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The blinded cannot protect you,

The deaf cannot hear you,

No, they do not really know you,

All they know is themselves,

And that is the reflection they put on you,

And that is the echo they make to come from you.

To seem that they have seen what you want,

To seem that they have heard what you need.

Megaphone

In my silence, I am picked up,

Given voice that was not mine:

Yet I have made so loud,

Loud that it can clear chaos,

Create chaos.

Loud that it can break silence,

Make silence.

In my silence, I am picked up,

Given voice that was not mine:

Do I not have a voice?

Must I ask for one?

Silence

In silence, a lot can be said: a problem unresolved, a memory remembered, feelings left unrevealed, fear unexpressed, even reflections left to be forgotten. See, silence is more powerful than spoken words because silence knows no bounds. But then again, silence can be helpful. Sometimes, it can make one’s mind think clearly, it can make one think back and reflect on what’s really ahead. Sometimes, silence is all one needs.

Paper

Like the other ones, I too, am paper.

You fold me into a bird that can’t fly.

You roll me into a flute without tune.

You twist me into a branch without leaves.

I am paper.

As I get pulled on both sides, I am torn.

Though I keep it together, but even tape can’t do better.

I am bruised by your inking sword.

But with it I get a voice.

Every push and pull leaves an indelible scar.

But with it I feel alive.

To be crumpled and set aside,

Like the other ones, I too, am paper.

Disposable.

Forgettable.

Wrinkled.

Blemished.

I am paper. 

I will never be the same. 

Everything is a derivative.

If I could turn back time, would you let me jump into your life?

I know to you I'm not just a stop along the way,

but was I the destination?

Ancient Scrolls online

I have come across ancient scrolls,

Carrying secrets down deep

Into the p_i_t_s of memory I

found them,

Thought _________ to be found,

-- now here.

As I skimmed through the writings,

Paper untorn,

but th

e wor

ds wer

e.

It SCREAMS of unrequited heart,

It

d

r

.

,

i

.

.

p

.

s

.

.

.

unshed tears.

I wished I could have seen,

How the scroll was written.

But it is a painful scene,

This scroll shall be hidden,

forgotten.

I make things NEW.

for YOU.

I started writing again. Again.

Out of the darkness, here I come, spreading once more, light.
Having hidden for too long, I have come to be in sight.


This light you have shone, this hand you gave to hold,
Finally, I am home.
We are home.

Pusang Kalye

Pusang Kalye

Dal’wang pusa sa lansangan,

Naroon sapagkat walang tahanan:

Ni walang mapagtaguan kapag umuulan,

Ni walang pansangga pag nasagasaan.

Dal’wang pusa sa lansangan,

Doon na rin ang pook ng lambingan,

Sapagkat wala namang mapuntahan:

Kahit maging tampok sa usap-usapan.

Dal’wang pusa sa lansangan,

Mayroon ba kayang masisilungan?

Palaging rito na lamang ang tagpuan,

Dal’wang pusang walang tahanan.

Sagutan (ekphrasis sa pelikulang Donor ni Mark Meily)

Sagutan

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y parang puso,

Sa bawat tibok, hatid nito’y pulso,

Sa bawat pulso, nabubuhay ako.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y parang poso,

Kung may pantulak, ito’y aagos,

Kung walang tutulak, ito’y unos.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y totoo,

Kaya’t wagas ang aking sakripisyo,

Maipadama lamang ito sa’yo.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y tabo,

Sasalok kung kailan ko gusto,

Hahagod kahit pag ayaw mo.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y parang dugo,

Dumadaloy sa aking katawan,

Bagamat minsan, nasasaktan.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y parang daga,

Nakikikain at nakikitira,

Wala ka namang magagawa.

Pag-ibig ko sayo’y parang bala,

Lalo na ‘pag ito na’y naikasa,

Dahil sa  pagputok, wala na.

Sa Kasalan (tulang pambata)

Sa Kasalan

Bakit kaya kailangan pa,

Magbihis nang ganito ka-gara,

Sa kainan lang naman pupunta,

Sobra-sobra kung pumustura.

Kwelyo ko sa leeg ay makati,

Pati likod ko’y nangingiri,

Puno ng pawis aking mga paa,

Dahil magsapatos ay kailangan pa.

Ako’y nakaupo sa initan,

Habang nakasilip sa kasalan

Si Inay nama’y humihikbi,

Si Itay nama’y nakangiwi.

Ano’ng oras kaya kami uuwi?

Tanaga sa MPs10 - SA MRT

* Tanaga: traditional poem with 4 lines, each containing 7 syllables

Sa lata pinagkasya,

Lupon ng mga isda,

'Di man lamang nagtaka,

Pa'no kaya bababa?

