SLR (Sorry, Late Reply)

She reminds me of mornings,
Of sunrise and new beginnings,
Of the first sip of coffee,
The warmth that creeps inch by inch,
That momentary heart burn,
Pulling you in for another sip,


She reminds me of sunsets,
Of long walks and sands and beaches,
The sun's graceful goodbye,
As its rays carefully thumbs through the sky,
That melancholic murmur of ocean waves,
Caressing your feet and gripping your chest,
That momentary jolt of shiver to the spine,
Pulling you in, as if whispering; "stay"

She reminds me of novels and books,

Of time travels and misadventures,

Of  metaphor, oxymoron, and simile,

Of saddest lines, of two cities, of two families and odyssey, 

Of words, like skyscrapers, masterfully built,

Taking you places while holding you still,

That momentary arrythmia, holding you prisoner,

Pulling you in convincing you to another page,

She reminds me of hallways,

Of empty eerily quiet hallways,

Where all you can hear is your own heartbeat,

Or your own breathing,

Or your own footsteps,

And maybe hers,

But faintly, at a distance,

Pulling you in for a glance,

She reminds me of the universe,

And all its beauty,

She reminds me of the world,

And all its lunacy,
She reminds me,

And maybe that's all she is, a reminder,

That sometimes beauty can be in all places,

In all places but here.

Of Patronus and Time-turners

I wish I knew how to stop the turning,

Of this time-turner in perpetual spinning,

I wish I had the strength to unhinge myself,

Of its chains and of the hypnotic time travel,

But like those in the time room of time-turners,

I'm trapped in an endless loop of falling over, 

Un-falling, re-falling,

Un-falling, re-falling,

You were Lupin at a time I was in a state of terror,

At a time I didn't know how to fend off dementors,

But with fate's playful twist,

You were also that thought of bliss,

And then luck left, because worse,

You were also my patronus,

Except that I cannot summon you to my heart's desire,

Or even at will when dementors strike,

So I hold on to the time-turner,

And faintly to myself, i whisper,

Expecto patronum,

Expecto patronum,

And no matter how much magic creeps into me,

When we share moments and memories,

After all these spells and potions I memorized,

It hurts to see that I'm still a muggle in your eyes,

Maybe someday I'd gather the strength,

Like a member of the Order, hellbent,

I'll send your way a patronus message,

To maybe, just maybe, make you realize,

The reason I held on and stood with my wand,

Fending of dementors with all my might,

I was always hoping to see you across the river,

And maybe stay with me forever,

Because you have always been my patronus,

In this world full of dementors,

Always,

Always.

And then finally I can let go of this time-turner.

Hindi Ako Imbitado sa Sarili kong Piging

*unang beses kong susulat ng pyesa na medyo pang-spoken word. Sinulat ko ito para sa bespren kong si Alea na magdidiwang ng birthday at may pa-event na nalalaman, so ayun magpeperform ako (pwede kayo pumunta, mag-iwan ng mensahe for details). Ito ay mga pinagtagpi-tagpi kong mga usapan namin, dedicated sa kanyang magiging asawang si Zion.*

Nakatitiyak akong hindi kita hinanap,
At lalong sigurado akong hindi mo ako hinalughog,
Na parang nahulog na singsing,
Sa lumpon ng sukal ng mga dahon,
Bagkus ay dinatnan natin ang isa't-isa,
Nagtagpo ngunit hindi pinakay na nagkita,
Gaya ng paghalik ng antok,
Sa tuwing magkukubli sa kumot,
Tulad ng isang along marahang gumagapang,
Sa mukha ng karagatan,
Hanggang sa marating nito ang dalampasigan,
Kaya't ika'y kagyat kong inanyayahan,
Maligayang pagdating!
Pinakapipitagan at kaisa-isa kong panauhin,

Sana'y matutunan mong mahalin,
Ang mga buhulbuhol kong mga palamuti,
Hindi ko naman sila sinadyang pagbuhulbuholin,
Ang totoo'y marahan ko naman silang hinabi,
Ngunit ang buhay ko ay unos,
At ang isip ko ay ipu-ipo,
Mabuti't mahigpit ko silang naitali,

