parang paskong walang pamilya

parang sabaw na walang asin

parang punong walang dahon

parang gabing walang bituin

I never thought I would ever see a beautiful face with a kind heart.
When I look into your eyes, I feel happiness inside my heart.
Are you an angel that came before me to wipe the tears in my heart?
You are a gift from above, how I wish to be your friend and never be apart.

Your beauty amazes me, you are my inspiration.
I know I'm not worthy, but you can count on me on any situation.
You can trust me, I'll make you happy, here's my shoulder to cry on.
I'll do everything to make you happy, look at me you've got my attention.

How I wish you could give me a chance to prove my worth as your friend.
You're my dream come true, I hope to walk with you along the road with no end.
'Cause to be with you brings happiness in my heart.
An angel that brings me joy, please don't break my heart.

**© Hans Quintanilla, 2014

Life had been a picture box
Wherein all are painted in monotone
Only what's to be seen are being shown
But go down in mem'ry—rusted love locks.

Everywhere you turn,
the pictures look the same
Still in place as you carelessly aim,
A heart can only discern.

Be it winter, spring, summer or fall,
The external; the internal remains
But a sound, a voice, in my head refrains
Yet again, it's the film's time to roll.

Once, I caught a glimpse of a smile
And wondered what it could be
How can an image look so different to me?
A thought unusually worthwile.

Flowers begun to bloom and blossom
Releasing fireworks into the sky
Could these fingertips reach them if ever I try?
Rainbows cried on a sphere of monochrome.

Time seems to go by,
but pause at the same time.
The earth rotates,
but why can't we notice?
The volcanoes are erupting,
but nothing comes out.
The tides are high and strong,
but doesn't seem to impact.

I could not deny
these feelings inside
Voices are roaring,
there's no place to hide.

Droplets of sweat;
blood staining the carpet
Walls stripped bare,
I await this comet.

To the stairwell I go,
oh, starry, starry night.
Come and take me away,
tomorrow meets *tonight.

•
Duterte said, "My gahd I hate drugs."
Do drugs if ever you want free hugs
With some cardboard and tape embracing you
And a statement saying: "I did drugs too."
•
Do you see a turtle swimming in the air?
I know we're lucky, to see a sight so rare
Swirls and swivels make you feel so alive
Oblivious to the life that you are being deprived.
•
Wait. Where do I live? The monsters are near
If I enter this tunnel, there'll be nothing to fear
There's a rope in the sky, way up high
If I grab this light, will I...

Lurker of the shadows,
Beholder of the truth,
Would you still come to the tree
That bears no fruit?

                          Such curious wood
     Such a semblance of weakness
                However I still approach
            *As I am no beholder, but I a
                                                   seeker

I could no longer make a poem
For my mind has gone silent
Tried to swallow, choked on words
How pitifully malevolent.

I see my reflection in the mirror
But that wasn't really me
I see pain behind the smile
But the eyes were filled with glee.

Red was the color–
Of the stain on her cheeks
Blue was once the sky
But now it all can't be fixed.

I could not understand
How quick it was to change
But it wasn't entirely true...
Still see me within your range?

I may be what I appear to be
But deep within, I'm scared
Please hold me, don't let go
For all the memories that we shared

I can't assure that I could stay
But I'll still be right here
This love could only grow
Even if I disappear.

Thank you, I'm sorry
This won't be goodbye...
I guess I finally made a poem
And no, I won't say I'll die.

F or when
I n distress,
R escue comes
S aves you from
T he troubling pain

A nd as you lay
I nto the stretcher,
D eath arrives.

Helped me see
when I was blind,
There to sweep
the mess of my mind.

Helped me feel
when I was numb,
Sought for help
when I was dumb,

Helped me stand
each time I tumble,
Understood
each word I mumble.

Saw beyond
the change I went
Better now,
that it left a dent.

A friend I never knew
I'd have,
Thanks for refilling
my emptied half.

Reverse the clock,
Step in and ripple.
Find the key to this lock
Don't need help from people.

All alone you were,
But no need to be afraid.
Don't need to start a war
It's no game. It is not played.

I told you several times,
But you stop and rewind
I'm finally losing rhymes,
Please make up your mind!

Think and you'll see,
It won't go on forever
Your heart wants to flee
The flames of life's fever.

