Out of Mind

worker...
out of mind
out of work

Jeepney Ride

two Korean students share
a handkerchief
to cover their noses

Alubihod Beach

missing
ladies in bikini frolicking
at Alubihod Beach, Guimaras

Like Sirius

like Sirius
Fulgencio twinkles
after sunset

Termites

Sunday morning--
a colony of termites
on their way to the books

One, Two, More

one oil coated turtle
two oil coated turtles
...more oil coated turtles

I Will Not Leave You

Guimaras--
I will not leave you
even after sunset

Beneath Guimaras Strait

I miss the moon
beneath Guimaras Strait--
early August

Terrorism

terrorism
wakes up
those who are awake

Sunken Moon

she hears
the echo
of a sunken moon

Gray Skies

gray skies--
tonight
I miss the moon man

Oil Spill

suddenly
oil slick covers
the shorelines of Guimaras

Oil Spill

oil spill--
they hang
their beach seines

Her Silence

night strolling
her silence
makes me walk alone

In My Table

fish and rice
become scarer
in my table

August

August--
in my country
crows do not starve

Siren

siren sounded--
another air strike
is coming

Dugos

gintaw-an ko't
sangka kutsarang dugos,
gusto pa gid rang grapong sueodlan

Sa Tambak

sa Tambak
gapangeapaw sa pader
ro humbak

Warm Afternoon

warm afternoon
mother crushes between her thumbnails
a red mite

Dusk

dusk--
an old man
plucks a rose bud

Termites

inspired by their wings
termites fly towards
the electric bulbs

Eumapak Sa Silak

eumapak
sa silak
ro anay

Rainy Season

rainy season--
he sells chicken eggs
to buy cigarettes

Abuno

abuno--
nagdueaw
ro dahon kang paeay

Water Supply Disruption

water supply disruption--
just a pail of water
for a bath

That Moment

that moment
when you suddenly kiss me
behind the door

Rainy Morning

rainy morning--
walking barefooted
in a holey street

Matimgas Nga Uyas

matimyas nga uyas
bunga king sakripesyo
ag ikaw ro uhay

Sa Opisina Namon

sa opisina namon
indi mag-andar ro kotse
kun indi pagtughungan it gasolina

Mano-A-Mano

Pacquiao-Larios' Mano-A-Mano
no one fires a gun
today

Birth Anniversary

birth anniversary--
no one places a flower
at his monument in Luneta

On His Death Anniversary

on his death anniversary--
people paraded
in Luneta

Your Wink

your single wink
keeps me awake
the whole night

Philippine Summer

Philippine Summer--
stone Dr. Jose Rizal
in overcoat

Full Moon

full moon brings out lovers

Almyra C. Cortes

Autumn's end...
Spring's beginning
with Him

Last Night's Rain

last night's rain--
floodwater still above the knee
on Calle Real

Late Afternoon

late afternoon--
Anaisa refuses to fetch in
even just for fifteen minutes

Parody

an old pond--
a young lady jumps in
wow, no hair!

***

Lily,
out of the water
out of her mind

***

she talks all day
she complains all day
this woman

***

an employee who overdresses
puts on her make-up
wildly

***
one tear of her is enough
to melt
his knees

Sunny Afternoon

sunny afternoon--
narra's shadow
overshadows his shadow

Water Canons

Independence Day--
water canons for rallyists
in Mendiola Bridge

Bluer Moon

summer breeze--
the bluer moon
over the Tagaytay Ridge

Your Smile

inspired by your smile
I forget
my broken heart

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