A wind passed, and roused my lethargic mind
then, i noticed golden yellow leaves
starting to drop from  the money tree.
as a young girl, i recall chasing leaves falling
careful not to let them touch the green grass.
i pondered on my own invented game...do i run?
to catch, or not to catch.....even one leaf
was a child's dilemma...that became mine,
for, a leaf falling, is a poem, starting...
a love...blooming....or, an elusive one
or one that's struggling...

after a fall, comes the rising...where
something should be bravely emerging,
this is the time, when tamed, unnamed feelings
suddenly, become verses, sliding from the tongue,
mind is active, hand is alive, pen hurriedly writes
the soon-to-be-born poem,
...the one hashtagged...chased...or sought.
a word, a name, a face forgotten, now remembered,
a love...that is fading, or falling out,
all these should be held, grabbed...captured!
before they truly escape from our grasp
or, be blown further away...by a cold, autumn wind
...and leave us drowning, in a stream of regret...


Sally


Copyright April 19, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

...is a spray  
of sweet, nagging fragrance
borne by a rush of air
it touches nostrils as it travels,
to stimulate, and to scintillate
the flashing of memories
especially, when distance is great
and truly separates...

it could be the bouquet of a single rose,
or a handful of jasmine....or,
the welcome smell of cinnamon,
sage, nutmeg and other spices that
bring out the fragrances of good cooking,
or those of sweat and a fruity cologne
blending while working
from caring....from loving.
::::::::::::
it's a brush of summer wind
that captures, even a bit of a sniff
of any, or all of those scents.
:::::::::::::
a smell so pleasant
that dwells in the senses
and brings calm to one's soul.

the nose...the other senses know,
the heart and the mind know
the summation
of all these fragrances.
:::::::::::::::
no perfume could ever equal
the scent(s) of a woman.
:::::::::::::::


Sally

Copyright January 30, 2018---10:40 PM
rrab

(Haiku-10w-Haiku)
              
/:/::/:\::/  _  ||||||

Clock tick-tocked...rain poured
.....my mind swayed...a pendulum
........in the wide dim sky ...
~~~

.....thunder kindly hummed low,
.........hand, tapping, tipping
....my bubbly wineglass
~~~

i stood....stomped my feet
...then, entered an open gate...
there.................i met my fate...


Sally


© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
April 27, 2018

~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it is just mid afternoon...
weariness now overshadows the sun
that still shines bright upon me...
i feel this gird to my thoughts,
it rules amidst a crowd...
mind is not free to explore.
subject matters are all astray,
concentration is somewhat frayed...

i wait for a few more hours to pass,
when birds
would soon fly back to their nests up the trees,
turning in from their day's adventure,
when shades of burnt orange would fill the sky,
when the sun would hide lower behind the mountains,
when the afternoon air slowly turns
to a cool early evening breeze,
It is time
to be in a corner that awaits me,
where i always want
to be

my mind, my heart, my feet
no longer manacled by then,
would traipse along freely
in a measured, leisurely beat.
can't wait,
~~~~~~~~~~~~
i am there
~~~~~~~~~~~~
n o w
~~~~~~~~~~~~

no words  
only our eyes,
our hands,
our lips
would speak-
unmeasured,
precious hours
moments of
unfettered love,
ours alone
my dearest,
~~~
here,
~~
in
our
haven
by the sea.

~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(October 11, 2013)


Sally

Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...to do things i dislike doing,
to utter things i disagree with,
things that i deem as prevarications,
i think hard...and long,
i straighten my body,
especially my back...
but,
when i look around me, and see
dire circumstances, with palms opened
and eyes that beg....for all kinds of help,
physical, and otherwise,
i feel my back...bending........little by little,
'til i finally decide
to meet their eyes
...and briefly dip my feet,
   ...in a stream of white lies...


