Imagine a woman who looks at the mirror
naked, and looks straight to her eyes and says
to herself, She is beautiful.  Imagine that woman
so in love with herself that nobody could dump
nor put her down.  She loves her curves, her full *******
like the mountains of Madyaas, her rounded belly
her chocnut brown skin. Her stretch marks, Ah! those are
carvings of her giving birth.  Her curly hair following only
the whims of the wind.  Imagine that woman.  The reflection
at the mirror looking at you

Is your Emancipated Self.

Una, akong natutong magbilang ng saya sa dagat,
Habang ginagawa kong kwintas ang mga puka shells
Sa dalampasigan.


Natutu akong lumaban sa sigalot ng buhay,
Sa pagtalon habang ang mga rumaragasang alon
Ay ginuguho ako.

Ang   hangin
Ay bumubulong sa akin ng uyayi
Dinuduyan ako upang mahimbing.

Natuto akong magbawas ng kalungkutan
Sa mga tuyom
Sa baybayin.

Natuto ako ng kolektibong paggawa
Sa pagmasid sa mga mangingisda sa paghugot
ng lambat mula sa dagat
Na taglay ang isang araw na huli
at hatiin sa kanila
Nang pantay-pantay.

Umuwi sila sa kanilang pamilya na may
Kasiyahan sa kanilang dalang
Paghahatian sa paminggalan.

O kay sarap sa pakiramdam
Tuwing huhubarin ko ang aking tsinelas
At namnamin ang mapipinong buhangin sa aking mga paa.

At sa tuwing ako ay nakakaranas ng kasalatan
Akin lang alalahanin-
Ang mga araw ng aking pagbibilang  sa dagat.

I want to imagine you
crossing a river
that is smooth and calm

That alone could make me
at peace
At this bitter reality

And someday, my time of crossing
that river will come

It was a bumpy ride at acceptance
of loss, and of parting
at the most unexpected time

When we are about just starting our
new life together

The memories is all that I gather
touched,
smell
and see vividly with my imagination.
Hold these memories in the palm of my hand
And throw it at the river
where you will flow smoothly

And you were there
Slowly, slowly
crossing in peace

For my sanity to keep.

Was it serendipity when we met
And left
Were friendship carved in stones



Those epistles speaks of fondness
While you were in a different shore
Two continents facing each other
like two crescent moon.
The unforgetable exchanges
of  memoirs in foreign land
Where you go deep

in the physical jungle
And me in the corporate jungle


Is it also a matter of choice
And of voice to
speak our truths and
speak what our hearts content


In the stillness of silence
Our hearts are yearning
Our eyes speaks deep love's longing

But how did you allow free fall also
to rule what should have been
between us?


Was it also a matter of choice

The sun at midday
People walking city streets
Beholding the fire tree

Spider spinning webs
Up, down and sideways stretches
Dreamweavers  we are.

Susulat ako ng isang libong tula
Kung ito ang magpapahilom sa pusong pagal
Sa pag-ibig

Isusulat ko ang tula sa dalampasigan
ng alaala
Na kasing haba ng aplaya
Hanggang sa maghilom ang pusong sugatan
Dulot ng iyong paglisan

Huhugot ako ng maraming tayutay at saknong
Na may lantay at tugma

Sakaling anurin ito at mabasa mo
Sa dalampasigan ng aking puso.

Ikaw ang hugot
Ikaw ang sagot

Susulat ako ng isang libong tula
Dito kung saan taya unang nagsimula.