Bag-ong Dag-on

Bag-ong Dag-on
ginpabagay kakon ni Tatay
rang gitara

Bagyo Seniang

Hardin

Inay,
why are the weeds
overcrowding in our garden?



Photo: Edna Romulo Laurente Faral

Sikaeum

Photo: by Edna Romulo Ricafuente Faral

Sa Kagang It Sampaguita

at Sampaguita's branch
black ant
crawls fast

Photo Credit: Edna Romulo Laurente Faral

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang
Boracay kneels
without question

Gahinay Nga Agoniyas

gakilo-kilo nga kingke--
gahinay nga gahinay
nga agoniyas

Tama Nga Rason

tama nga rason--
disturbo gid matuod
ro klase sa barkada

Mayad Nga Unga

mayad nga unga--
nagpaligos sa Akean
embes magsueod sa klase

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve--
I saw Mommy kissing
another Daddy

Income

he earns
less
than she spends in bingo

Bao

pagkatapos it baha--
ginpakueob
ku unga ro bao

Ripples In An Old Creek

summer—
a duck leaves
ripples in an algae-filled creek

Kapayas

gadungok
ro dueaw nga dahon it kapayas
sa asul nga kaeangitan

Photo Credit: Edna Laurente Faral

Gourami

gourami--
ginpabay-ang mamaehan
sa eutay

Breaking A Boulder

after breaking a boulder
into stones,
he smiles

Regular Employee II

she comes in
on the dot,
mostly, on the line

Regular Employee

she times out
on the dot, she times in
on the line

Deathbed

deathbed--
buyti eang ako
mabuhi ako

Eutay

tig-ueoean--
sa gihapon
mapilit ro suman

Office Weather

after hurling her papers--
the office weather
gets cool

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang--
it reminds Boracay
to think of Him

Typhoon Reming

windy night--
too many young mango fruits
in the streets

Droplets

imagining
connecting the droplets
on her window

Typhoon Reming

Typhoon Reming--
it leaves
without shedding a tear

No Way Out

Iloilo River--
no way out
from the fish corrals

Mayor's Birthday

mayor's birthday--
the president did not pass
Nanga Bridge

Adlaw It Mga Minatay

Adlaw it mga Minatay--
tuba ag maeam-an
sa altar para kay Tatay

Mudflow

mudflow sa Guinubatan, Albay--
nagtawag si Lola
sa nanay na

Hinyo

hinyo sa adlaw
sa anang pagtunod--
magbuteak ka eagi ha

Morning Sunshine

morning sunshine—
three blossoming Sampaguitas
at the waterfront

(based on the picture posted by SunflowR at my.akeanon.com for Mils' birthday, Nov. 27, 2006)

La Paz Batsoy

simmering
La Paz Batsoy--
quivering grandfather

For A Moment

for a moment
Filipinos are one--
Pacquiao floors Morales

Moonset

moonset--
a firefly rests
on my shoulder

Moonset

moonset--
the fireflies
pierce the darkness

Lanterns

lanterns at the windows--
pomelos hanging
on the street

Pinatumba Si Morales

makarong nagdaog si Pacquiao
indi eon baea mageupok
ro baril ni Mayor?

Rang Aguniyas

Nobembre--
ginbagting nanda
rang aguniyas

Nanga Bridge

Philippine life
in the unrepaired
Nanga Bridge

From Baby Powder

from baby powder
to men's perfume
the massage attendant

Dousing Water

moonshine--
dousing water
on our fire

Our Full Moon

through the rooftop hole,
Bing and I create
our full moon

Inay, Ham-at Gadueotdutan

Inay,
ham-at gadueotdutan
ro mga hilamon sa atong kurae?

Different Relative

fiesta--
my aunt tells me
to eat in the kitchen

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