Sally

Copyright February 17, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

(Christmas haikus)


I'm sitting across
an old .eucalyptus tree
leaves are not  moving

in...out....so quiet
the hummingbirds are nowhere
curtain lights are still

has time stopped? no way!
Christmas bells rang, lights sparkled
...just two days ago

poinsettias are hushed
Christmas lull seeps into me
...am glad....clock still ticks...
*

Sally

Copyright December 27, 2017
rrab

(Love poem # 1)
::::::::::::::::::::::::


I speak of them in hushed tones,
my feelings...my written thoughts....
they ought to resemble, exactly describe
what i've seen, or felt, and stored in my brain...
i draw lines, define the contours of your shadow
but, it's not easy to sketch a landscape
of your whole being.....
most times...words are not enough...

with eyes closed...i run my finger
on a blank sheet of paper,
outlining the shape of your face,
down to your neck, far as i remember...
.......................................i get lost,
distracted by your sweet, gentle imperfections...
i may tell of moles, birthmarks, or wrinkles
big or small scars...but, all these don't matter,
you might sing some songs off key, it's okay
for, i'd surely tremble , on hearing again
the high and low of your voice,
.........................God, there's music!
i hear tunes...as soon as you speak
your heart, must be beating with a lilt...

my muse waves at me, as
bolts of inspiration gracefully ebb and flow,
hand and pen quiver a bit, while writing
giving birth to emotions that, rise....and race,
one after the other....while moon, sun and rain,
provide phrases...to express my soul's delight...

on a high point,
i pirouette,
but, i am  careful,
not to lose
..........balance........
  ....or myself...



Sally

Copyright October 17, 2016
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

It was many summers back
When he and she made a pact
At the end of each day
They would drive their fears away
Then close their eyes
To wake up to each one’s sweet “Hi!”

Many more summers passed
Days and nights they hoped to last
Then came the day
When there was nothing more to say.

Late hours of every evening
They would appear to be drifting
But they are not at all asleep
Just caught in their thoughts so deep.

They’re just a touch apart
Pain seeping through one’s heart
The coldness is so immense
Amidst a deafening silence.......

Sally


Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

This new morning reveals secrets,
the past nights' sudden bursts of rain
and wind, left the grassy areas of the
lawn...the bare soil...all soft and wet.
dark green moss and orange lichen, are
now peeping out from narrow apertures
on the concrete ground, from wet and
cracked fences....and on furrowed
barks of trees.

fine soggy soil is new home
to sprouting weeds
and on the base of trees, the
domed mushrooms grow sporadically,
moist to the touch....feathery, porous,
...all these growths, openly declare
we are drawn to the energy of the circle,
after night comes day...rain exits, giving
way to a rainbow and blue skies
...and smiles

there's hope, there's life,
in the least lighted parts
a breath is ever nigh  
the dark is not an ending
but a portal to a new beginning
even in jagged cracks,
in the dimmest, tiniest spaces
like holes and crevices,
life finds a way...to breathe,
its existence.



Sally


Copyright June 23, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

(morning, noon 'til night)


1)
dew drops fall on grass
slight sun permeates bay window
a cool breeze blows by

2)
parsley sprigs adorn
a bowl of yellow puree
hot creamed pumpkin soup..

3)
while sipping soup, muse
flies with brown mariposa
rain taps sharp on roof

4)
i run....to gather
fresh, sun-dried clothes from clotheslines
dog stirs from the rush

5)
wet soil's scent meanders
dry earth quenches thirst with rain
petrichor smells good!

6)
after chasing breath,
crisp cropeck, teams with coffee
crumbs adorn my shirt...

7)
fragrance chokes twilight
"queen of the night" spews sweet scent
white blooms...so divine!

8)
monitor lizard
tangoes up the ceiling...stares,
then falls on my lap!

9)
from the bamboo tree
gecko's distinct twilight call
shrills cold twilight air

10)
moon nestles coz'ly
in a circle of gray clouds
night.......is all her own...


