Drops of Blood

Sunday afternoon--
drops of blood on the cockpit
all that remain of his pet fighting cock

Losing A Friend

losing a friend
the way the sun
refuses to set

Viewing A Rainbow

viewing a rainbow
over another rainbow
this early morning

Morning Coffee

your eyes
twinkle
in my morning coffee

After A Fiesta

after a fiesta
fried dried slipmouth
tastes much better now

Rising Sun

rising sun
an army of red ants
at my lovebird's feeder

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
last two petals left
she loves me, she loves me not!

Pag-eubog Kang Adlaw

Sampaguita,
pag-eubog kang adlaw
iuli mo ako ha sa ugat ko

Old School Bag

first school day--
a new set of books
for an old school bag

Caged Butterfly

I wish you were
flying freely in my garden--
caged butterfly

Not Old

not old
she reminds me
...always refreshed

Once Again

once again
she promises to build bridges
over the unseen rivers

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
watching the tip
of a setting sun... with Bing

Kada Eak-ang

sa Mt. Everest--
kada eak-ang pasaka
kadaeag-an it Pilipino

Punta't Eamig

ring hello
ro nagpunta ku kaeamig
ku yelo sa bubungan it Mt. Everest

Ro Mga Amo

samtang gahaeabuya't eutay
ro mga amo sa kongreso--
buto't balat rang buesa

Hari it Kalibo

Kalibo--
maitum nga usok
hari it karsada

Bag-ong Dag-on

Bag-ong Dag-on--
gindelete ko ro ibang icon
sa desktop ko

Bag-o Magtueog

bag-o magtueog
gatext si Lolo't "I lab u"
kay Lola nga anang kahulid

Cell Phone

ginbayaw it pari ro ostias
nagtunog ro cell phone
kang kaeapit

Boarding House

ay gali!
kun adlaw... boarding house
kun gabii...kasa

Freezing Winds

freezing winds--
another Pinoy plants his flag
on top of Mt. Everest

Si Pinoy Sa Mt. Everest

sa katapusan—
nakatanum gid man si Pinoy
ku anang bandera sa bubungan it Mt Everest

(In Honor of Leo Oracion,
the First Filipino to climb the summit of Mt. Everest,
at 5:30 p.m., Philippine time, May 17, 2006)

At Last

at last
Leo Oracion plants
the Philippine flag on top of Mt. Everest

Serene Silence

serene silence--
father chisels and planes
the narra woods

Election Time

during elections--
candidates build bridges
over unseen rivers

Honorable Men

after elections--
honorable public officials
no longer honorable

Siniad-Siad Nga Kaeangitan

Bugas Sa Kalye

puting buean--
ginapueot ni Tatay ro nagakalhit
nga bugas sa kalye

Billboard

gatunod ro pihak nga buean--
ginakungkung ni Juan ra unga
sa ibabaw it higanteng billboard

Mt Everest

Mt Everest
you are there
yet not there yet to Pinoy

Ginatabuna't Gaeum

ginatabunan
it gaeum ro buean
samtang gainum ako’t kape

Sa Punta It Ikog

sa punta it ikog
ikog
it ikog

Electric Chair

bag-ong dag-on--
ginhalin sa museum
ro electric chair sa Munti

Adlaw It Tabahador

Adlaw it Trabahador--
si Mayor sa bueangan
si Tatay gapamueot it plastik sa basurahan

Ra Kupkup

ra kupkup kakon
bag-o ako pumanaw
ro nagpainit kang banig

Four Writers

inside a taxi--
four writers slashing the cigarette smoke
in four different ways

Keanna

Keanna, once
she was an escort girl
of senators

Pangabuhi Sa Syudad

pangabuhi sa syudad--
maski ro basura
pangabuhi

Graduation

finally
father stops
sighing before going to sleep

Owa't Bituon

owa't bituon--
gutom nga eake hana nga maeumpat
sa ibabaw it higanteng billboard

Pebrero 2006--
ginasunod it gaeom
ro sangka kutsarang silak

Leyte Landslide

Leyte landslide--
the rescuers cannot pinpoint
where exactly the school building is

All the Flowers

all the flowers
have been kissed by butterflies
but this Sampaguita

Sunset

Sunset--
your shadow
overshadows yourself

Curling Waves

the curling waves
on the shores straighten
for my birthday

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning--
he gathers the sun rays
into his palms

Cool Morning

cool morning--
the smell of garlic bread
reaches the street boy

Heron's Nest, vol. viii, no. 1, March 2006, p. 4

Flooded In

flooded in--
he plays chess
against himself

At Last

At last
time catches up
with the tiger

Face Up

face up
on the table--
an open Bible

Nipa Hut

May Gaeum Ro Buean

ugsad--
ugaling ginatabunan
it madamoe nga gaeum

A Piece of A Dream

Wowowee...
a piece of a dream
shattered

No Moon

no moon
no stars
after you left me

Hin-uno Mo Ako Pasakaun?