Haiku sa MPs 10 - Kawayan

Oh, mga siit

Nakayakap sa langit,

Nang may pagkasi.

Stages

Sharing the stage has always been a great endeavor to me: being with the wonderful cast of a colorful play, dancing to music with a graceful partner, even singing melodious songs in a choir or reciting lines in chorus. The stage, after all, is my friend, and who would not want to share a friend when it is for the best of everyone's interest. 


Sharing the stage is like being one with the others: the eyes of the audience are fixed not only at me, but to all, like we are one though we stand out, and a challenge for me, to stand out, but not outshine the rest. The stage, after all, is my home, and every member is a family, and every member is important.


Sharing the stage is my training for life: it teaches me to be mindful of the things that I do, that every line forgotten, every move failed to make shall affect the others, not only myself. The stage, after all, is my school, and each time I am about to be up there and on there, I learn.


But there is this time when sharing the stage sent chills down my spine. 


The stage became threatening and taunting and troubling: the stage was no longer my friend.

The stage felt cramped, cold and crass: I am harmed, it was no longer my home. 


The stage felt sordid, slippery and scary: I am afraid, it was no longer my school.


It was when I shared the stage with a foe in your story, and the stage were your eyes, and you were just tongue-tied.

Smile. :DD

The things you said the other day

. . .simply took my breath away. . . :))

Over.

I used to wait for you.

And the wait is over. :)

Dance with me.

I miss dancing. 

No, I do not miss being watched, because every single day I am being watched.

Fear.

As you secretly ask yourself what if it's still her you're with,

I secretly deny the pain: even when it feels like you still miss her.

But I'm still here, like I've always been.

Mahal namin kayo. Mahal namin ang nasimulan ninyo.

Sacrifice

My teardrops may fall,

But they’re not without meaning,

For these drops of pain,

Are not worth of disdain.

Marks of love divine:

Not expecting you to be mine.

My heart may tremble,

But not because of fear,

For my heart shall never crumble,

Just because you’re not here.

The more I expect I learned,

The more my heart turned.

RBTLines

First  of all, I want to say that I am

So in love with you and I don’t believe that you’re

Not sorry because you left me for

I know it’s not true, and I also don’t believe that

you were never there for me.

I’m still so in love with you anyway.

Sometimes, I just want to walk behind you

And guard you from evil friends who taunt you

And stab you on the back to take revenge on you

For they want to do it

Because you hurt me so much that you deserve hell.

Don’t worry, no matter what they say and do,

I’ll keep on watching over and loving you

Just how I used to, before I met you, and not

With coldness and anger and hatred.

I have forgiven you with all of my heart,

And with all my strength I want to hold

Your body close to me, and take away the hands that take

Your neck and choke you, because you

Don’t deserve to be mistreated and be told that you

Are nothing, worthless and useless.

Nathaniel

Nathaniel. Isang pangalang nababanaagan ng kabanalan bagamat tila ba pangalan ng anghel at pangalan ng santo. Sa pagbigkas ng ngalan na ito ay tila ba ito ay walang kasing banal, walang kasing bait at walang kasing busilak. Halos mababanaag na nga rin ang katauhan ng kung sino mang may tangan ng  pangalan na ito: mabuti, marangal at tapat.

Siya ay nakilala ko lamang noong ako ay kasalukuyang naglalakbay patungo sa paraiso. Nawawala kasi ako, sapagkat bigla akong iniwan ng kasama ko. Oo, may kasama dapat ako hanggang sa dulo, ngunit sa hindi ko malamang paraan ay bigla siyang naglaho at tangay ang lahat, kaya napakahirap na ng aking paglalakbay, tila ba tinatahak ko parin ang paraiso sa kalagitnaan ng kalbaryo.

Bigla siyang lumitaw sa aking harapan sa aking pag gising isang malamig at makulimlim na umaga. Siya lamang ang liwanag na nasilayan ko noong araw na iyon, sapagkat ang liwanag na bumabalot sa kaniya ay lubos na nakasisilaw, na tila ba binubulag na ang aking mga mata. Nabigla ako nang makita ko siya, kaya't bigla rin ang aking pagbangon ngunit natumba ako. Malaki kasi ang galos na aking natamo sa kanang paa buhat ng pagkasabit sa ugat ng isang puno habang ako ay naglalakad noong isang araw. Napuna niya ito agad kaya't inabot niya ang kanyang kamay at tutulungan umano akong tumayo. Iniabot ko nga ang kaniyang kamay at hinawakan niya ang aking kamay ng mahigpit ngunit nagtaka ako kung bakit hindi niya ako hinila pataas. May hinakbot siyang bagay sa kaniyang likuran at hinagod ito sa aking pulso. Nakita kong bumuhos ang dugo sa aking pulso at bigla akong nanghina hanggang sa ako ay hinimatay. Pinanood lamang niya ako. Hindi ko alam bakit niya ito nagawa dahil hindi ko naman siya kilala.