Sally

Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
February 3, 2019

For  Cheryl Love


I am on this part of the world
while you are there on the other side
an enormous sea stands between us.
We are both just tiny specks from where we stand...
It is not a high wall that separates us---
but giant waves and scary windstorms,
an ocean of strong currents existing...

And yet, we speak, we think, like
we are just a few minutes drive away...
I feel you're just next door
a matter of three knocks away...
we chat and we laugh cheerfully,
like the day would never end
like the sun would never set...

These physical barriers that separate us
couldn't hinder us from smiling...
Only a few words spoken
would send us laughing...
We see ourselves on skype,
the gleeful sound of our  giggles
is unstoppable and contagious,
for we giggle just about anything...
Our mouths never close,
there is always something to discuss,
something to laugh about...
like the day would never end,
like the sun would never set...

We radiate positive energy,
we vibrate with pleasant thoughts,
dwelling on hopes that
one day we would meet in person...
We shall have long talks,
we shall have long walks,
we shall cook,
we shall make beads,
everything, we shall do together,
we won't run out of things to do together,
like the day would never end,
like the sun would never set...

Though far apart,
the music of our giggles
shall play on and on,
in our hearts,
in our minds,
in our ears....
There is no doubt,
our friendship, our music would live on,
like the day would never end,
like the sun would never set...


Sally


Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

❤️


Conversations are brief surprises,
sweet, like unexpected presents,
polite, yet laced with
genuine affection and
a growing fervour;
with every farewell,
strength flies with the wind,
almost...like breath, departing
         :::::::::
for, love hides...confines itself
in the ***** of the heart, it is
known, and yet, not known, but
silently exuding a sweet scent,
a subtle fragrance...more enduring
than a gentle spray of White Linen,
or, dabs of Dolce and Gabbana...its
scent lingers, the nostrils remember.
it clings deeper, dwelling on skin pores,
in every fiber of the mind...in the veins
that carry blood, to and from the heart.
            ::::::::::
it is a fragrance so reassuring,
never vanishing...more calming,
more relaxing than a glass, or two
of chilled Champagne, or sweet Moscato
           :::::::::::
it exists, even without the sun,
for, it has a light of its own,
a torch, but, with a tamed flame,
it burns subtly...even in quiet airs.

        ::::::::::
        .........
        ......
        ...­.

            
              
  

             sally b

Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
February 14, 2022

~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~~~

This summer's heat was worse,
problems are at their extremes,
burning, like undying embers.

Murmurs in government, in
public and private communities,
create chaos.

Repetition, initiates a desire
to walk away from what upsets
even for a while...some just

Laugh things off, too tired of
useless smiles and handshakes,
some get fed up, walk away, and

Go to the waters, to the shores
filled with voices crying for peace,
seeking justice.

Throughout our struggles...the
battles we fight, we always must
maintain a dignified silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We deserve some respect
no matter
what.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monsoon season has come,
soon...rain will pour and
shall inundate.


sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
July 8, 2024

(A repost from April 2014)



It could happen any moment...while
Strolling in the park...or while in the church,
In a movie house...or, when riding the bus,
Or in a cab on our way home,
It could be another long night, or early morning,
Like right now......at 2:30 AM,
While lying in bed...when body and mind are both at ease,
Muscles are rested...no struggles,
When heart is stripped of its trappings and
Trimmings of false pretenses...all are put aside,
When mental reflexes and defenses are relaxed,
When mind is bare...purely reflective,
Bereft of pride that shields the true self,
Cruising along the avenues of our imagination,
Taking our time, as we meet faces,
We find ourselves in places,
Existing in a variety of scenarios,
When, suddenly,
Like a comet in the night sky,
A swift spark of an idea catches our breath...

We sit, in a hurry......before it gets blown by the wind...

The mind is now done relaxing,
When the muscles stiffen normally
When we are no longer slouching
When we see coffee on the table
Steaming hot on the ***...