Itsong: Hin-uno mo ako pasakaun
Sa baeay ninyo nga ginapalibutan it saesaeon?

Bing: Mabuhay eon kita nga ginapasaylo
May pangabay eang galing ako.
Kun mabueoe mo ro barangaw
Ikaw gid dayon rang hakson.

Itsong:Sige akon nga bueon ro barangaw ngaron
Indi eang ibutang sa tunga naton
Kundi aton pa nga eubid-eubiron
Agod ibugkos sa buhok naton.

Bing: Indi eon lang gali pagbueon ro barangaw.
Kuhiton mo eon lang gali ro buean sa ibabaw
Kon imo eon ngani nga mabuoe
Aton ron nga paligid-ligiron sa paead naton.

Itsong: Mayad man ngani ron kon buean eon lang rang bueon
Ay mabuhay kon aton ron nga tueokon
Buko't paris sa baeangaw
Nga kon may asaw-asaw eang kon magbanhaw.

Bing: Peru kon indi mo ngani ro buean mabuoe
Indi ka eon magpakita kakon
Sigurado gid nga sa impiyerno ka pueoton
Agod igto pati ring kaeag paitumon

Itsong: Maski siin mo pa ako ihaboy
Kon maruyon ring handum
Peru indi ako magpati nga sa impiyerno ako daehon
Ay ro Dios naton mapasinsiyahon.

Bing: Mapasinsiyahon ngani ro Dios naton
Peru indi sa mga tawo nga pusong.

Itsong:Sin-o ro pusong?
Ako nga nagahigugma kimo
O ro tawo nga maski may gusto
Ginapaantos anay bag-o imaw but-on?

Bing: Paano abi kita but-on
Ay maski ro bituon
Ag ro puti nga buean
Ginaprenda mo kakon?

Boracay Beach

cold wind--
a girl gathers beach grasses
at Boracay Beach

Agusto

ro higanteng mangga
gin-euka
ni Bagyo Undang

Pag-eubog Kang Adlaw

Sampaguita,
pag-eubog kang adlaw
iuli mo ako ha sa ugat ko.

Gaani't Paeay Si Nanay

Samtang gaani't paeay si Nanay
Gakanta't Dandansoy si Tatay
Sa among eangbong gahapay
Kaatubang it tubang bag-ong tagay.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve--
father erases the blot
on his white t-shirt

Come

come, children of war
let's play hide and seek
in these damaged military tanks

Tawaya

gatunod ro buean--
may habatian akong hibayag
halin sa Tawaya

Singa-Singa It Sampaguita

agahon
may nagakamang nga ueod
sa singa-singa it Sampaguita

I Ask

I ask
I seek
I discover life

The Magnet of Aklan

fine white sand
of Boracay--
the magnet of Aklan

Cristina Bugayong

come,
let's hear
Cristina Bugayong's song

Pagguwa't mga Bituon

pagguwa't mga bituon--
gainisak ro mga isiw't manok
sa idaeo't baeay

Sa Kisiw

maambon nga agahon--
gabitaybitay ro amo
sa kisiw

Bintoe

bintoe,
pabay-i ro alimango
mag-eangoy-eangoy sa Akean

Tubi!

may NAWASA--
hamha't gabakae pa't
tubi sa bote?

Owa Gahueag Ro Buean

owa gahueag ro buean
sa Manila Bay
eumukso ro eake sa barko

Promisa

owa't suea
sa lamesa
raya ro pangako ni Gloria?

Inside A Shuttle Bus

inside a shuttle bus--
scent of a blooming
rafflesia

Tabtabon Naton Ro Mga Hilamon

dali,
tabtabon naton ro mga hilamon
sa kurae it Akean

Bisperas it Bag-ong Dag-on

bisperas it Bag-ong Dag-on--
makabueongoe nga tunog
it sterio ku kaingod

Between Two Blue Mountains

between two blue mountains
a lone fisherman
in the sea

Flower Horn Fish

flower horn fish--
do your Chinese characters
bring luck to your owner?

Bag-ong Dag-on

ginaagubayan pauli
it asawa
ra hilong nga bana

First World Pyro Olympics, Manila, 2005

the world's eyes
focus on the Philippine skies--
First World Pyro Olympics, 2005

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