072924

O kayraming pangarap na binuo —
Binuno sa sariling salamangka.
May ibang nagwawaging nakangiti,
Habang ang ila’y nalalagas kamamadali.

Nakamamangha nga sa umpisa
Pagkat ito ang batayan ng karamihan
Sa tinatawag nilang  “makapangyarihan.”

Silakbo ng damdami’y aking pinatatahimik
Bagamat sa mga sandaling iyo’y
Gusto ko na lamang mapaos
Sa mga himig na inaanod patungo sa aking lalamunan.

Patuloy ang pagsuntok ko sa buwan
Hanggang sa maging gula-gulanit maging aking kasuotan.
Ngunit sa patımpalak na ito’y
Wala naman pala akong ibang kalaban
Kundi ang sarılı kong anino,
Ang kumunoy ng aking nakaraan.

Madilim —
Madilim ang paligid saanman ako dumako.
May hiwaga pa nga bang taglay ang Liwanag?
Kung ang sinag Nito’y mas maaga pa sa Pasko.

Mahiwaga —
Ganyan nila ituring ang mga alitaptap
Na para bang may isang diwatang
Umaaliw sa kanila,
Naghahayag ng kung anu-anong mensaheng
Wala naman palang kabuluhan
Kaya’t sabay-sabay silang mauubos
Na parang mga paupos na kandaling
Wala nang balak na sindihan pa.

Sino nga ba?
Sino nga ba ang aking susundan?
Napapatid, napapagod, nanlulumo’t nakikiusap
Na ako’y hatulan na lamang ng kamatayan
Nang mabaon na rin sa limot
Ang mga alaalang dumi sa’king katauhan.

Tinatanong ko ang sarili
Kung bakit nga ba paulit-ulit ang daan?
Wala nga bang magtutuwid sa mga lubak nito?
Ito na nga ba ang dulo ng bahaghari?
At sinu-sino nga lang ba ang makahaharap sa Liwanag?

Ako at ang kadiliman
Ako at ang liwanag.
Sino nga ba ang pamato?
Sino nga ba ang tunay na kalaban?

Subalit kung ako ma’y isang anino na lamang,
Ako’y pipisan pa rin sa mga yakap ng Buwan.
At kahit pa ako’y mahuli sa kanilang takbuha’y
Sigurado pa rin akong
May liwanag pa rin sa aking sinusundan.

Ikaw, Anong tantya mo?
Makararating ka rin ba sa dulo?
Ikaw, anong pasya mo?
Tataya ka ba o mananatiling isang anino?

071824

“I met You during Summer
Tale as old as time —
Will I ever remember,
When my scars won’t bid goodbye?”

____


I found myself in the same roof where I am today
But the wrenching waves were all gone.
My breath runs dry
Whenever I had a glint of distress
While tomorrow has not yet began.

In the vineyard of my Master,
My hollow core is being pressed down
Where I used to be shamefaced of the intricate details —
The flaws and blemishes, hiting me like a rock.
And even before they heal,
I always get new ones like the newbies…
Like the tattoos in my eyes
Whenever I cry in my own midnight suns.

I write whenever there’re palettes in my head,
The strokes of my Master
Were the key notes of the melody of my soul.
I was about to die until He crossed the oceans for me!
The script became a masterpiece
Regardless of the broken keys
And the missing lines of the so-random poetries.

Ever changing glow from within,
Busted lights all over my face.
Whew! It was a rough road
But the shadows no longer chase me,
The tides no longer hold me back so I continued sailing.

I tried to pause for a moment;
Resonating the hymn deep within me
As I bite my own lips.
It was so hard to stop
When the ink was the shed blood
Running through my veins —
I am alive; and my breath was more than a sigh.

The audience tells me to keep quiet
But I always hear the sweet small voice
Of my Master who’s behind the draperies
And away from the eyes in grim,
Of the fake faces who make face along side.

I run towards Him
In the hidden corners of my prayer room.
It was the backstage where I hid myself
And found it as a gem, bestowing me revival —
Where I felt so secured and loved the most.
And that’s where I hide my treasures too;
And today, it’s no longer a secret
Between me and my Master.

I opened the door for the world to see
For this is where my soul rests
But not yet the place where I truly belong.
As of now, I won’t abandon this room
Where He break the barriers before my eyes.

————————————

“Today, I remember the stories untold:
The skeletons in my previous closet,
The dry coarse land where I hid my wealth.
I dug so deep but it’s not worth the effort.
Today, I remember You —
I will always remember Your Name.”