Between Smile

Photo taken in San Jose, Antique
Oct. 24, 2010
Originally written on
Sept. 22, 2010

Walking Alone

walking alone--
the dew refuses
to fall
--Mel Cichon

First Kiss

after the first kiss--
a deep breathe
after every smile

Maeara
Sept. 18, 2010

After The First Kiss

after the first kiss--
the silence
between each smile

Maeara
September 18, 2010

Maagto Kita Sa Baybay

Maagto kita sa baybay
Mamueot kita it sigay
Itao naton kay Maymay
Agod taw-an kita it monay

Maeara
Sept. 17, 2010

Morning Rush Hours

morning rush hours--
an old woman
sweeps a city street

Maeara
September 17, 2010

Low Tide

low tide--
children plant mangrove seedlings
along the shore

Maeara
September 16, 2010

Moonrise

moonrise--
not letting go
the moonshine in our palms

Maeara
September 16, 2010

August 23, 2010

August 23, 2010--
a black hole develops
in Luneta

Tawa-Tawa

Hilamon man lang ako kato
Ginagabot, ginahaboy sa basurahan
Ginasunog, gina-eapak-eapakan
Ku ulihi, ginatanum eon ako
Sa harden, ginabunyagan
Rang palibot ginahawan
Ginagabot, ginahugasan
Gina-eaga, gina-inum
Ay gali epektibong bueong
Sa makakamatay nga dengge.

Beneath

beneath
the heap of twigs and leaves
a symmetry

Remember

remember
the fallen Sampaguita
in Luneta

Maeara
Sept. 13, 2010

Summer Vacation

summer vacation--
looking at your home
pretending you're there

Maeara
Sept. 13, 2010

Billiard Tournament

billiard tournament--
the player changes
his billiard stick

Maeara
Sept. 12, 2010

Habagat

Habagat--
gaeagaak nga sanga
it mahogany

Maeara
Sept. 11, 2010

Inubaran nga Manok

dinner--
inubaran nga manok
brings me back to my childhood

Maeara
Sept. 11, 2010

Nag-agto Ako Sa Lezo

Nag-agto ako sa Lezo,
May hakita ako nga gwapo;
Gusto ko kunta kana makalamano
Ugaling nahuya ako.

Old Stars

old stars leaving us
new stars relighting
the skies

First Kiss

first kiss--
for a moment,
all moonlight

Maeara
September 2, 2010

Photo credit: http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?
Date retrieved: Sept. 2, 2010

Summer Full Moon

summer full moon--
poets toast
to her beauty

Maeara
August 31, 2010

August 6, 1945

August 6, 1945--
Little Boy
creates a mushroom cloud

Maeara
Agust 31, 2010

Mona Liza

Suddenly

May Hostage Sa Luneta

May hostage sa Luneta.
Mayad eang ay igto si Korina;
Kinupkupan ako nana,
Imaw ro haigo it bala.

Luneta Hostage

Luneta hostage--
the world sees and hears
the gunfires

Maeara
August 23, 2010

Sagibin

After Lunch

after lunch--
a father washes the dishes
of his grown-up children

Maeara
August 22, 2010

Black Hole

black hole--
the earth touches
the sun

Cupid's Arrow

Dawn to Dusk

dawn to dusk
her beauty lingers
in my mind

Maeara
August 15, 2010

The Beauty That Eyes Follow

57 Cents for a Church

deadbed--
a girl saves 57 cents
to help build a church

Maeara
August 15, 2010

Tatay Omeng

Passing Clouds

Meadows

Diwata ng Dagat

Note: This statue is located in UP Visayas Miag-ao Campos, Iloilo

Yen Yen Butterfly

Photo credit: Yen Yen

Hanie

Superbug Bacteria

Photo credit: http://article.wn.com/view/2010/08/13/Health_ministry_rejects_superbug_report/

fazed by
the Superbug bacteria--
the doctors

Maeara
August 14, 2010

Dengue Fever

all hospital beds
occupied--
dengue fever

Maeara
August 12, 2010

Papaya

papaya's leaves
turn yellow
start of rainy season

Ramadan

the MILF declare
ceasefire--
start of Ramadan

Maeara
August 12, 2010

Her Smile Seals

Photo Credit: Jonah Eliza Prado

Pastrana Park

Photo Credit: Jonah Eliza Prado

Sean Marie's Sixth Birthday

This is the invitation her Tito Gigi prepared for her birhtday.

Off Time

off time--
she asks me if I can write her again
a haiku

Photo credit: Unknwon

Yen Yen With Missy

Photo credit: Yen Yen

Manga's Shade

summer heat
children playing cards
under my mango tree's shade

Maeara
August 8, 2010

Jasmin, Yen Yen and Lyn Lyn

Punay

Cloud

Homeless Boy

After the Battle

after the battle--
no bloodstains left
on the broken boulders

Maeara
August 4, 2010

Sean Marie

After All

Note: This is the only man-size bronze monument of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. It is located in Lezo Plaza, Lezo, Aklan.

I Refuse To See

Photo taken:
Punta Villa, Iloilo City, 2010

Ro Ginhalinan It Mga Alibangbang

Ro Ginhalinan it mga Alibangbang
Gin-sueat it Oman ni Lolo Maeara
July 31, 2010

Kato anay, may sangka magueang nga baye nga naga-estar maeapit sa pangpang it Akean. Sa ana nga harden may mga manami imaw nga mga rosas, rosal, orkids, ag iba pa nga mga manami nga bueak. Raya nga lugar hay perming gina-agtunan it mag-asawang manugbaligya it isda agod magbaylo it bueak.

Kon gabii, perming makita ku mag-asawa ngara nga sobra kahayag ro harden ku rayang magueang. Ag permi pa nanda nga magit-an nga may dwende nga nagabulig sa gwapahon nga daeaga nga nagaatinder sa kabueakan.