Under the dark sky,
Our day has started...

It is  time,
To turn those sparks into fireworks,
To create, and touch the lives of readers
Through another day of discovery,
Guide them by sharing our own recovery,
From stumbling down, over and over,
How it is to rise from a fall...
We enlighten them with our
R E V E L A T I O N S
Of self-discovered truths,
And our very own words of wisdom...

When body and mind are up and about,
Alert........ cognizant of
Every sound, and every burst of idea,
Then we know

It's...now...time
To
Write.

^^^^^

Sally

Copyright April 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

An initial dose of Harriet Tecumsah Watt's poetry , and its...

    "AFTERMATH"


It is not at all absurd or unacceptable...
never impossible,
that an older lady like me,
could gain precious wisdom,
as well as freedom,
from our younger generation...
theirs is a mixture of the old and the new
drastic, maybe, but sincere and essentially true...
here are bits and pieces of ramblings, brief reflections,
exercises i gathered for my heart, my mind and my soul...
what i ended up with,
when i first visited Miss Watt's page
one Sunday morning:



"You know you are a poet when---"

during Sunday mass,
when gospel is being read and discussed,
and a string of ideas come rushing through your mind
you reach for your pen, in panic,
but your small notebook is not with you...
you thank God, endlessly,
your open palms always come in handy....



"You know you are a poet when---"

your hair gets thinner, fewer, because
while pressing yourself too hard,
your hand skillfully sorts out every strand of hair on your head
and in the process, having them fall on your shoulders,
just to find the right word, right lines, right rhyme...
just about everything right,  from start to end...



"Never feel ashamed about your poems...
— never stop loving your poem, even when faced with harsh criticism,
especially from those who won’t compose and only offer opinion."

from this moment onwards,
never again shall i be ashamed of my poems,
be nervous when i am about to post them
regardless of how simple and shallow they seem to some
"especially those who won't compose and only offer opinion."



i had always wondered then, why my thoughts, my interpretations
always differed from those of the rest...naturally followed by
personal evaluation... that mine were poorly thought of,
mine lacked the necessary depth...not worth listening to...
but...not anymore.....

"Do not let anyone tell you what a poem means...
  Let it show you itself, become your friend
  Share something secret only between you..."



there are ways we can help those souls in need:
lessen their pain and misery,
if not with alms,
then, with kind words or  soothing  deeds...

   " If you have something to give
     if there’s nothing in your pockets
    Maybe shrug your sorry shoulders
    and flash a meek little grin."



this made me reflect even more,
about myself, my faith, the time past
what i have done with this gift of life,
at this certain point in my life....

"Buddha may not like me"
For I've read so little about him...
one thing i know...his teachings,
his truths, agree with those i've grown up with,
those i learned from my elders,
those learned by my elders from their own elders...
"Jesus doesn't like you,"
i dread the day when He would ever dislike me...
i am aware of my own wrongdoings,
i know that He knows...
but i believe, He is not an exacting God,
He gave us choices, and a gift of free will
but then we created "in-betweens"
between those choices...still,
He understands, He forgives...
i am at peace now...
for i have made my choices
my path, i have chosen...



...for me, this is the best part, one that has moved me, touched me deeply,
   and in the days to come, will continue to touch my heart with each re read...
   it is like a place to come home to, when things don't work out the way we
   expect them to...
  


"Take me to a lone park bench
Take your arm around my
shoulder
Take the weight of my weary soul upon
Those shoulders where I belong
Take me out
walking
Take my hand with care
Take me as I am
Take me if you dare

But take me not for granted
That hurts most of all

Take me not for granted
And I will always remain fulfilled.."



I've been TAKEN...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

i see your face
---
be
comforted
---
feel
---
    ...my warm embrace...

--------------------
Sally

(For you, Maria...am thinking of you.)




Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

^^^^^

It's amazing how a child obeys
his, or her heart...finding  cheerful ways
...never tiring...holding excitement at bay
keeping busy, while counting days
'til Christmas is a few blinks away...
^^
i guess, i'll just age in numbers,
believing in magic....forever...
combining magic with the real world...whenever...
^^
time flies so fast when Christmas is over,
the hours suddenly seem untethered
time gives way to new diaries...new calendars
the old year never lingers...
except in the mind...playing back events of triumphs and flops,
those times of healing  brokenness with fresh hopes
adding more faith  and patience.... to cope,
and when the waiting is taking
too long.....and life seems to be too dragging,
because moons have dimmed...lost their glow,
and balloons slipped off our grips...although
feet are walking on, steps have become weary...
it's time to find new courses.......maybe,
consider new options...a set of changes,
new roads.........new bridges
open eyes and heart......lend our ears
to the ones we have refused to hear,
hear their thoughts, not just the ones we like
.....find time, notice their smiles,
turn our faces to the other side for a while
listen to other people's song
sing a new song!
at this point, what else could go wrong?
^^
and for those that have caused us pain,
our dance with them is done
...the party's over...
^^
it's time to take action,
let us dream on...let's dance on,
because, we can....because, life goes on
the true lights of Christmas must sparkle on,
.....even when december has gone...
^^^

Sally

Copyright December 23,  2017
rrab

Unspoken Narratives

<  >..........<  >..........<  >

A late glum afternoon takes place;
two stilled shadows occupy space,
seated on warmth-less corners,
sipping cold, stale coffee...it alters
not, a pricking, awkward quietness,
both alternate, share flitting glances.

Timid, uncertain thoughts
enslave, and sway to and fro,
none wants to be uttered
they block the throats,
trapped...nowhere to go.
into lumps, they've turned.

Two restless shadows inhale
and take time to exhale
unspoken narratives are set free,
all spewed in one long, deep sigh.
a love that's gone awry,
meanders...and takes flight,
suddenly, their verses they can't write
why can't they do things right?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
They're couplets, no longer spliced
::::::::::::::::::::
no cadence left, just estranged rhymes
hesitating...dangling on in their minds.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A soured silence lingers,
bearing a scene in faded watercolors
their spirits, so shaded with pallor.
:::::::::::::
:::::::::::

              

sally b

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
September 11, 2019

When we're
down below
there's no other way
but...UP!

Sally

Copyright November 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

With Thee

Not sure how this  would figure
But we could've been closer,
Things...would've been better
Time and circumstances keep us far from each other
Long ago, I sketched this place on paper
It is now etched mentally... permanently,
Here, where long, swaying branches dangle gracefully
A beautiful oasis, where trees surround
Along a placid stream, where crystal waters abound.

This is where i go
When feeling sad, or aglow,
I simply close my eyes
And easily, I am in an isle

A place created by me
Not just YOU or I exist, but WE
Could only be shared WiTH THEE
A place I've aptly named, THE ISLE OF WE

While working on this magical space
My brush strokes just fell into place,
Not two, not one ever strayed,
With lighter hues of aqua-blue...green...never blae.

It matters not if I'm between a dream and reality
It is where you are, it is where I want to be
When I keep to myself, when I close my eyes
I am instantly here, in this isle
Perfectly beside you,
Holding hands, we take in the view...

Paradise is here,
In this, unknown sphere,
From this isle, I would never flee
Where only I, exist.....WITH THEE.


Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
.........

(a follow-up)

Those days, I could still recall clearly
When, I did not feel warm hands
That would catch me if I ever fell
When I took my first steps as a baby...
When I had no one to take me to school on my first day
Had to cope with fear through my own childly ways,
I did many other firsts in my life,
On my own,
Without the warmth and caring presence of
My father....

