ako ay nakatulala
sa lugar kung saan walang madla;
at ang isipan ko'y binabaha
ng mga hindi ko nasabing salita.

ako ay nasa dagat pa rin,
at ang bawat ihip ng hangin
ay simbolo ng aking dalangin
na sana siya ay mapasa akin.

ang mga puno ng niyog
ay gaya ng pagmamahal kong matayog.
mataas at hindi makasarili,
spaagka't sakanya ay nawiwili.

ang bawat butil ng buhangin
ay parang pag-ibig kong hindi kapusin;
bilyon-bilyong damdamin,
pag-ibig para sakanya na hindi ko inamin.

ang bawat alon na humahampas,
ay parang mga sandaling aking ipinalagpas;
mga bagay na matagal ko na dapat sinabi,
ngayon ako'y ginagambala ng pagsisisi.

****
isn't always dark alleys
and whistles
and pepper spray.
It isn't always
a stranger,
they don't always
look dangerous.
Whether it is
your boyfriend
or your teacher
or your uncle,
they are no longer on your side.
This is your attacker.
Do not be silent.
Do not be afraid to make a scene.
Whether it is a movie theatre
or a street corner
or your bedroom,
yell,
scream,
curse,
bite,
spit,
let no resonate from your lungs
so they cannot say they didn't hear you.
Send him home,
tell your parents,
tell your friends,
tell the police.
****
is not always
drunk men outside bars
or keys clenched between white knuckles.
Sometimes **** is silent.
Do not be silenced.

When I was little,
I used to hate having my door closed,
I would scream and cry
In fear of what the shadows could hold.
I was afraid of a box
Where I’d be held hostage
Caged with a lock
And no key
Back then
That pain was like the sting of a bee.
Now at 17 I realize that I wasn’t afraid of the dark
I was afraid of depression
Making its mark.
I was afraid of the endless battle of trying to fall asleep
Not wanting to wake up
But not wanting to dream.
I was afraid of the hope I would lose in that battle
Afraid of the chains
That made my hollow bones rattle,
Because in the light of a new day
I’d stay inside
“I’m tired” I’d say,
But the truth was much simpler
Than a cheap fix
I am afraid of myself
And I can’t change it.

when I first met you
you were nothing more
than another face
but 6 months later,
you're the only face
I could ever find
in a crowded place

tell them i was the
warmest place you knew
and that



you turned me cold