Cast thou fears away–
A new seed hast sprout–forget
not the sun, my love

At the moment, I'm out of ink
But give some time to let me think...
Maybe by then.. but let's just see...
In the mean time, let's draw a tree

A tree, I drew, so lush and green
But its vibrant color cannot be seen...
So with one last look and a heavy sigh,
I crumpled the paper then bid it goodbye

With a fresh new paper, i picked up my pen
Closed my eyes then counted to ten...
Maybe by then.. oh let's just see...
Start anew, let those words run free!

Off to start anew, I opened my eyes
But was frozen in place—met a great surprise
Every single thing... all that's around...
The moon had plummeted unto the ground.

As I ran down, gasping for air,
I knew what this might cause.
Every step I take leads to disaster.
I knew it was time, I had to pause.

For every beat of my heart along with the ticking of the clock,
I knew what I was missing. I had to go back.
Remembering all the moments caused me pain.
At least now I know, love and patience is what I lack.

Why have I been involved in this chaos?
Now things seem more complicated.
Darkness, darkness is coming for me.
Everything is changing. Now I'm hated.

Constant thinking. Overthinking.
This is killing me.
It is pulling me back and locking me away.
I want no more. I need to flee.

How can I end this madness?
This is getting out of hand.
There's too little time.
My only option is to move out of this land.

But I know that is not the only way.
For this is all just inside my head.
I urgently need to stop this insanity.
At least without this awareness, I could have been dead.

It is all my fault.
I am the one who have caused this trouble.
I think of solutions, but never put into action.
I know by time, this disaster would double.

I wait and wait.
I am wasting my time for nothing.
Living each day in idleness,
But with little hope, I know there is something...

But how can I go far with this behavior?
I am still lost.
I don't who I am.
I need to decide. Time is running fast

Yes, I know it takes time,
But i keep dreaming about this repeatedly.
Why am I struggling to move on?
Maybe I need to try more proficiently.

I thought I was the hardworking and optimistic type
I was wrong.
I am so ashamed of myself.
Perhaps I have kept this far too long...

Who am I?
The question still bothers me.
I know who I prefer to be,
But i think it is time to show the real me.

I am afraid.
I don't want them to see this beast.
I don't want to know what they'll think of me then.
Once I've unleashed this monster or at least...

I have endured this for quite a long time.
I don't want them to know that this is ravaging me,
But if I don't let it out soon it will devour me.
Still, I am worried. This might define me.

For I do not know my true identity.
But I can tell, how I am in front of you is not show nor an act
Sorry for messing up. You mean a lot to me.
The way I say I love you is indeed a genuine fact.

Too tired to do the tasks
Too worried to fall asleep
Dangling from a cliff
for the sake of my hopes and dreams.

Under the shade
of my shadow,
where only warmth
I can feel
No judging how it's burning,
but with only "why"
to put it out.

This passionate fire raging,
accompanied by skipping beats
of a drum;
No wonder why I stayed here
it's fuel never runs out.

When I hear the raindrops falling,
When the birds chirp and sing,
When sunlight streaks through daylight,
All I think of is one thing…

When a song plays on the radio,
My mind begins to tell a tale
Flashbacks come strolling,
The Voyager starts to sail.

It was a fairytale brought to life
And you were my angel in disguise
You made a warm glow inside of me
And cleared my heart from past lies

You splashed color on the canvas
And spread glitter in my eyes
We had planned the future together
But why did we have to bid goodbyes?

You always say I Love You
But now you refuse to care
What had happened to all the promises?
And the crazy love we share?

It had been going so well
‘Till you decided that it’s over
Was I the reason why you changed?
And had to find another lover?

All the memories that we had,
And the feelings still remain
Why had things been so different now?
When could I escape this sadness and pain?

How I miss the golden days,
When all our laughs and smiles were true
When I was still me,
And you were still you.

I saw a thousand stars
but a thousand stars up
above the sky is no match
for your beautiful eyes.

If I were to die, I'd want my
heart to haunt you
until we meet again;

Please be the light of my
candle for I will be needing
your warmth in this darkness.

Please be the flame of my
candle so when I depart,
my heart will spend time
haunting your ineffable flame.

© Aaron Salagubang, 2020

They keep throwing things at my face
Running away from this toxic place.
I plead and ask for a confrontation...
Nothing to do but accept this mutation.

They've been away now, for far too long
Maybe it's me, that they see is wrong.
I never deserved this kind of treatment,
but it's what they do for their own entertainment.

