i’ve tangled with a lot of bodies
after we ended.

i’ve knotted myself with different hearts
pretentiously knowing that this pain i’ve felt could be mended.

i’ve scrambled those ties in my hands and how easy it was for me to un-knot them.

one knot comes in, after a few days, weeks, or sometimes but not often, months, slowly it detangles itself and i leave untangled, unbroken, as if nothing went past these lines on my heart, my body, my lips, like it didn’t happen at all.

i thought those messy tangles i put myself into would be as hard as when we had to untangle ourselves — or just me, i guess — from the oh so short but very sweet time we’ve had together.

but, i was wrong.

i wasn’t left untangled,
i wasn’t unbroken.

i still had a little not, tied in between my heart, body, and lips, which i try so hard not to notice by putting myself out there, messing my own lines up till i catch someone who ends up letting go afterwards.

to you,

we’ve already part ways,

to me,

you barely left.

i wish you could untangle this knot you left.
i wish you could mess with mine again, and probably leave a bigger knot — so obvious that i’d give up trying to fix it.
i wish to see how your soft hands would carefully untie, over then under then pull and stretch, this knot and maybe i could finally figure out that it was so easy that i didn’t even need your help.

but you’re gone.

and i have to accept that.

it’ll take time before this untangles by itself so i’ll just let it be for awhile.

and when someone does come not only to tie their heart with mine,
but also untangle what you had left behind,
then i’ll be fine,
and know that now’s my time.

i loved to paint using your colour.

i’d go day and night, from one canvas to another, using different shades of you to paint all kinds of pictures.

i never lost any ideas.
i never had to find inspiration.
it all just comes to me whenever i look at you.

one day, i woke up colour blind. and unfortunately, it’s in your colour.

all the paintings, all the sketches, all the canvasses that were of your colour, plastered, hanged, and taped all over my walls doesn’t make sense anymore.

it was all grey. all dull. a colour i know existed but never really tried using before.

i tried searching for your colours in the things you’ve touched. the words you’ve said. i searched everywhere but whenever i do think your colour will come back, my eyes revert to reality.

now you’re just a memory.

your colour will only exist inside my mind.

those shades i loved. the pigments i crave to achieve every time i stroke my brush. it’s all in my head now.

it’s been years now. your colour isn’t as bright as i thought my memory would remind me of.

i paint with a different colour now.

actually, i paint with all the colours now except yours.

all those nights i spent painting, it’s with every colour i come across but yours.

now my wall’s full of colour again. all from different parts of me. colours i never knew existed.

now,

i’m happy. i’m content.

i’m colourful.

if it meant
i had to write forever
to get to your heart,
then prepare
for the small notes
i’ll pass to you every time i see you smile,
for the little songs
i’ll sing every time you sway your hips and move your soft hands to its beat,
for the poetries, oh god,
for the poetries i’ll continue to write
as if i’m writing a book only your eyes are worth to see,

if i had to write forever
to get to your heart,
then all will be worth it
for i’ll never fall apart.

Minsan mapapaisip ka na lang
kung ikaw ba ay nagkulang
o siya yung di lumaban.

Mapapaisip ka na lang
kung tama bang ikaw ang nahihirapan,
patuloy na lumalaban,
gulo’y subok na iniwasan,
upang di lang siya masaktan.

Mapapaisip ka na lang
kung kaya ka ba iniwan
kasi kahit gaano mo ipaglaban
— na lahat ng problema niya ikaw na pumapasan
umuuwi ka paring luhaan.

Tama ba na tratuhin ka ng ganito?
na parang laruan na pag sawa na sa iba,
ikaw naman ang gusto?

Tama ba na maramdaman mo
ang sakit na nasa iyong puso
kasi pinili mo siya
kahit alam ng utak mo
na di siya nakakatulong sayo?

Tama ba na sa dinami dami ng taong
araw araw na kumakausap sa’yo,
dito ka pa nahulog
sa taong di ka naman isasalo?

Ang dami kong sinasabi sa ibang tao
na maraming gago sa mundo
na di dapat sila papaloko.
Pero sa dulo din pala,
ako yung magmamahal ng tulad mo.

Pasalamat ka,
ako na yung nagparaya
siguro kasi di ko na rin kaya
lalo na’t nakita kitang may kasamang iba.

Tinago mo pa,
sinabi **** kaibigan mo lang siya
ngunit ang totoo pala,
pag di tayo magkasama
tumatakbo ka pabalik sa kanya.

Di na rin siguro ako magtataka
kung bakit mas pinili mo siya
baka dahil ang puso nyo’y nagtugma
o mas magaling lang siya sa kama.

Bakit nga ba ako nagpakatanga?
Nadaan mo nga lang ba ako sa iyong matatamis na salita,
mga pangakong di ko alam kung matutupad ba
o sadyang uhaw lang ako sa pagmamahal
kaya nung nakita mo ako’t nagpapakahangal
nasabi **** “pwede na ‘to, di rin naman ako tatagal.”  

Sinabi ng mga magulang ko
na lahat ng tao pinanganak ng may puso
na kailangan mo lang intindihin at mahalin
dahil sa dulo, pagmamahal niya’y iyong aanihin.

Pero akalain mo yun,
may mga tao palang tulad mo
na di mo alam kung wala ba siyang puso
o ipinaglihi sa demonyo.

Nakakatawa ka,
na lahat ng dugo, pawis, pati narin oras
sayo ko lahat nawaldas
buti sana kung nababalik mo ’to
pero wala, ginawa mo akong uto uto.

Isa kang patunay
na may mga taong
na kahit lahat ng pagmamahal sayo ay ibigay
nag hahanap ka parin sa iba
ng wala kang kamalay malay.

Ngayon,
tapos na ako.
Di ko kailangan ang isang tulad mo.

Sa lahat ng gago sa mundo,
ikaw pa ang pinili ko,
ikaw pa ang minahal ko,
ikaw pa ang pinagubusan ko ng oras ng ganito,
ikaw pa ang sumira sa’king utak at puso.

Pero salamat din sa’yo
dahil kung hindi sa pang-gagago mo
hindi ko mapapansin na ang pagmamahal di ko lang makukuha sa’yo
hindi ko mapapansin na marami rin palang masasama sa mundo
na ang gusto lamang ay makitang mawasak ang sarili ko.

Andami kong natutunan
di lang tungkol sa mga tulad mo
kundi pati na rin sa sarili ko:
na kaya ko palang magmahal ng ganito
na kaya ko palang lumaban ng husto
na kaya ko palang ibigay ang lahat pati narin aking puso.

Ngayong,
mag isa na ulit ako,
mas masaya na ako.

Kaya sa susunod na darating sa buhay ko,
tandaan mo
nagmahal ako ng gago
kaya ayusin mo ang buhay mo
kung ayaw **** sulatan kita ng ganito.