Somehow, a notion came about...
And I reflected long on it...
This is an Epiphany in my late summer years...
Those days I was without him physically,
Were the moments I strongly felt his presence...
He would be---
In front of me
Beside me
Behind me,
All those times, taking care of me
The only way he could:
By invisibly watching over me...
While my mother was at work,
While I was playing,
While in school,
While growing up as a teenager...
When my safety was jeopardized,
He was very much with me...
In my dreams, he would comfort me...
Talk to me, assuage my fears...
Even wanted to take me with him,
To save me...
And yet, he didn't....
He was selfless in his most unseen
But felt ways...

During the darkest, scariest,
Loneliest, and most difficult moments,
I just had to imagine his face,
Then things would turn out okay
For I felt his presence then...

Today, as I reflect on how I got to this age,
How I lived my life without him,
I have realized, those long-running hours,
Were not lost days at all...

I now have found my days with my father,
For, he is  my guardian angel,
He had been, he was, he is,
He will constantly be with me...
All my days,
Here on earth and beyond...

All my days...



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

I don't know why headless gargoyles
suddenly came to my mind
they terrified me then and now
it made me ask myself, why...how,
some people see beauty in them
...when to me, they look utterly scary...
i wondered about Venus de Milo,
why show an almost **** gorgeous body, with
no arms....could there be beauty in cut arms?
why do i dwell on these things.......when
there's nothing heroic about these two?

i should be grateful, for yesterday's
family bonding with someone who retired
from the navy...for talks about experiences,
government, hiroshima, and nuclear bombs,
moments of reminiscing, strumming and
jamming...sharing good food and laughter.
i did thank God.....

today is labor day...and images of years back,
thoughts of fearful days come back.
i watched past violent rallies on tv...saw some
kinds of marchers, those with unfocused eyes
ready to die....those faithless ones, with their
own agenda, disregading innocent victims.
in every protest march...not all participants,
share the same cause...some are users,
some are blinded by their lost causes...not
all those honored did heroic acts, and deserve
sweet praises, folded flags and gun salutes...
not all heroes......are true heroes....
my heart goes out to those real heroes.

Sally

Copyright May 1, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

(Whispers)
~~~~~~~

can you feel us?
do you know we are just beside you?


how do we make you feel we are, right now,

patting your back, trying to make your tears go away,

telling you how sorry we are for having left so soon?

there are things that happen which are incomprehensible

the reasons, as well, are beyond our understanding.

how do we assure you, enlightenment, acceptance

will come, in God's time?


our hands are so light, we couldn't hold you, like we did before,

our kisses on your forehead, are like a feather's touch,

but never do touch...how we wish you'd feel

how we encircle you with our embraces....


how do we whisper in your ears,

let you know, we are now above all dangers,

here, where there are no more fears, only calm waters

no more fires that ****, only gentle sun shining all over

not even a shred of violence in the minds, in the winds...

we are in a place where the arms of serenity extends...


and yet, we... we find ourselves still unsettled,

we still do not have that perfect peace,

just by  knowing...


how much you are hurting....

~~~~~~~


(for Maria and family)



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

...if we just...
(14 lines X 2)

(1)

There are sounds we dread to hear
Yet, we still face and hear them, day by day...like
The honking of horns during zero hours...footfalls
Briskly walking, rushing...crossing pedestrian lanes
Stiletto and pump heels hitting pavements
The whistles...screams, calling cabs...catching buses
A little further on...there in the park,
A band's  drums and cymbals are playing loudly
People go through their conversations simultaneously
All the bluster of the street....getting through our nerves...
And yet...somewhere along those sound waves....traveling
In the mix of all those sounds, reverberating
There arises some kind of music...there exists a rhythm
Which only a few can recognize...and appreciate...

(2)

Then, there are those who get bored with quietude
And find it impossible, to last a day in solitude
Where nothing moves....and there's nothing to hear
Not a sound from a high definition TV, radio...or a CD player
Where voices are hushed...where transparent curtains part
To let in a cool breeze...so one may breathe fresh air...
These are two different folks...doing different strokes...
Why not just disregard folks and strokes, focus, instead...listen hard,
Hear the music in quiet spaces, in corners buzzing with activities
In every direction, where blows the whirring, or tumultuous wind...
If we just open the gates of our hearts and minds...accept, discover,
Feel and recognize that song...wooing the tough voices within
Then...NO noise, NO place, could be disruptive, or irritating,
NO image...NO theory, could ever be abstruse.