I know I'm human, not a toy nor a pet,
but it's all the cruelty and the insults I get;
Snickering and bickering at my every detriment
Always saying: I'm just a failed experiment.

They won't come near me, never again.
The terror in their eyes, they'll forever retain
Seeing the beast that I've now become
The wrath I've held in, I finally succumbed.

Splashes of ink
Scatter amidst the land
Harrowing it may seem,
All in a tremendous disarray.

Thou cannot strain
As substantial as the others,
But thy will strive
For thine destiny.

Thy purity had been lost
Innocence, stolen
Engrossed in war,
Several, forgotten

Innumerable lives had been adrift
In an inexorable execution.
How could this be?
Humanity has not yet been conceived.

Could not they concede,
Their ways were transgress
Thou say to thee,
You are solely mere grime.

Hope is still existing
Freedom will be the next
For thine liberty,
Captivity won't ever transpire.

I thank thee for the fortitude
All who ventured in lethal combat
As thou reminisce the occurrences
In what ye entitle now as "history."

When the sky feels down
And the rain starts to pour,
They crawl to their rooms
Hiding behind closed curtains.

They watch, they seek
Keeping that ever gloomy streak
It's alright, but it's not
They're just looking for the ***--

They don't care about the tears
That keep streaming down your cheeks
It's not about the colors of the sky
Nor the hopes and dreams you keep

It's only what glitters
And only what gleams
At the end of the day,
You'll just laugh about nothing...

It's just a silly little tale
About the possessions that they hail...
There lay in their arms,
Withered leaves of lucky charms.

The road gets rough and your heart starts aching
The sky turns grey and it started raining
You want it to stop, but your energy's draining
Overflowing is the sadness that this mind is making

Each word that comes may hurt like a splinter
But now it's all too much, nothing to do but whimper
It was all so sweet, but now it turned so bitter
Gone is summer, now it's back to winter

Your life was colorful, now it's black and white
Starting to get mixed up if you're wrong or right
Wondering, asking, wether to give up or fight
Just hang in there and you'll soon see the light

There won't be a rainbow without a little rain
But it's a storm that came, now it's causing you pain
Drowning in sorrow, it's driving you insane
But soon it'll all be a stain that will never remain

Don't give in now for a temporary feeling
If you'll just let yourself take time for healing
No more concealing whenever you're bleeding
And no more grieving that your inside is *dying

Kitang kita **** nagniningning ang kanyang mga mata sa malalim na gabi.
Mas maaliwalas pa kaysa sa buwan at sa mga kumikinang kinang na mga bituin.

What is that I see?
Something from afar
I went out to reach it
My savior, at last you've come!

A gentle touch on the arm,
all the memories came before me.
Eternal peace I sought
I found when you came along.

Kung pwede lang sana
Na baguhin ang tadhana
Upang kahit sa huling pagkakataon,
Mabawi ang mga nawalang taon

Kung pwede lang sana
Na ika'y muling makasama
At masilayan muli ang iyong mga ngiti
Kung pwede lang sana, ganun nalang palagi

Kung pwede lang sana
Na mas maaga kong naalala
Ang lahat ng ginawa mo para sa akin
Sinayang ko lang ang iyong pagiging akin

Kung pwede lang sana
Na muling lumigaya...
Ngunit wala ka na sa'king tabi
Kaya ngayon, ako'y lubusang nagsisisi

I'm just a tree
letting its leaves
be carried
by the wind.

I love the way
his lips curl
and his eyes crinkle
whenever he smiles

I love how
he makes silly faces
and laughs so loud
whenever he's with me

He would randomly call
at random times
just to hear my voice
and for me to hear his

It was those
midnight talks
with him that
made me fall harder-

I was madly in love.
He would sing
me songs to sleep
and kiss me goodnight

He would hold
my hand
and hug me tight.
How I loved those moments.

Those moments
that I wished
could last forever
but they didn't.

I thought I finally
found the one
I'd spend the rest
of my life with

But I was
blind enough to believe
that I could have
a fairytale of my own.

Sharp eyes watching
from side to side
Each move, blood arises
Wrong word, pulls the trigger.
Water's boiling inside the freezer
Open the door, molten lava.
Look up high, see the stars
coming down with wrath and fury.

Wishing it to rain
Of flaming arrows
Hiding beneath the shell
Of a fossilized snail.
Whisper a name
to a quiet breeze
And finally goes on

**Never to be seen.

A hollow stone,
Strong and sturdy.
Slowly weakening;
Corrupted by weather.