Sana'y matutunan mong mahalin,
Ang kakarampot na aking ihahain,
Matagal ko silang inipon at sinaing,
At matagal ko ding pinagdudahan kung sa kanila'y mayroon pang papansin,
Maraming paso at tilamsik ang aking tiniis,
At kahit alam kong ito na lamang ang mayroon ako,
Ihahain ko ang lahat at walang ititira o itatago mula sayo,

Sana'y matutunan mong mahalin,
Ang maugong na musika at makaluskos na mga plaka,
Alam kong medyo may kalumaan na at baka sila'y napaglipasan na,
Ngunit ang musikang ito ang tangi kong kumot sa malamig na gabi,
Masaya akong sa iyo ko sila ibabahagi,
At sabay nating damhin ang init ng kanilang saliw,

Sana'y matutunan mong mahalin,
Ang panandaliang mga katahimikan,
At pabugsobugsong mga kalampagan,
Dahil ako ay karagatan,
Tahimik at malawak,
Ngunit minsa'y nagkakanlong ako ng mga delubyo,
At galit na naghuhulma ng mga isla,

Sana'y kayanin mong manatili,
Dahil handa ko ring ipamalas sa iyo ang ganda ng takipsilim,
At ang silahis ng araw sa bukang liwayway,

Sana lamang ay iyong tandaan,
Sa iyong pagdalo sa aking pagdiriwang,
Hindi ko naman hinihiling na ako'y itulad sa mga santo o santa,
Na ilalagay sa pedestal at sasabitan ng talulot ng sampaguita,
Ang nais ko sana'y sabay tayong lumikha ng hardin,
At sabay nating abangan ang pamumukadkad ng ating mga tanim,
Hindi ko naman nais na ako'y gawan ng mga kanta,
O sambitan ng mga nagliliyagang tula,
Ang nais ko ay hawakan mo ang kamay ko nang mahigpit,
Upang masiguro kong ika'y nasa aking tabi,
Dahil sapat nang musika ang ako'y nasa iyong piling,

Sana'y ika'y manatili,
Sana'y mahalin mo ang buhulbuhol kong mga palamuti,
Sana'y mahalin mo ang kakarampot kong ihahain,
At sana'y may pang-unawa ka sa musikang napaglumaan,
Sapagkat matagal na akong nagnanais na magdiwang,
At marahil sa unang pagkakatao'y hindi na maulit,
Na hindi ako imbitado sa sarili kong piging.

There is Magic in Literature

There is magic in literature,

And in the way words can dance,

That no matter how definitive,

And precisely their meanings are dissected,

Or what their etymology may dictate,

Much like the way your eyes,

Feel like a nebula,

Birthing new constellations,

Words, at times, 

Manage to capture infinity,

In its own finite space,

There is magic in literature,

Much like how a book,

Can have only a single author,

But somehow have it a hundred,

Or even a million ways interpreted,

Almost as if it mimics the way,

I find your lips,

In the spaces between the ocean waves,

Or how i almost hear your voice,

In the warmth of every sunset rays,

There is magic in literature,

Like how they teach you at school,

Different figures of speech,

And have you remember their meanings,

And make you list their origins,

Metaphors, synecdoches,

Hyperboles and similes,

But then you discover later on, 

Like a signature dish or potion,

How words magically fit,

With a single twist or whiff,

Like how in some way,

You feel like a poem,

Or how the thought of you,

Turns that poem into a song,

And no matter what meaning,

Webster or the Merriams say they have,

Words know no limits nor bounds,

Even when sewn together,

Or even held down on paper,

With an exact number of syllables,

And tied down methodically,

Into whichever literary structure,

They can have a different scent,

In each and every time you read them,

Like how I find it ineffable and awe-inspiring,

The way some words,

Do not phonetically have the same sound,

But still manage to rhyme,

Like your name and my heartbeat.

