John Santiago
as furniture music fills the empty spaces.
Insatiable
Tumultuous hunger pangs
Unrestrainable
The right kind of food
For the right kind of appetite
Serves just two persons
Multiple courses
Quite a feast for the senses
Divine, yet sinful
Best enjoyed while hot
Small portioned delicacies
Consume immediately
Top with a cigarette
Then realize: you are still
Insatiable
I wish to see
the cherry blossoms tonight;
What are you wearing?
You're the ship that sails
into my tempestuous wind,
braced for hard impact
I'm literally
overflowing with you;
make love to me more
Mary, Mother of God--
Born without Sin
Conceived without Man
Gaia, Mother of All
Titans, Gods, the Land of Men--
She gives and takes away
Lady of the Lake
Guardian of King Arthur's Might--
Excalibur
Taylor Alison Swift--
undeniably gained Fame
through Boys' Misfortune
She told me once
that she's never
seen a firefly.
Last night, I tried
to catch her one.
The evening breeze
had drawn it close;
silently it
wandered through the
open window.
At first, moonlight
masked its entrance.
The modest torch
it carried had
been overwhelmed
by shades of grey.
It landed on
a tiny leaf,
from vines that crawled
up the walls, and
into my room.
Resting quietly
on its platform,
the dull, green strobe
pulsated, slow
constant rhythm.
I cupped my hands,
extended them,
and gently reached
out toward the
unsuspecting
visitor. It
stayed, motionless.
At that moment,
I knew it was
mine to keep. For
you. For me? I
can't remember.
It had become
my light, my warmth.
All that mattered,
to me it was.
I opened my
cupped hands. Still it
stayed, motionless.
One, two, three, four.
I noticed that
every burst had
become dimmer
than the previous.
It was dying.
I imagined
it must've tried
hard, gathering
enough courage
to shine brightly
in the darkness,
but a firefly
cannot outshine
the brightest star.
If I had known.
If I listened,
I would've heard
its humble plea:
Though my light fades,
let me rest here
in your own warmth.
You don't glow green,
but I see it.
You are shining.
Let me rest here
in your own warmth.
She told me once
that she's never
seen a firefly.
Tonight, I will
tell her how I
had caught her one,
and what I learned:
Seek not the weak
light that flickers
in another.
Look inside you.
It burns bright red.
Reason you were invited: Nuance
Host of the party: Nuisance
Expectations: Prognosis - Nausea
RSVP: Diagnosis - See ya!
We walked past the old acacia tree
It was raining, we were wet, but
she held my hand and pushed on
We sat on a park bench
She laid her head on
my shoulder, and
she told me:
true love
waits
Wait
she said
We were wet
Her fingers dug
in my shoulders. I
laid her head on the grass
She pulled me close, I pushed on
They could have seen us from the park
as it rained beneath the acacia
the lamest excuse
to do what you want
without repercussions
when in truth,
you are fully aware
of your actions
Kaibigan,
Huwag matakot.
Hindi kita iiwan,
kahit ako'y iwan mo.
Friend,
I won't leave you,
even if you leave me.
This is too simple, I know. It's just something I've felt lately because of friends leaving.
Kaibigan,
Huwag mag-alala.
Hindi kita malilimutan,
kahit limutin mo ako.
Friend,
I won't forget you,
even if you forget me.
This is too simple, I know. It's just something I've felt lately because of friends leaving.
I love with my hands
with a warm embrace,
a light pat on the back,
high fives, fist bumps
two thumbs up
A heart may not be for loving.
I love with my feet
when I wait in line,
while window-shopping,
running away with you,
walking down the aisle
A heart may not be for loving.
I love with my eyes
that still weep
long after you're gone,
that have baggage
big enough to carry yours
A heart may not be for loving.
I love with my lungs
you
are
my
oxygen
A heart may not be for loving.
I love with my brain
the mind finds patterns, makes connections
you paint everything I see, hum every song I hear
you are every fragance, each succulent morsel
and in slumber, still I find you in my dreamscape
A heart may not be for loving.
A heart may not be for loving,
but without it I cannot think
I won't see what I touch
or where I'm going
And I won't remember to breathe.
Science
This is instant messaging in the smallest scale.
Two (or more) particles are separated in space.
An action performed on one is repeated by the other.
Once entwined, they are fundamentally connected.
Romance
Two lovers that were torn apart
by fate, against them from the start.
They kept a secret close to heart,
a way to stay connected -- how smart!
Wherever you and I may be
the stars are there for us to see.
And so the lovers could agree:
to share the heavens, they were free.
Day or Night matters not,
it changes neither script nor plot.
A love that cannot be forgot
conquers any rational thought.
But as the days went by
fear gripped her.
She thought,
It scares me that we'll never know
if one of us has stopped looking up.
He knew this day would come,
and had responded in advance.
She could hear him say,
If you look up, so will I.
If you stop, I will too.
It's spooky how we'll know,
but we will.
Fear not the coming of that day.
It may not even come, who can say?
Two souls entwined, though far away
are never truly led astray.
Can I say you're acting stupid
without being much offensive?
Five in the morning
she called me up
I'll be busy today
Could you take care of Whiskers
my cat?
Ain't nobody got time for that
I thought
I'll be there at 6
I said
Seven o'clock
I rang the doorbell
You're late
Have you ever taken care
of a cat before?
You should be glad I'm even at your door
I thought
Leave me a note, I'll be sleeping a few more hours
I said
Lunch time
I awoke with a jolt
What the fuck
are you doing
scratching my fucking face?
And so I gave the cat a chase
I thought,
I didn't sign up for this.
Four in the afternoon
she called me up
I'll be home by five
Did you even look at
my note?
Could barely understand what you wrote
I thought
I didn't sign up for this
I said
Nobody forced you
She said
It's not like I had a choice
I thought
It's not like I had a choice
I said
Five on the dot
She rang the doorbell
Where's my little Whiskers?
Where's my baby?
Was the big bully mean to you?
Save your breath, the cat bid adieu
I thought
It's gone. I chased it out
I said
What the fuck
she screamed
The fuck did you do
she blamed
Where the fuck is my cat?
she demanded
I freed Whiskers
I said
What the fuck
she screamed
The fuck did you do
she blamed
Don't you fucking love me anymore?
she demanded
No
Curiosity killed our love
and I freed Whiskers
Monochrome photographs capture muted screams
Listen:
The silence is deafening.
Red wire, blue wire.
There's something I think you ought to know.
10
You would never believe me if I told you that
all this time, I knew we wouldn't last.
9
Our friendship, the ticking time bomb
just waiting for its moment, a tremendous explosion.
8
The unstoppable force met
the immovable object.
7
I dared to move,
shock,
shatter
and change.
6
You were certain,
steadfast,
serious
and stubborn.
5
Red wire, blue wire.
We can never work this out.
4
It's not you, it's me.
How I wish I could say the words!
3
It's definitely you,
it could be
bits of me.
2
I was arrogant.
You did not waver.
1
Red wire, blue wire.
We chose to sever both.
0
Two pairs of hands blood-soaked.
I marveled at every sunspot,
every freckle on your naked body.
With my fingers,
I traced them
as though I
were plotting a map,
and I had set a course
which led to your perfection.
A
tasty little
treat to get me
through the night,
an after-dinner mint
I take with great
delight.
We hugged.
My heart leapt.
I wonder if she noticed?
