The Poetic Architect

The Poetic Architect Oct 2018

“The absence of work deactivates faith.”
- SYL

The Poetic Architect Sep 2018

Buhos

Nagtago ang mga parilya sa kalupaan
Habang sila'y kusang nagpahimlay sa pagsisilbing lakas t tuntungan
Siguro, naisip din nilang ayos lang mapasailalim
Kung ito nama'y marangal at bubuo sa bukas at ngayon.

Habang sila'y sama-samang ipinagbibigkis
Ay mas lalo silang nakatatamo ng sugat mula sa isa't isa
Hindi nila ininda ang dumi o kahit na ang agos
Na posibleng yumurak sa kanilang mga pagkatao.

Sa aking pagtingala mula sa pagkasisid sa kalaliman ng kanilang mga adhikain
Ay nasasaksihan ko ang pag-usad ng mas matitibay pang haligi
Na dito sa ating baya'y may iilan ding tunay na tatayo
At nanaising maging tuntungan ng iba para sa higit na pagsulyap sa araw
Sila'y kapit-bisig sa pag-aalay ng dugo't pawis
Para sa ikuunlad ng kabuuan.

At unti-unting mahuhulog na tila nagkakalansingang mga barya
Ang mga may buo ang loob.
At sa pagbibilang ko ng mga araw ay walang pakundangan silang magiging isa
At malilimot na rin ng iilan na minsan, sila'y may pagkakaiba --
Na minsan, sila'y pinulot at hinugasan
At ngayon sila'y nagbago mula sa pagiging kupas na larawan.

#pilipinas #tagalog #construction

The Poetic Architect Sep 2018

#BAYANiJuan

Bayani --
Sa tuwing nagtatapo ang aking kanang kamay at ang aking dibdib
Doon ko mas naisasaisip at naisasapuso ang pagiging isang Pilipino
Na hindi ako isang banyagang titirik sa malaparaisong lupain
At panandaliang mabibihagni sa mga likas na yaman
O mismong sa mga modernong Maria Clara
O mga aktibisang nagmistulang mga bayani
Sa kanilang walang pag-imbot
Sa pagsulong nang may paninindigan
Sa kani-kanilang ideolohiya.

Sa araw-araw kong pagbibilad sa araw
At pagharap sa bawat pagsubok na minsang nakapapatid at nakapagpapatalisod,
Ni minsa'y hindi ko pinangarap na gawaran ng salitang "bayani."

Dito sa aking Bayang, "Perlas ng Silanganan,"
Ako'y nahubog maging sanay at buo ang loob
Hindi ng mga kahapong idinaan na sa hukay
At nagsilbing bihag ng kasaysayan at rebolusyon,
Bagkus ng sariling karanasang
Nagbukas sa aking ulirat
Na may iba pa palang pintuan patungo sa kahapon.
At pupwede ko palang matuklasan
Na hindi lamang sa mga nag-alay ng buhay sa sariling bayan
Maihahambing ang katuturan ng mahiwagang salita.

Paano nga ba na sa bawat pagsilang ng araw at pagbukod ng mga ulap sa kanya
Ay maituturing ko ang sarili bilang isang bayani?
Nagigising ako na pinamumunuan hindi lamang ng isang pangulo
Kundi ng mga katauhan na siya ring nagbibigay kabuluhan sa pagrespeto ko sa aking sarili
At sa tuwing nag-aalay ako ng mga hakbang at padyak sa pampublikong mga lugar
Ay nahahaluan ang aking pagkatao ng mga abo ng mga nagtapos na sa serbisyo
At tila ba sa kaloob-looban ko ay may sumisigaw na hindi ko alam kung ano
At sumisira sa mga pintuang minsan ko nang sinubukang sipain
Ngunit hindi naman ako pinagbuksan.

Masasabi kong natuto akong hindi sumuko sa laban ng aking buhay
Pagkat ako rin pala'y may pinaglalaban
Hindi ko ninais na maging talunan sa bawat paglisan ng araw sa kabundukang minsan ko na ring inakyat at pinagmasdan
Akala ko hanggang doon na lamang ako
Na ang buhay ko'y hindi isang nobelang magiging mukha sa salapi
At pagkakaguluhan saan man sila magdako
Ngunit minsa'y limot na ang halaga.

Dito sa aking istorya'y hindi ko maipagmamalaking ako ay isang bayani --
Ngunit sa kabila ng paglaganap ng demokrasya
Ay nais ko pa ring makasalamuha ang kahigpitan ng hustiya
Nang sa gayo'y masilaya't malasap ko ring mahalaga pa rin sa lahat
Ang pagbuwis ng mga buhay --
Silang mga pinagbunyi o silang nilimot ng sarili nilang mga kababayan.

