You swell some strain on me,
You, middle kingdom!
Eradicating small detachments,
Of both sailors and marines.

They were ranked on islets and reefs,
With an integer of nine –
There in the island next to me,
I’m sure, you know who Spratly is.

Always wanting such detachment
To be eradicated by your own;
Now stationed
On a World War II era landing ship.

Your toy-ships came near me,
With 9-kilometer of the LST.
“It’s there illegally,”
How adamant that be!

I’ve tipped you off already,
Surely will I stand firm!
Then, you’ve countered me on! –
Opting for the ******* of more skyscrapers;
Those that are on stilts;
Now nearby two Reefs & a Bank? –
Nearby my darling Palawan Island!

“There is no room at all,”
For the negotiation on some point,
You’ve declared.

Oh, here’s my friend, U.S.
Left us with course of action to try;
Everyone calm down,
Be less provocative.
For often, he flies over;
Probing some stuffs.

You are the biggest offender, my friend;
In this dispute, you show no sign of slowing;
Or backing, down.
But hey, I won’t give up!

(9/9/13)

“Being a farmer is like being a priest;
you take a vow of poverty
and make a pact with the Lord
that no typhoon will come
and destroy your crops.”

In the rise of sedentary human civilization,
The nation’s agriculture
Became the key expansion.

Its history dates back thousands of years,
With its development,
Has been driven and defined –
By different climates, cultures, and technologies.

The Filipino farmers:
Are they now a dying breed?

Numbers of small farms has dwindled,
With workers opting for city life.
But this trend could exacerbate food insecurity!
Yes, in an import-dependent country –
Already struggling to meet current food demand.

In the face of growing losses,
And from volatile weather,
To new-fangled farming tech,
Limited education makes them less receptive.

What took such toll on the agricultural sector?
Maybe the farmer themselves,
The investors, the buyers – maybe.
Now, it’s due to the government policies,
Our programs are good, yet so weak.
There’s excessive reliance on agricultural imports,
And corruption on the upper level.

Compounding the problem
Is a younger generation –
Largely, leaving rural areas nationwide,
And depleting the pool of potential agricultural workers.

They say it’s too late to do something;
But the mind-set of the younger generation
Still we can change
And make farming appealing once again.

(9/8/13 @xirlleelang)

Plain white in flush,
This clean shining linen has fitted me.

I’m trouble-free now.
I was filled with joy,
For He has clothed me
With both salvation and victory.

I can’t wait but I will..
For His time is as perfect as it is!
For He became my eternal light,
As His own glory shines on me.

Brighter than the stars He is.
More lasting than the sun and moon,
There, his light tenders me with truth;
My sins, he has removed –
As far as the east is from the west.

He who has formed me
Will soon be my Groom.
And in the altar of grace,
I will wait with full persistence.

The Groom Himself will be delighted.
For He knows I became faithful,
And have prepared for that day.

It's the wedding feast of the Lamb,
And a fresh start is about to come!
And saying “I do, Lord”
Will make me a new Jerusalem!

(7/29/13 @xirlleelang)

With the visage of the blue monster,
I’ve cuddled that identity
And smudged it to myself.

This chap in ashen nature,
Has parked himself –
Resting in the right plane.
I was gazing at him,
That look he furnished
Made me probing.

“I have mine stained,”
On my trend, his eyes were fixed;
And there in the chair’s apex,
His hands were zipped.
Only just lately,
I grasp the gist of those words,
Yes, he was pointing to my shirt!
“Oh..” I retorted
And it was a late reaction!
That atmosphere has staggered me!

Someone called his name,
He countered by flights of stroll;
Alright, so that’s the first chitchat!

It was drizzling outside,
I opened my umbrella and stride.
I spotted him,
Him, yes, him! Oh, it’s him!
He became the frontage of that scenery;
With his umbrella on,
I ask over something –
To which I don’t remember at all!

Seeing him made me in high spirit,
There’s an up aura within me,
Oh, again and again.

To that chemise,
I extend my gratitude;
For it was the start of something so new!
To see him once more,
How I wish.. I just wish..

(7/28/13 @xirlleelang)

Alone with this desk,
And a notebook chock-fulled with paper;
Endless.. he chomp everything away.

Things truly aren’t easy,
The silence makes it harder.
Hey music, fill the air;
For not all truths,
But laughs of frauds may break out.

Just like the old days.
Just like the lady boss,
Just..maybe.

There should be dancing all around,
Where crowds should chip in
And take things in stern.
Errands were not decors –
Trespass! Like mini ciphers,
Digits, letters, they knock the drill out.

Only a couple more days left,
But in ignominy,
This generation may fall;
How pitiable..

With such marks and inkblots,
The source remains unrecognized.
They’re used to seize papers like that,
Although such are committing theft already.

Left were words,
Can’t spell it unerringly;
Yet the hearsays divulged its address,
So now, it’s time to slam this tome;
End the toil that has always been the crook!

Go outside,
For the sun’s rays are there!
Goodbye to this aged chair,
And to this notebook full of nicks,
With new freedom,
We shall embrace..
Everything.. “Ciao” to what’s new,
‘Coz this is the real world!
Oh college days!

(7/25/13 @xirlleelang)

In times of yore,
A name arose –
With vulnerable emerging markets,
The “Sick Man” of Asia!

But it has primed its cutback!
“Sick Man” was now a former name,
Call him this nation
To breed at ‘breakneck’ pace!

The snap back is faster
As global growth stirs in its revival,
And billions of dollars are in his shares!

Philippines vs. U.S.
With 7 percent, the peso was down for the year!
And we were knocked out!

It was more a reflection of global fears! –
About higher U.S. interest rates,
Then, the worries ‘bout the realm’s own fortunes,
Has to be forgotten.

Southeast Asian nation's prospects remain bright,
Likely to produce “predictable growth,”
Yes, the three stars with lone sun –
Now sky-scraping ,
With Filipinos making a stand.

Moving far..
From being a financial basket case,
The government has cut its debt,
Carry on! March on Filipinos!

(2/25/13 @xirlleelang)

All of our burdens,
And all of our sorrows,
By the power of His blood,
Jesus took away.

Our lives, we've surrendered;
And gave Him our all,
Now, God has embraced us –
So much, our cups overflowed.

Each day, we wake up
With His unconditional love as our pillow,
With the blanket of grace,
Our sins, now washed away.

With His God-given authority,
He Himself has sent us;
To the world that was dead –
Filled with lies and schemes of the enemy.

Every soldier of God wears His full armor,
As He has called as to be the light and the salt;
And for this dying generation,
“Speak life!,” the Lord says and “Win this nation!”

For it was His blood that has saved us,
And the battle isn’t ours now, but His!
The Lord has fought for us and died for our sake,
Why not offer our all and fight with firm faith?

The cup of salvation,
Which has the power to redeem,
Send it on to all nations!
‘Coz the multitudes are waiting!

Be freed with the earthly bondages!
Serve the Lord with full obedience,
‘Coz change only starts with one’s self,
Then, a chain reaction shall prevail!

Be the mouthpiece of the Word,
And the magnet of blessings,
For the world needs Jesus,
Now let’s all make Him famous!