"Nak, kumusta ka na?" habang inihahain yung Cinnamon bread mula sa oven.

"Naku, Ma'am. Ito single pa rin, dami ko pa kasi need patunayan sa sarili ko."

"Gaganda na nga ng mga na-achieve mo eh kulang pa ba? Hanapin mo rin yung magpapasaya sayo, ako nga simpleng life lang pero masaya ako sa partner ko at sa work ko."

Bumulong sa katrabaho, "Siya yung sinasabi kong prof namin na life coach rin. Pinakilala niya sa akin yung the Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator ni Anne Sexton. Sobrang ganda niya pumili ng mga piyesa para sa class namin."

Ay, Ma'am, si Ara nga po pala. Katrabaho ko."

"Ay, hi po, Ma'am."

"Ikaw ba, pinopormahan ka ba nitong si Michael?" Pabirong udyok ni Ma'am Pola.

"Ingatan mo si Michael, mga sunod na faculty to ng CAL."

"Ay, Naku, Ma'am. Di po ako qualified, baka maligaw ng landas mga taga ABE. Hehe."

"Lahat naman tayo, may mga bagay na akala natin di pa tayo qualified, pero binibigay sa atin kasi may mga taong alam kung ano talaga kaya natin. Ngayon lang yung memo nagrerequire ng Masters kaya di na kayo makapasok. Tignan niyo nga kayo, ang gagaling kaya ng batch niyo."

"Oh, eto nak, mainit-init pa yung order mo, apat na boxes ng Cinnamon bread. Pasensya ka na ginabi ka na ang dami ko ring binebake, baka may pasok ka pa bukas."

"Ay, salamat po, Ma'am. Buti po at bumuti-buti na pakiramdam niyo. Solid po yung mga binabake niyo sana mabuksan niyo uli yung store niyo sa may great wall."

"Ay naku, hoping and praying anak. Sana maging masaya family mo sa binake ko."

"Naku, Ma'am, bentang benta to kasi minarket ko na sa kanila. Sana kahit papaano nakatulong po ako."

"Thank you, Mike ah. Balitaan mo ako at kumustahan tayo sa kape pag may time pa."

"Bye, Ma'am. Ingat po kayo lagi."

Under the blankets are marks of love and hate
For you and our never-ending struggle;
Claws marked under the skin, or swords of words

Still I talk to you in my head, tiny whispers lingering
For the beating that slowly recuperates with wild imaginings
Of healing and warmth of the faithful, forgiving,
Embracing the cold of the storm and the thundering

Blows that echoes deep in the night
In my momentary solitude, once ours.

Once hours of love, now marked, blighted.
The faithful, the living, leaving with scars.

Under the blankets are traces of you
Marred and married in my skin,
Wounded deep with pain
- The heat lost its flame.

They were all looking at the bubbles then it popped.

“Argh! My eyes! Ma!”

“I told you, you’re not supposed to stare at the bubbles when it floats right on your eyes”
“But it’s beautiful and I see the mini-rainbows while it wobbles in the sky.”
The mother and the child went staring at the bubbles floating as they fly above the orange skies.
He blew another, carefully - eyes shining with excitement.
“Look, Mom! This one is bigger! I blew it slower than the other, this one will not pop.”

The cold wind blew with the ruffling of the grass as if clapping.
The bubble wobbled and wobbled on the orange sky
Passed by the resting sun, magnifying its beauty, it glittered.
The boy’s eyes shimmered in excitement.

Pop!

“Not again!” the boy sighed in exasperation.”
He asked, “Where do bubbles go when they pop?”
She looked at him intently.
She smiled, “they become the clouds, like tiny bubbles watching over us.”
“Why would they watch over us?”

“For in time, they will know that the sun will burn our skin, then they will come as rain.”

“Well, let me make more bubbles, so we can play with You in the rain.”


Don’t Forget the Bubbles

I adore you…

Your will undeniable,

Your word unbreakable,

Your strength undefeatable,

I never stood a chance.



You’re the all brave, all mighty,

omnipotent, omniscient,

The giver of life, the righteous,

And I must follow you, obey  you

Follow your footsteps, or be punished,



But I was disobedient,

a curdled flesh

unworthy of my creator,

A disgrace in his presence.

…



“Bless me, father, for I have sinned.”

(Your mighty fists resound inside my head.)

“Forgive me for defying you.”

(Your glorious feats like whippings I can’t bear.)

“Save me from this darkness, my savior.”

(Your word a storm outside my world.)

“And mold me in your spirit.”

(I hated you.)

“Amen.”

…

I am a follower of your girdled path through goodness,

A witness of your immortal rule.

It never flowed fast inside
the river- never hushed
and chased its mark and fell
above the skies
lonely lullabies

cold whispering screams
loud and lonely, deep
and shallowly glowing
like tears do shine while
falling, crashing,
clashing

slow, the blows do touched
its face disturbing silence
till it touched the last of stones
the waves will stop its shaking
leaving echoes singing

Living echoes singing
though dread from deep

though dark beneath

Lively masked with seamings

The river flows a toiling