Nanny

early morning shower--
Nanny looks at me
wherever I go

*Nanny is the name of a dog of a Japanese haiku poet, Etsuko.

Sa Ana Nga Pagtaliwan

Sa ana nga pagtaliwan,
Nag-inuean ro kalibutan;
Mayad eang ay may tindahan
Nga puno't uga nga bantaeaan.

Diwata Ng Dagat

Diwata ng Dagat
knows that a fig leaf
is not enough for her

Sawa

Nag-agto ako sa banwa,
Nakadakup ako it sawa;
Ginbaligya ko kay Lola,
Si Lolo ro nagsumsuman kana.

Wild Fire

wild fire--
a woodpecker
still pecks on an old trunk

Beyond The Bridge

beyond
the broken bridge
another broken bridge

I Sing

I sing
the lullaby
my mother used to sing
for me. But my daughter is still
awake.

Maeara
March 27, 2007

After Her Kiss

early Sunday morning--
after her kiss
another kiss

Nanga Bridge

one year after--
Nanga Bridge still looks at the sign
"Sorry for the Inconvenience"

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge after one year--
the notice: "Sorry for the Inconvenience"
still hangs on the post

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge--
one year after,
still unbridged

Edge of Summer

edge of summer--
the smile
that brings in sea breeze

*The model is Ms. Elsa Surmieda, Iloilo

Brown Out

brown out--
outside the window
the leaves stand still

Ob-Ob Hill

Ob-Ob Hill--
wishing the fishermen
to be in the seas

Blue Skies

blue skies--
the calm seas
still wait for the fishers

Listen

listen...
the white lilies long
for your whisper

For Jenny Laurente

Early Summer

early summer
Bing's smiles
bring in a sea breeze

Kalamansi Juice

kalamansi juice--
a black ant
still moving around

Lilies

spring dawn--
on top of a broken aquarium
white stargazer lilies

After Sundown

after sundown--
she picks up
the broken pieces of sun rays

Mossy Fountain

mossy fountain--
slices of a moon
in ripples

Shamrock

Sunday morning--
I kneel to kiss
the shamrock

After Katrina

after Katrina--
sunset creates
sky ripples

Beneath a Forest

beneath
a thick forest--
a pathway

Sunset

sunset--
he looks out beyond
the rolling waves

My Eyesight

misty morning-
no one passes this pathway
but my eyesight

Misty Morning

misty morning--
still no shadows
on the pathway

Cool Breeze

cool breeze--
faint Sirius
beneath Pasig River

Falling Star

falling star--
she finally grips
my hand

After Sunset

will you smile
with me
even after sunset?

Bulol

sickbed--
a man pours pig's blood
on the bulol

Linger On

after sunset--
will you linger on with me
till moonshine

Humid Noon

humid noon--
nobody stops by him
but the house fly

Morning Funeral

morning funeral--
the mourners
prefer to walk

Early Dawn

early dawn--
I woke up smiling
again, I saw my parents

Passing Clouds

passing clouds--
the puppy in the barrel
peeps at me

Elections Over

elections over--
candidates' pictures on trees
still smiling

After Elections

after elections--
no quarrels
on money for votes

Crescent Moon

crescent moon--
passing by
my arm-length skies

Mother's Day

Mother's Day--
father does
the laundry today

Election 2007

election 2007--
all trees at the highway
wear propaganda materials

I Kiss the Sun

I kiss the sun
in my room--
summer noon

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon--
the church bells
keep on ringing

Preserved Turtle

a preserved turtle
looks at me
wherever I go

18 Cakes

18 different cakes
wait
for her 70th birthday

Free Jackfruit

a slice of free jackfruit--
a homeless man eats it
including the seeds

This Christmas

this Christmas Eve
nobody sings
but the lizards

Can't Carry His Spoon

he can't carry
his table spoon anymore--
setting sun

White Mountains

125, ooo feet above the skies--
white clouds like mountains
and valleys

Swimming Over

This picture was taken in Guimaras in April 2007.

Casher's Office

blue skies--
they only have eyes
for cash and figures

Calm Day

calm day--
the rock waits
for the waves

Heron

summer--
the heron thinks
she is bigger than the carabao

Sun Bids Goodbye

Manny Pacquiao-Solis Fight

Manny Pacquiao-Solis fight--
again
no recorded traffic violations today

Two Long Nights

two long nights--
your answer freezes
like the moon in Maeara*


*Maeara is a man-made lake in Lezo, Aklan, Philippines

After Summer

after summer--
brown flood water
rushes to the sea

Cherry Blossom

a cherry blossom falls
in front of a young couple--
a worm wriggles

Philippine Summer

Philippine summer--
raging fury
dry fire hydrant

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday--
Words from the Empty Tomb
for the empty hearts

Penitensya ni Magdalena

Holy Friday—

sangka gabii ro penitensya
ni Magdalena sa tong-itan

Holy Friday

Holy Friday--
Mary meets her only Son
on the Cross

Lone Tombstone

blue skies--
blue mountain smiles at
the blue tombstone

Blue Skies

blue skies--
sparrows tweet while picking worms
from acacia blooms

Line by Line

line by line
the waves erase my letter
on the sand

After The Rain

after the rain--
the butterfly flips its wings
and flies again
© Melchor Cichon

Brown Out

brown out--
a firefly
enters our home
© Melchor Cichon

First Quarter Storm

First Quarter Storm--
the leaves in the university campus
keep on quivering

© Melchor Cichon

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