She Did Not Dance Like No One Watched

No, she did not dance like no one watched,

The stage was hers,

And she danced like it was hers alone,

Not hers for the taking,

She did not dance to prove she could,

The stage was hers,

And she danced like it was her only refuge,

The stage was hers,

And she danced like the stage was her world,

and the rest were only visitors,

She danced like she was the only one the crowd went to see,

No, she did not dance like no one watched,

The stage was hers,

And she danced as if dance was her lover,

As though she had not seen him for years,

And the precision of her movements,

Was her fingers sifting through his every inch,

Trying to figure out if he was still how she remembered him,

The stage was hers

And she danced as if dance were a cloud,

Gracefully gliding through the sky,

Nurturing droplets and vapors on flight,

And at the right moment,

She unleashes a plethora of movements,

As if she were a storm and they were rain,

No, she did not dance like no one watched,

The stage was hers,

And there I was, awestruck,

Watching as though I was the only spectator,

The stage was hers, 

And as her hair flailed and danced with her,

I was caught within the strands,

It was not her grace that was intoxicating,

It was the angst,

It was the rage and fervor in her movements,

As though she was a poet,

And her dance was her poem,

And her every movement were metaphors,

No, she did not dance like no one watched,

The stage was hers,

And at that moment,

I was on my feet,

Wishing my heart was her stage,

Because she danced like the stage was hers.

Slowly, Yet All at Once

I have not climbed the highest mountain,

Or flew above the most beautiful plains,

And sailed across the vast seas,

Or survived dangerous valleys,

But if your hand and mine would fit,

Then you are the adventure I'd want to keep,

For when i see you,

Or be within your arms' reach,

I feel all these things.

With a single glance,

Slowly, yet all at once,

The grandeur of the sun piercing at daybreak,

The serenity of the most pristine lakes,

The majesty of a rainbow-tainted waterfall,

A plethora of flowers on free fall,

Found my way through a forest's labyrinth,

Dove through the most majestic coral reefs,

Discovered 10,000 species of flora and fauna,

Derived all equations to all mathematical dilemma,

Now I need not be an astronaut in a space station,

Your eyes feel like a thousand constellations,

And just now, I applaud Einstein's Theory of Relativity,

It has not been any truer than when I'm with thee,

And though at times,

You feel like an ocean,

Graceful yet mighty,

Sculpting artworks out of islands,

Serene yet capable of nurturing a storm,

And your vastness,

Seem daunting to conquer,

It is in those times i'm reminded,

That the most beautiful sunsets,

And sunrise,

Are cradled in your horizon.

And all these things i feel,

A bird's eye view of the world so clear,

With just a single glance,

Slowly, yet all at once.

2014

Mahirap maging Mahirap

Mahirap maging mahirap,

Dahil ang gutom lagi mong kausap,

Ang kape na dati'y tanging inumin,

Ngayo'y tambal na ng bahaw at pwede nang ulamin,

At ang katambal na pan de sal,

Iuunat hanggang kinabukasang almusal,

At sa aming hapag ay ang panis na ulam,

Pinakuluan, pinaghalo, ginisa, binetsinan,

Nang makita ng dokumentarista,

Pinag-anihan ng gantimpala,

Pinamanhid at sinanay sa aming kalagayan ang madla,

Oo, mahirap maging mahirap,

Dahil kailangang higpitan ng malaon,

Ang nakasakal na sinturon,

Ngunit sa aming mahirap,

Madaling humugot ng dahilan,

Madali ang magngitngit sa gahaman,

Dahil wala kaming pag-aari kundi ang aming lakas,

Wala kaming ibang patutunguhan,

Kundi ang lupaing sa aming puntod pagtitirikan,

Kaya't isa lang ang tatahaking landas,

Pagka't ito lamang ang sa kahirapa'y magwawakas,

Oo, kami ay mahirap,

At nasa amin ang lahat ng dahilan,

Para ipagtagumpay ang digmaan.

2011