa de Gallo

Misa de Gallo--
malinong ro palibot
pero owa pa gihapon
si Sta. Klaws nag-abot

Christmas Party

Christmas Party--
she prays unity
she talks of hatred

December Breeze

December breeze--
she gathers
olive for his martini

(for Hope Sabanpan-Yu)

Shining Morning

shining morning--
her eyes follow
the flying herons

April Moon

April moon shines
before the sun
set

Paskua Eon Man

Paskua eon man--
ro mga unga
galibot-libot eon man sa barangay
agod magkaroling

Hailuwa

What is hailuwa?
This is a combination of haiku and luwa.
This is a new form of poetry which I invented.
Here is an example:

Hangin it Amihan--
Sa pag-agto ko sa baybay
May napueot akong sigay
Ginbaylo ko it kaeamay.

Maeara
December 14, 2008

Rainbow

the rainbow
an inverted rainbow
above the other rainbow

Great Day

Great day
after
I received your email

Ay, Saeamat

Ay, saeamat
ginlingling eon man ako
it ugsad