Ilang araw na ang nakalipas at kasama ko pa rin siya. Mahirap daw kasing maglakbay magisa kaya ako ay sinasamahan niya. Ngunit sa bawat araw na lamang na dumaraan ay tila ba mas mabuting magisa na lamang ang akong maglakbay kaysa araw-araw na masaktan.Hindi naman niya kasi ako tinulungang maghilom ang sugat na aking natamo na siya namang nagmula sa kanya. Nakapagtataka na nga ng sobra, dahil para sa kanya, ni hindi ko man lang mabatid ang kanyang pagsisisi sa sakit na ang nadarama buhat nitong puso kong nagdurugo, na tanging kapirasong tela lamang na lunod na lunod na sa dugo ang nagsasara sa nananakit na butas nito.Ngunit mas hindi ko mabatid na sa kabila ng pait na aking sinapit ay ni hindi ko man lang madama ang galit sa estrangherong ito. Subagay, ako nga naman ang dayo rito sa lugar na ito, lugar na kaniya nang kilala noon pa.

Lumulundo-lundo ang aking paglalakad, nasasaktan na ako, nahihilo na ako, naguguluhan na ako, nahihirapan na ako. Sa paraiso nga ba ako pupunta?

“Halika,” sabi nya, sabay abot ng kanyang kamay. Hay sa wakas, nadama rin niyang kinakailangan ko ng tulong. Halos mag iisang buwan na akong nagdurusa, at ang puso ko’y tuluyang nagdurugo pa. Malugod kong iniabot ang kanyang kamay, at inakay niya ako ng ilang mga hakbang. Marahil ay akala niya’y ako ay masamang nilalang na hindi niya maaring tanggihan, kaya’t sinasaksak na lang niya ang aking dibdib nang sa gayon ay hindi ko na tangkaing gawaan siya ng masama. Wala naman akong balak na ganoon, sapagkat ako naman ay isang mabuting nilalang, na nasaktan rin lang naman.

Denial

Feigning numbness,

I let you lean against

My heaving chest,

Not minding

My heartbeat racing,

Ever calling,

Your disyllabic name.

Feigning coldness,

I let you gently pull me,

Close to your dear heart,

Feigning deafness,

I do not hear,

Your sweet heartbeat calling mine.

Ubiquitous,

My heart to yours,

With nothing less than love,

For you to keep,

Or break apart.

To give away,

Or to make a start.

Feigning boredom,

I yawn so loud,

You  caught my mouth,

You felon, that kiss

You stole,

Was it not enough,

That you stole my heart?

Feigning anger,

I look away. . .

Those three words,

I could not say.

Time Set Me Free

Time set me free,

And cast away all the burdens I feel

Cure this forlorn heart of mine:

Is loving you truly a crime?

Time set me free,

And take every inch of sadness here in me,

Hold my hand in place of his:

Could love be any harder than this?

Time set me free,

Fill my emptiness with vials and vials of glee,

Sing to me a song of joy:

Make me forget about this boy.

Vanilla

You’ve come into

my Stream

Of consciousness once –

again.

My heart has widely

Opened for you,

to come

as I tightly

envelOp you

with my deep love.

We’ve overcome

so many

Ups –

and downs

and we’ll be

overcoming some more

as we drive

in –

and out,

in and out

of the tunnel called love.

Feel the roundness of my love:

Unending, Unceasing, Unfailing

Feel the pounding of my heart when you’re near,

Undulating, Unduly Unafraid

I feel the weight of your concerns, Leave them all to me,

And I will take them in, everything, openheartedly.

For you are

what love

means

to

me.

Puso't Balota

Ang ingay sa labas

Nasasaktan ako

Hindi ko naman naririnig ang boses mo.

Ang ingay sa labas

Ginugulo ako,

Hindi ko naman nakikita ang layon mo.

Ang ingay sa labas,

Nakabibingi,

Pipe na ba’ang lahat? Pero iba-iba’ang sinasabi.

Ang ingay sa labas,

Maraming pang basura,

Pati nga ba naman ikaw, dinungisan nila.

Ang ingay sa labas,

At ika’y sumisigaw,

Ngunit ang dinig lamang ay mga pigil na hiyaw.

Bakit sila maingay?

Diwa mo ba’y di na taglay?

Bakit sila maingay?

O sadyang ‘di lang ako sanay? . . .

. . .kung dapat bang masanay.