Maeam-an

sikaeum--
gindawat ni Nonoy Ranel
ro maeam-an ni Lola Soriang

Marilou

mid-afternoon--
Marilou smiles as she gives me
a paracetamol tablet

Juan Plants Trees

Dawn--
Juan plants trees
Pedro cuts them down

Burning House

burning house-- one by one Rona Mahilum rescues her brother and sister from the inferno

At Last

at last--
after two months
new leaves

Using Her Mouth

using her mouth
she keeps on searching
for the broom

Lezo

Lezo
I did not leave you
rising moon

Passing Clouds

passing clouds--
she kisses me
behind the door

SS Yarmouth Castle

from deck to deck
Terry Wise drags away passengers
from the blazing SS Yarmouth Castle

His Steps

following His steps--
I get up
from a slip

Behind His Back

behind His back--
the disciples talk
on who is nearest to Him

Sunday Homily

Sunday homily--
I become
a child again

Glass Window

rainy afternoon--
she writes a haiku
on the glass window

First Night

first night--
the moonlight
enters our hotel room

Casting Net

Casting Net

casting net
into the river—
empty heart

***
Gapangeaya

gapangeaya
sa suba—
owa’t sueod nga dughan

***
Kahilwayan

nag-eupad
ro maya paguwa sa hawla—
sangkakutsarang silak

Enrollment Period

enrollment period--
co-workers' promise
to pay the debt on time

Sunrise

sunrise--
she wipes away
Guimaras' tears

Oil Spill

oil spill--
mangrove trees die
leaf by leaf

Waste Pickers

again--
the waste pickers wait
for another garbage truck

Oil Spill

oil spill--
the fragrance
of ripe mangoes

With Pilma Tonight

with Pilma tonight
we create
our full moon

Life in Charcoal

her framed charcoal
brings out
her life

Maeara 8-30-2006

Inch by Inch

the river bank claims
my ricefield
inch by inch

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