Gusto kong manatili bilang isang Pilipinong may dangal sa aking pagkatao
Na ako'y titingala hindi dahil ako'y nagmamataas
Bagkus sagisag at bunga ito ng paghilom sa akin ng may Likha
At isang grasya ang buhay na hindi ko nanaising itapon sa wala.

Hindi ako magbibigay-pugay sa watawat na walang kamuang-muang
Na ang aking laban ay tapos na.
Hindi ako magpapadaig sa lipunang maaaring bumagsak sa kahit anong pagkakataon
Kapag ito'y nakalimot sa Ngalang higit na tanyag sa kanya.
At kung ito ang magiging dahilan para ako'y maliko sa ibang ideolohiya'y
Lilisanin ko na lamang ang aking pagkatao --
Ngunit ako'y madiing magpapatuloy sa aking lakaring higit pa sa pagka-Pilipino
Kahit na ang mga tungkuling nasa harap ko'y hindi pa lubos na malinaw
Pero pangako --
Hindi ako titigil.

Oo, pupuwede akong magsimula sa wala
Pero ako ay may mararating
At marahil bukas o sa makalawa,
Kung tayo lamang ay magpapatuloy sa pakikibaka para sa ating mga paniniwala'y
Magiging higit pa tayo sa mga bayani.
At hindi mahalaga kung tayo'y limutin ng bukas
Gaya ng paghawi ng masidhing hangin sa mga ulap na emosyonal.

Ayos lang --
Pagkat sa likod ng mga kurtina nang walang humpay na palakpakan
Ay naroon ang tunay na mga bayani
Na hindi sigaw at mga pagbubunyi ang mithiin.
Hindi ginto’t mga pilak ang maibubulsa sa kamatayan
Bagkus ang makapaglingkod sa bayan na may bukal na puso't malinis na konsensya
At kalakip nito ang higit pa sa mga pamanang medalya ng kasaysayan.

Sa muling pagkikita, salubong ng ating mga ninuno
Ay mabubuksan ang ating pagkatao sa isang paraisong patay na ang kabayanihan.
Doon, sama-sama nating lilisanin ang ganid na administrasyon
At hihipuin ang galit ng lambing ng Liwanag na higit pa sa milyong mga lampara
At doon lamang natin lubos na maaakap ang pagiging isang "bayani."

#pilipinas #tagalog #goyo

The Poetic Architect Jul 2018

A Cry for Help

I thought surrender is that easy —
Like the flowing river
So natural to begin with itself
And last in its bestowed
Eternity.

I hope to ponder for another time
Like shifting the clock
And be wise as the future foretells
That I could ever throw a line
To the Captain of the sky
As I whisper through my tears
So He could catch me
In the middle of longingness and satisfaction.

Maybe this time,
I could truly call for hope
And receive what I’ve uttered
In every prophetic season
When I was relieved with assurance
That there’s a prerequisite to “help.”

And so later in these milli-seconds counting
One palm could rest on another
As if raising a voice but always in silence.

Maybe I could always yearn for more
And even learn more
Urge no more toward the death of a dream
And start to glide
Like a kite without wings.

My re-writing this piece:

PREREQUISITE TO HELP
i
I thought surrender is that easy —
Like a flowing river
So natural to begin with itself
And last in its bestowed
Eternity.
ii
I hope to ponder for another time
In another space
Like shifting the clock,
Switching personas
Or even by holding the time in its deepest sleep.
iii
I still have left myself in the picture
Of being wise as the future foretells
That I could ever throw a line to the Captain of the sky
As I whisper by my tears
So He could catch and match my need
In the midst of “I can” and “I can’t”
In the midst of hope and loss
And in the midst of cost and cause.
iii
Maybe I could still yearn for more
To even learn for more,
And urge no more towards the death of a dream
And start to glide
Like a kite without fallen wings.
iv
Maybe this time,
I could truly dwell in hope
And tear down every wall that cost nothing
In building and finishing a cause
That even matters more than naked eyes.
v
And so when I receive what I’ve uttered in spiritual realm
In every prophetic seasons —
Where I was relieved with assurance
That there’s a prerequisite to “help.”
vi
And so later in these milli-seconds of counting of time
Everything is dealt in not-so-hidden reason
Of the returning of a Son.
One palm could finally rest to another
As if raising a voice, always in silence
But in time —
Will truly fulfill what’s written in no schemes.

