Now here enters a woman who reads;
and voraciously, too.
In the coffee shop, in a wine bar,
in the meat shop, in a funeral.
Now here enters a woman who’s a poet;
she writes as one would deal drugs.
In the dark, in the down low,
in well-versed hush, in rehearsed rush.
Now here enters an angry woman;
“how feisty, I bet she’s a *****.”
Points fingers at men twice her size,
she punches mouths until they bleed out lies.
Now here enters a healthy woman;
healed as her anger is not suppressed,
she exercises, eats less than the rest,
hushes her mouth as the poison’s out.

I know being with me is not easy,
actually quite the contrary;
I am treacherous, I am messy.
I have crazy trees and crazier winds.
I know staying with me won't be fun,
actually it may not even be an option;
But you’re still welcome, even for a vacation.
My rain comforts, I soothe with my monsoon.

I know you may not know of my waves,
and you might've, but would you be brave?
Are you willing to trade your better days?
Do you dare write with your board and body,
then rest under my shades or caves?

I know you might not have heard of my name,
but touch me and you will never be the same.
Will you dive for my pearls without shame?
Do you dare to sink and swim,
would you play this game?

From La Union to Siargao,
our waves are one and shared.
From Baler to Biarritz,
there are no swells we'll miss.
From Aurora to Asturias,
there are no days without sun and sand.
From Catalunya to Catanduanes,
the nights are made of parties and rest.
From hanging bridge to the sunset bridge,
how wonderful it is to share this friendship.
From my east to your east,
may we be each other’s vacation and ease.
From your west to my best,
may you find me again, I’ll be waiting here.

Ash to ashes,
laughters to kisses.
Dust to dust,
returning is a must.

Look, I'm not even bothered.
I'm not bothered that you're riding
another woman's bed as if they're waves,
and well, your body is the board.
I'm not bothered that you're exchanging
****** fluids all night long,
like when seawater mixes with your sweat
from catching waves all afternoon.
I'm not bothered.
Now listen, I'm not at all bothered.
I'm not bothered that you're dancing,
like her body is a wave you're surfing,
in some bar whose name I can't pronounce,
or I could, but you'll find it funny.
I'm not bothered that you're all over her,
moving it like you wanna get barreled in,
like she is just your dream surf trip
and that I just feel like a pool... or a fool,
I might be crying, but it's sunny.
But I'm not bothered.
Not at all.
But
I'm bothered...
I'm actually, really, totally bothered
by the jokes you'll share,
by the new jokes you'll make,
the ones I can't hear,
over the sound of the waves.
I'm bothered that you're not near,
'cause lately, you're all I ever crave.
I'm bothered...
by the sound of your laughters together,
or does it sound different in winter?
I'm bothered that she knows
how your laugh sounds in every season
and how your smile looks all year long.
Now I'm bothered.
I'm absolutely hot and bothered.

A bit of a journey,
but it’s for your safety.
Pay a drop of bravery,
but you will be rewarded a sea of security.
Just a bit of a climb,
nothing could touch you, not one crime.
Just a little hike,
and nothing can hurt you, not even the night.
I might seem unlikely,
but I will be your safe space,
one where you can sleep in soundly tonight.
I know you’re scared,
but my love can be your refuge,
a place where you can start a brand new day.
And I know we’re both full of doubts,
but we can be each other’s fortress,
we can build our new kingdom or town.

𝑺𝒂 𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒎𝒂, 𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌, 𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒐,
𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒌𝒂𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒌𝒐...

Maybe our definition of friends differ.
Maybe its meaning changes
from the far east, to the wild west.
Maybe yours are parties and music fests,
while mine means safe space and rest.
Maybe your friends are just good
for fun and vacation,
while my friendship weathers
bad, hell, and even oblivion.

𝑫𝒊𝒐𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒐, 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒔
𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒏.
𝑷𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆 𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒐.
𝑯𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒆𝒍, 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒎𝒊 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒏,
𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝑻𝒊,
𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒃𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒔.
𝑵𝒐 𝒆𝒍, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒂, 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒂 𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒂.

Maybe how we understand friendship
is rather different, indeed.
Maybe you see it as a comical joke,
while I see it as intimate poetry.
Maybe you hear it like another song,
while I listen to it like symphony.
Maybe you think it’s something to be bent,
I’m treating it like something heaven-sent.
Maybe you’re really set on being friends,
I’m already falling down a cliff with no end.

𝑴𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆, 𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒖 𝒂𝒚𝒖𝒅𝒂,
𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂, 𝒅𝒆𝒋𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒓 𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒃𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒐𝒔,
𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒓, 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒐 𝒍𝒐 𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒓.
𝒀 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒔.
𝑫𝒆𝒋𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒋𝒐𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏
𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒋𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒐 𝒅𝒆 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒐.
𝑵𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐
𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒐 𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒔.
𝑬𝒏 𝒔𝒖 𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒆, 𝑫𝒊𝒐𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒐, 𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒅.
𝑸𝒖𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒔 𝒚 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒅.

Basbasan niyo po ang aming pagkakaibigan.
Iwaksi niyo po ito sa kapahamakan,
nawa’y wag sanang mauwi sa pag-iibigan,
lalong lalo na sa sakitan at iyakan.

Siya nawa.

Amen.

1899
It's all over now.
How many more bells
do you need to hear?
It’s over.
How many more winters
do you need to miss?
It's done.
How many more gunshots
do you want me to fire and ring?
Just surrender now...
It's all been said and done.
All the blood have dried and ran.
Just come out now...
Rather than needing it,
don't you miss the sunshine?
Just go, you can't stay locked forever...
Rather than buying more time,
don't you need less wine?
Just open the door...
march straight across Manila,
to the pacific, to Barcelona and Cadiz,
until you’re back home.
Believe me, they'll welcome you like a hero,
sing praises of your name forevermore.
You'll see, I'll be good to you.
History will remember you like a folklore.
And I won't ever be like you.
I'll be better than you'll ever be, you'll see.
You’ll see how I’ll slip my hands with ease.
How I'll let you go in silence and peace.
I'll even see you out to the sea, you'll see.
And that will be my revenge.
My kindness and silence will hurt you,
I’ll play nice, it will feel like cuts and slice.
And that is no longer my problem.
My white flag waving over your head
will be the subject of your nightmares.
And that is no longer my burden.