Sally


Copyright April 1, 2016
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

They dwell somewhere underneath,
hidden, as they patiently tread, in measured
crawls...or flights, when starting to work.

i've seen them before in their other journeys,
these often despised creators of hardened,
paths...straight, sometimes crooked lines
inconspicuously appearing on ashen,
concrete and creviced walls,
especially on wooden furniture
and on live heartwood trees.

they've been working continuously
for months now....these reddish lines, rising
from the huge base of the Narra tree, are
tendril-like tunnels...spreading wider
for all their purposes.

yet...these silent destroyers,
could not even penetrate the tree,
all they could do was move upwards,
and patch the trunk
with their muddy creations

to make things worse,
ants from a nearby towering  tree,
crossed over their tunnels
and ate them alive.

the impenetrable Narra tree, stands
unaffected by its "invaders"...swelling
even more with golden yellow flowers
falling on our heads,
falling on the ground.


Sally

Copyright April 29, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bay

~~~

knowing your joys,
           seeing your smiles,
                   God, i am happiest!

knowing your pain,
                why do i feel them all?
                             why do i hurt the more?

~~~

Sally

   Copyright 2014
                     Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

::::

::::::::

Sky is a blend of pink-orange-violet,
dim...but birds are already awake
steaming coffee wakes the senses
rooster calls on and on.....its silhouette
completes the early morning landscape...

it's that perfect moment...when
tradewinds blow...carrying scents
of the harvest season............when
horizon turns to the clearest of blue,
the eyes feast upon moving straw hats
...big and small.....

under the radiant morning sun
sparrows fly high and low
over lush golden fields of rice,
stems are now bowed....grains are ripe...

maidens' sweet voices join the air
hands and sickles move with flair
cutting.......in practiced strokes,
small hills are formed from gathered stalks
feet move in their rhythmic walks
laughter and conversations become songs
their cadence, brought by joys of the season,
weary thoughts have no space.....no reason
to exist, when sounds of glee are seizin' in...

hours can't be stilled.....excitement sobers
sun gives way to the moon and stars,
sickles are kept....laid beside mortars
and pestles......voices turn softer,
waning...slowly fading...into dark corners

................soon, crickets' song takes over...

when harvest moon glows, a breathing silence
rules over the shadows of the field...no fences,
just the moon watching, and a Guiding Presence...

thank God for another bountiful harvest
threshing awaits....but bodies are spent
..............tomorrow's another day!



Sally


© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
April 15, 2018



::::

::::::::

5/7/5

A kind of darkness
is rich with a silence, where
pleasant thoughts prevail.

A sweet dark soothes...calms,
its fragrance melts restlessness
it brings a cool breeze.

Yet, there's this darkness,
moist with fear...body and mind
do quiver from dread.

Some find calm and peace,
shun light...heal amongst shadows
amidst.....silhouettes.

Some aren't aware
of others' feelings and needs,
they need to live... let them live!

I'm curious, tell me,
which darkness do you prefer?
might i see you there?

sally b

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
    May 29th, 2024

(Love poem #3)


It's happening again!
A face...unforgotten
Re appears, through my mind's  parted curtains
Doesn't leave...it haunts
Eyes follow me
Eyes talk to me
And then a flame
Inside my chest suddenly burns
And I am wondering why
It doesn't wane
It's been many, many months
Yet, the fire is so alive,
Consistently bright
Inside me, burning.
I am left churning
And I don't know,
Why now?
Door and windows
Are almost shaded...jaded
Been trying to put behind my head
A name....a face
Your face
With eyes that don't blink,
They just look on...

