You stayed until midnight.
Its been a while since the
Last time we talked about life.

But even before I mumbled
Words, tears flooded them.
Again, I found myself in the

Glorious ruins of what we were,
What you were, and what you
Are to me now. Before the rain,

We wore the same smile, while trapping
Time and chasing stars, in the
Constellation of dreams, a forgotten

Universe of our souls.

It was believed by the founders
that the edifice would suffice to
house their dreams and demons.
Until the blood of new generation,

younger, bolder, tainted the papers,
muted the words, mutilated the bodies
of gods. Thick clouds swathed

the conflicted souls, confused crime
from cries for freedom and happiness.

Then there were ruins: us.

Inagaw ka na nga ng himpapawid.
Ngunit bago pinatid ng hangin
Ang paningin habang ikaw ay
Lumulutang-lutang sa panganorin,

Tatlong ulit akong nangako sa'yo:
Ililikha kita ng alapaap. Sasariwain ko
Ang iyong paglingap. Hindi ko

Hahayaang manatiling pangarap ang
Pangarap. Kahit na hindi man lang kita

Nayakap, bago ka inangkin ng mga ulap.

December revelries are never
About you. They are
About the yuletide, about
Everything that was never
About you. But somehow,

You

Keep your faithful grandeur
Upon our mortal eyes,
Upon our bounded beings.
Reminding us of our
Fragile existence, of our

Excesses and excuses for
Not being life itself,
For just being a
Reminder and remainder of

Its majestic beauty.

See you in 2034,
With a yearning for
A memorable life changed
by the universe of

Chance.

Moving in is moving on
From the past, and having faith
In now, no matter what.

I told you this pad offers a
View of the mountain at
Around five in the morning,

******* poetry as they say,
But you are the only poetry
That softens my heart hardened

By pain.

I still dream of hearing your
Laughter here, waking me up,
Making me up when things

Won't get right, when things
Have been tight. I still dream
Of having you here even if

Having you here means nothing
But leaving. Making this empty,
Again, before the dawn, back

On my own.

Sa tuwing hahapon ka't
Tanaw ng matá, paglao'y
Aagawin ng jeep palayo,
Paulit-ulit kong hinahanda
Ang kilometrong di man
Kalayuan, animo'y madalim
Na ulap pa ring lumulukob

Sa'king kaligiran. Hihintayin
Ka't papayapain, sa pagitan
Ng pangitain at pag-asa, na
Ilang ulit mang ulitin ang
Saglit na paglayo, walang
Makakahadlang, tayo ay

Sasagpang at kukubli sa lingid
Na daigdig upang maging
Mangingipon ng oras, ng rosas.
Ngayon: bagyo sa labas, unos sa
Loob. Sa tuwing hahapon ka't

Tanaw ng mata, paglao'y aagawin
Ng jeep palayo. Ngunit hindi ang
Puso, hindi ang pagsuyo.

Kung sakaling mapadpad
Dito ang balahibo ng pakpak
Ni Icarus, huwag **** hayaang
Mawaglit sa iyong isip ang bilin

Ko ukol sa ika-10 ng Enero.
Ito ang araw kung kailan nagpasya
Ang buwan na yakapin ang araw,
Hindi dahil sa tiyak na liwanag,

Kundi dahil sa katiyakan ng hiwaga.
Kasabay ng metapisikal na pagniniig
Na ito ang huling hatol ng Daruanak
Sa Binibining nabighani sa binistay

Na luha ng makata.
Makikita pa sa panganorin ang unang
Sulyap sa huling alapaap ng dilim.
Ngunit wala na ang kulog, maging

Ang pagkahulog sa bitag ng ligalig.
Alalahanin mo na lang ang dagat at
Ang pangako nitong kapahingahan
Kung sakaling sa paghahanap natin

Sa bahag-hari ay wala na sa ating
Maiwan kundi mga guho, mga mumo
Ng mga musmos na puso. Ang
Mahalaga lahat ng ito'y nakatalá na

Sa mga tála.