Sangka adlaw, may daywang magnobyong pamatan-on nga nagbisita sa lugar it magueang. Masyado sanda ka bugaeon ag agig sanda sa mga butang nga owa’t sayod. Hakita nanda ro mga manami nga kabueakan ku magueang ag nagpupu sanda’t bueak. Gin-akigan sanda it magueang ag ginhambaean nga maghalin. Pero embes nga maghalin, ginsinunlog pa nanda imaw. nga maeaw-ay.

Sa kaakig, binakulo sanda ku magueang ag ginhambaean nga bangod gusto nanda ro mga manami nga mga pagkabutang, ginhimo sanda nga alibangbang.
Sa masunod nga makakita kamo it daywang manami nga mga alibangbang nga nagapaeapit sa bueak, panumdumon ninyo ratong daywang bastos nga pamatan-on.

The Race

After the Recital

after the recital--
mother catches
my tears

Maeara
July 29, 2010

MWSS Bosings

MWSS bosings--
P211.5 million nga bunos
maea nga gripo

Maeara
July 29, 2010

Source: http://dateline.ph/?p=4641

Tambak-Tambak Nga Bugas

tambak-tambak nga bugas
ginaueod sa bodega
gutom si Lola

Maeara
July 27, 2010

Baha sa Karsada

uean--
mabaho it gas
ro baha sa karsada

Maeara
July 25, 2010

Wet Market

wet market--
the floor sweeper
changes his broom

Maeara
July 25, 2010

Waves

Manubo nga Buean

manubo nga buean--
ro kahumot it kape
owa imaw sa lamesa namon

Maeara
July 21, 2010

Full Moon

--Model: Shiela Jamolo

Sandra

Tears on the Bed

at her laughter's end
tears dropping
on the bed

Maeara
July 19, 2010

Baeanaw sa Karsada

hanging tig-ilinit
gakatunaw
ro baeanaw sa karsada

Maeara
July 18, 2010

Sa Eamay

ugsad
ginputos ni Nanay ro tinapay
sa eamay

Maeara
July 18, 2010

Tuktukon nga Bunit

salikaeum
gin-islan ni Yoyo
ra tuktukon nga bunit

Maeara
July 17, 2010

Bagyo Basyang

Bagyo Basyang--
gapanilong ako
sa nagatueo nga overpass

July 13, 2010

Kunta Iya Imaw

kunta iya imaw--
ginahimas-himas ko
rang cellphone

In Boiling Oil

in boiling oil--
shrimps straighten their bodies
lunch time

Maeara
July 11, 2010

Daybreak

daybreak—
her embrace
is tightier now

Maeara
July 13, 2010

Pagkurap Ko

pagkurap ko--
knock down
si Bernabe Concepcion

Gaani't Paeay

Tatay, Nanay, Lola
sa among eanas
gaani't paeay

Tongue Twister

Kon tig-ueoean nagadanlog ro daean sa kaeanasan.

Tig-ueoean

tig-ueoean--
naggutok ro ospital
dengue

Maeara
July 9, 2010

My Wife and I

my wife and I
holding hands, holding minds
full moon

Funeral Parlor

funeral parlor--
a wife cannot see the body
of her husband

Bagyo Frank

Bagyo Frank--
naduea ka man, Akean,
sa panan-awon namon

Uubo Lang

walang maiiwang
naninigarilyo--
yong uubo lang

Sunset

Anointment

golden wedding anniversary--
their partial response
to His anointment

Blue Sky

blue sky--
the bride goes home to her mother
the groom goes home to his mother

Maeara
June 25, 2010

After Elections

after elections--
promises
become after

Maeara
June 25, 2010

Fireflies

summer--
no more mangroves
for the fireflies

Maeara
June 24, 2010

Sunset

sunset--
the orange skies move
under the still sea

Maeara
June 24, 2010

Lunch Time

lunch time--
he eats slowly
to see more eye candies

Maeara
June 22, 2010

Dr. Jose P.Rizal*

Dr. Jose P. Rizal--
your words and deeds
still words and deeds

*Today, June 19, 2010 is his birthday.

And It Rained

and it rained
rose petals
each with Her Image.

Maeara
June 19, 2010

Ili-Ili of the One Left Behind

By
Alex de los Santos


I am the land you left behind.
After you have plowed, combed,
Pulverized, sweated and planted it
With your pure seed,
Here I am alone.
You parted from me
To plow other’s land.

Our young child
Is looking for the dripping sweat
Of your strong fingers
And your brawny shoulder
That carries him
No matter how hard you try to stop him from crying
When he gets hungry.

My breast has dried up
Because of a long draught
It’s not enough that I just feed him fully
With a song: “Ili-ili sleep for the time being,
Your father is not here.”
Pretty soon, he will learn
To ask: “Why, Mother?”

Translated by Melchor F. Cichon
May 29, 2004

Dungdung

gapasueay
ro pantat--
dungdung

Maeara
June 14, 2010

Kahilwayan Naton Makaron

Makaron nga adlaw kahilwayan naton
Pati ro mga tiktik ag mga wakwak sa karsada gahinugyaw
Pero kaabuan ku mga Filipino ro andang tiyan garebolusyon
Ag ro andang pini-ino sa sueod it inumok ku anay nagdumaea katon

Maeara
June 12, 2010

El Nino

El Nino
she performs
a rain dance

Maeara
June 13, 2010

Protest Rally

protest rally commotion--
someone starts singing
the Lupang Hinirang

Darkened Coconut

Town Fiesta

town fiesta--
the whole family
goes to the beach

Nagpaalam Ang Araw

nagpapaalam
ang araw
sa maalon na dagat