Try to dab,
Feel the cracks
Whisper one word,
Enjoy it crumble.

Eyes open,
Switch: off
Grinning and laughing,
Repeatedly cursed.

Naaalala mo pa ba noong sabay pa tayong umuwi
Isa iyon sa mga  hindi malilimutang sandali
Naaalala mo pa ba noong inaalagaan natin ang isa't isa
Patunay iyon na hindi ko kaya nang wala ka

Naaalala mo pa ba noong sabay tayong kumakanta
Sa mga awit ba minsa'y ginagawang tula
At kapag hindi naabot ang mataas na nota
Sabay tayong tatawa pagkatapos ay kakanta ng iba

Naaalala mo pa ba noong may sumusuyo sayong ginoo
Makamit lamang ang matamis **** oo
Hindi nagkulang sa pagbibigay ng payo
Upang magandang landas ang tahakin mo

Ngayon napatunayan ko na
Damdamin lang pala talaga ang nagiiba
Ngunit mananatili pa rin ang ating mga alaala
Sa ating puso at kaluluwa

Lahat ng mga nabanggit kong alaala
Ay nagawa niyo na ding dalawa
Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit makita na;
Mas mukha kang masaya kapag kasama mo siya.

**© Arlene Rioflorido, 2015

I did my best and
shared with you my smile
I made you laugh, you made me care
I put on a mask for you to see-
Life's gonna be better for you and me.

Every now and then,
you shed your skin
Firing darts right through me
Doesn't that make you grin?

My happiness is a lie
But I try not to show it
I'll take you to my world
Open your heart, you won't regret it

But don't bring back the past
Please pull me away
Leave or just stay
I won't care anymore~~
And the memory perishes

It was a long time ago.

Just as I was about to sail through calm waters, a tidal wave emerges
tossing my ship on a lone island, beautifully wrecked.

They are blank, blank, blank
Your eyes, they bear nothing
But I sank, sank, sank
Into the depths of this "nothing"

Masked in an expressionless face,
there's nothing more to erase...
there's no beauty, there's no grace
But why do I still go upon your pace?

It's all black, black, black
It's a pool of no return
But you're still back, back, back
How come you survived your left turn?

Bizarre it is, you came through the day
To the flowers a'blooming in the springs of May
Swallowed it whole, the sun's lightning ray
I know I cannot escape, but may I be here to stay?

My country is an old book with a crumbly, dusty cover;
original and valuable
Like a book, you don't judge it by its cover.
What's inside it is what defines it.
Gently open it;
Read each word with heart,
Uncover its uniqueness
till it brings delight.
Find the book enjoying,
You'll never wish for it to end.
You'll read it one more time,
You'll show loftiness to it.
Oh, fellowmen, we're proud of our country
Even if we're not;
Our mouths say we are, but our hearts deny.
Oh beloved country,
We discerned ourselves
through judging you
because of our own fault.

**© Frank Lloyd Manalang, 2014

"The days of the past formed the future, but I guess the lessons weren't enough."

Home is where my heart first shattered
And sought things unimaginable
Quenching for love and enlightenment,
Seeking for guidance and hope
My days were once evergreen
And raging red as my blood stirs and flows
Denying the pity as each eye stares
Watching each flower bloom
Then slowly rot and perish

A huge pail of liquid was showered upon me
And air turning cold as ice
The room was covered in a blackish-gray cloud
That growled and thundered
Leaving a mark that no one could hide
People see beauty in times of merriment
But I see mine in my hard, abandoned shell
I could no longer speak for no one would listen
Why would I aim for a goal that was never there?
All there is, is a dusty shelf
That mourns and weeps
Waiting for it's master's return
In the days that were long gone.

I.
I have accepted my fate;
My inability to move, to speak
The fast-paced switching of scenes
Each time I get to blink.

I do understand the gap—
The pressure of compactibility; claustrophobia
Interferance may set you ablaze–
Or so I told myself.

II.
It has always been like this:
An ever-repeating cycle
The blending and molding
Into what I ought to be.

Time became my comfort
As I warmed and accepted change
Pieces of me were scattered
Now, I am complete.

"My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down stars from the sky, then, for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence."  -Edmond Rostand

I'm sent back
burning in ice
I glide on my skin
drinking venom
from these fangs
Oozing in the dark
Cast from broad daylight
Why even bother?
I puke out this wine
disarranged, how divine!