#faith #hope #love #help #cry

The Poetic Architect Jul 2018

A Call for the Nation: Our God isn't Stupid

070518

I heard the Thunder's wrath
But I was so assured that I can breathe
In His awakening breath called "life,"
While the waves urge to lie,
To distort or tear down one's walls
Dark turns darker,
In his flesh, he alone calls.

There're colors over the street
And they seemed embarrassed when the Lighting came
His eyes are on fire, some have never adorned
Their strength, by their might
A cloth and shelter of their own.

Those colors depict hope, One's full revelation
Scattered unto nations but some denied, left behind
And by their feet, they've trampled it down
And have let no fear in Him
Dwell unto their hearts; instead, boast on their crowns.

So again, those colors unfold a promise --
A promise of reliance when we're about to be drowned in the sea,
A crowning glory full of assurance and confidence
That we shall arise as One Nation
And the waiting will be over.

When before, we started to call
He has left no one hanging on a tree
While such faces were getting too close
And it's too much.

Too much to bear that the freedom they boast
Is no longer in Truth,
And they laugh while drinking
Into their own blood
Sealed with their own names
That they rather put colors
In variance and forget that it's a loss of purpose.

Words were floating upon them
But they yearn for pride
For their very own indulgent
Turned out to be their way and it has become "final" to them
That they're ever free to choose and do.

Why is it when we speak the Truth
People scatter and grumble
As their faith, distort
In the loss of confusion.

If grace then was a lottery
Then there'll be no salvation
But indeed it was free,
So why don't one grab it
And embrace redemption.

Yes, we can love but be still in His grace
Coz hope isn't to perish for the ones who call for it
Never dethroning the One who first spoke
So please, do things not because of wants and for earning.

I would love it when the Sun comes down now
But grace is the period and we call it "now"
So friends whom we love
Do seek righteousness and grip on it in tight
Coz when the latter day comes,
One will perish while one is left behind.

If we seek the Truth
Truly, let the heart endures
Let revival take the sword and fight for its cause.
No more crying for the ones you wished there were more
So now, never lack
Even a moment to recall.

#philippines #nation #faith #god

The Poetic Architect Apr 2018

Only If

0418

If the Words I hear aren't from You,
Never let me go.
If it is not for Your glory that I do what I do,
Let me stop here
For me to take a stand for what I truly believe in.

If Your Spirit no longer dwells in me,
Will You satisfy me with Your anointing
As I leave my past behind
And enter Your mercy and be in Your Heaven's place.

If it is not by Your wisdom that I understand things,
Let me not be deceived by the schemes of this world
That I may not trample down every word that You say
And as You speak, it shall be my breath of Life.

If it is not by Your army who rise up for my protection
Where shall I find comfort?
Or to whom say, "My God is my Defender."

If power is given to me
Yet I found You no longer reigning in me
Take away my eyes that make my flesh live in filthiness
That honor and glory be bestowed on Your throne.

I call to You
And for the rest of my Life
Let Me call to You --
Alone and sweet Your Words shall be
I will not be deaf
Let me not be in silence
Let Your Words Speak
This is my call for today.

1 Samuel 26:8-12
Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?” And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them

The Poetic Architect Apr 2018

I was There

0418

Sometimes, I see your heavy burdens
In your arms, you carry every debris of anticipation
Your anxieties about the world
Your disappointments and failures
And apologies never received with forgiveness.

Sometimes, I see your hunger and thirst
That leads you to compare with others
Why do you lack and feel all deficiencies
And all over your face, there are tiny and big regrets
That you hoped you did your best.

Sometimes, you act in a childish way
Your words say you’re okay and you are able
But in your deepest core, I hear you shouting in tears
For all those times, you thought that I don’t even care.

Sometimes, your strength is not enough
You wear masks and declare you’re good enough
But your muscles are about to collapse
With the lapses and faults, you thought
You could easily endure.

I was there all the time —
Even the moments you’re not still
You stand too tall that you never looked back.
I was there —
When you soar so high and you made a call to others
And then you ask for comfort
But in them, you received persecution and judgment.

One night, you felt so exhausted
And you never knew that I was there
As I caught you sleeping at the table
And so I carried you in My arms
And you murmured in tears
As I showed up in your dreams.

You felt so close to me that day
And there, you have received the rest
As you acknowledge me and choose to listen to Me.

And finally, I heard from you
The most wonderful word,
“Father,” you were in tears
“It was different this time,”
You added and even declared,
“You are my confidence.”

Never will I fail you even in your loss
Never will my love grows an inch away from you
Though you run miles away
I will see you through
You will make it.

And I will be your strength
I will do it
So rest and lean on me
Rest in my finished work —
It is finished.