I will just have to close  mine
To stop meeting yours.

But then
The flame will still burn....


Sally


Copyright February 5, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

........a dove,
a lamb,
     symbolizing
         peace
             humility
             obedience      
             and purity...


........with a heart
constantly wounded,
     and bleeding,
             yet...
             infinitely
             forgiving...


........light,
emitting
     warmth
          love
              compassion
                  ­understanding...
                  welcoming,
                  w­ith
                   open arms...


........a Host,
feeding
     throngs,
        multitudes...
                your
                bread,
                feeds the soul...


........a warm
    embrace...
         your love
         is
         our Shield,
         our Refuge...


(10W X 5)
*******


"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life..."
JOHN 3:16...
*********



Sally


Copyright December 4, 2015
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

:::¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥:::

Easily, another week went by
11:30 pm, another day's end is nigh
gratitude fills my every sigh...
before bedtime, comes introspecting
...... always leaves me wondering :
:::::
did   i strew new seeds of love today?
did i water the growing ones that sway
so they may harden, spread and multiply?
:::::
did flowers of sympathy and understanding
grow within me this day?
did   i ignore someone crying
did i make a sad face  smile? beaming ,
like  those amazing wildflowers along the way?
:::::
there are nights, i could easily fall asleep
then there are nights that leave me in doubt,
my conscience and my thoughts  debate,  keep-
ing me awake....through  yet, another dawn
:::::
a new day, a new chance for my soul... to heed
a small voice ... to give flowers, to plant new seeds.
to  not trample on wildflowers and unwanted weeds...


Sally

© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
March 26, 2019

Out in the backyard,
there's dashing and diving,
swooshing and smashing
tender leaves and twigs are breaking,
crisp, brittle branches are dropping
without much thudding...
on the ground...silently falling...

No more knocking from
the house lizards up the ceilings...
silenced are the cicadas by
these distinctive oral noises,
followed by what seems to be
a screeching sound...
robbing one of precious
sleeping hours...
clearly, they are heard
in every dark corner
of our stilled backyard...
to and fro they fly,
with no signs of presence in the sky
a plane in night flight
at least has light in sight....
in the dark, while soaring
they suddenly go plunging...
aiming on what ever they have laid
their sharp eyes and claws on...
an ugly scene, they create
of torn leaves and broken twigs,
revealed as daylight approaches...

in the meantime of this particular
pitch black late evening,
i am left wondering
why they are so energized...
so noisy,
these nocturnal winged mammals...
extraordinarily active,
so alive...
in the still of this cold, bat-ty night....

    (late night of April 9, 2014)



Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

I see a thin wafer cake, baked flat and fine
round, like a dime,
called the Body of Christ
i think of it as the bread of life

beside it, a cup...with red wine
known as... the Blood of Christ
quenches all thirsts in our earthly life.

one can't be without the other
never bread, without wine
never blood, without the flesh

i have gone this far in my life
i cannot be without both.


Sally

Copyright May 29, 2016

Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

The night is low
I could have drowned  
In nocturnal sounds
But they seem not enough
My cradle doesn’t send me drifting.
.
It is like a bout of vertigo...
The moment I close my eyes,
My head starts whirling
My thoughts start spinning
Up there in the ceiling,
I see your face, smiling,
Teasing,
Pleasing,
Ripping my heart apart
Leaving me alone in the dark.

Cold hands, cold sweat,
Unfocused mind...restless feet,
How could I have allowed this
To happen to me?

Why did I?
This is insane.

They say there is beauty
In all these senseless folly,
But it is one I am unable to see.
It surely *****, to be in love...so madly.

Sally


Copyright 2013
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

(haikus)


Steel brushing...annoys
but this odd, soft sound.....haunts me
i peeped through the drapes,

thought of gum bubbles
imagined one bursting......as
bullfrog's huge throat shrunk...

Sally


Copyright Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
September 24, 2018