Full Moon

full moon--
dark clouds
move closely to the moon
© Melchor Cichon

Gray Morning

gray morning--
creaking sound
of the bamboos

© Melchor Cichon

Angelus

Angelus
praying time...
a nun sleeps on the Abbot's lap

© Melchor Cichon

I Sing

I sing
my mother's lullaby
but still my daughter is awake

Early Morning Check-Up

early morning check-up---
the touch of
your healing voice

Sunset

the sun kisses
the edge
of Manila Bay

Low Tide

Low tide--
I hear the first cry
of my first child

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
the setting sun
waves in the sea

Homing Herons

homing herons--
the streets of Kalibo
still filled with dancing tribes

Alitaptap II

tangan kong alitaptap
'yon lumilipad
hindi ako umiyak

Alitaptap

Tangan kong alitaptap
'yon na sa gulod--
muli siyang lumipad

Round Table

a cat looks at me
while a rat eats sauted pork
at the round table

Bush Fire

thick smoke from bush fire
wants to catch the passing moon--
a mongrel dog howls

Morning Star

Sunday morning star--
a boy digs in the lahar
that buried a home

Golden Snails

two golden snails stare
at the two-leaf rice seedlings--
dark clouds loom eastward

Passing Moon

passing full moon looks
back at the golden rice fields--
a spider quivers

March Raindrops

morning rainbow--
March raindrops
cling to the windowpanes

Sueat Sa Baeas

amat-amat nga ginapaea
ro sueat ko sa baeas--
primero nga uean it Mayo

Cracked Ricefields

cracked ricefields--
thin clouds smile
at them

The Spring

late afternoon--
the river
looks back at the spring

Jawili Falls

full moon--
two lovers frolic
under Jawili Falls

Town Swells

after a mountain rain--
the whole town proper swells
like the river

Hangin it Tigsililak

hangin it tigsililak--
banjo ni Lolo
ginatukar kang apo

Waving Heat

a young lady
in lettuce bikini--
waving heat in the street

Ro Tulalay

hangin sa tag-eaeamig--
ro tulalay
ginkanta sa kato-anay nga dila

ni Billie Wilson
Gin-Inakeanon ni
Maeara

Asiong Aksaya

early misty morning--
Asiong Aksaya encodes ten records
of the same file

Showering Summer

showering summer--
shooting a star
with a bow without an arrow

A Blind Leads

cloudy summer--
a blind woman leads
a normal woman

Your Shadow

high noon--
your shadow
does not touch my shadow

Sun Sets

sun sets--
my misty eyes
seen in your eyes

Fresh Dews

Valentine's Day--
fresh dews
on a fresh red rose

Coffee Break

coffee break--
smell of fresh coffee
in a cup of hot water

Batan Waves

First Night--
the soothing sound
of Batan waves

Election Period

election period--
posters now cover
a clean wall

White Tulips

white tulips--
I closed my eyes
to see your purity

I Face My Shadow

mid-afternoon--
I face
my shadow

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
her red t-shirt
is inside out

My Guitar

after planting rice--
I tightened
the strings of my guitar

My Frayed Belt

August--
I tighten
my frayed belt

Misty Morning

misty morning--
all my thoughts
point to my parents

Dawn

dawn--
Sirius lights
my cold bedroom

Moonbeam

moonbeam--
I touch the shadow
as if yours

Sunset

the sun refuses to kiss
the edge
of Manila Bay

Villa Beach

Villa Beach--

rotting plastic bags

waving in the sand

Sangka Pisok

sangka pisok--
ro hueot ku hugom mo
kato ag sa makaron

Sunbathing

sunbathing--
the crooked shadow
of an open umbrella

My Hair

my hair has whitened
while waiting
for your return

Bueak It Tigbaw

bueak it tigbaw--
nagisi ro buesa ni Tatay
sa pagbinakae it antibiotic

January Breeze

January breeze--
again she tells me
she will retire

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
wishing your lips
were kissing mine

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang--
Boracay bites back
to neon lights

New Hope

New Year--
even the bunker-oil covered seagrass
struggles to grow new leaf

Alone, I Left

alone, I left
alone
I will go home

Exams

exams--
tired of sending money,
go home

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006
alone
with my flower horns

Bangud sa Yuhum Mo

Photo: Edna Romulo Laurente Faral
bangud sa yuhom mo
halipatan ko
rang baling tagipusuon

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