Beauty is a war
that must be fought.
She will not
surrender herself
easily.
Gather your strength,
attack relentlessly.
In the end,
you may win
a bit of her
for yourself.
Only do not
imagine total victory.
This war rages
without end.
  - mce

They repeatedly boasted aloud
of conquests and victories
for a short period between
their  palmy days of youth
and unexpected quick death;
a mad rush of adrenaline
before thought could wake up reason,
nothing more than a basic need
for impulsive violent action,
few drops of poetry could have changed direction,
a death wish triggered by moments of darkness
that invites a chain of tragic consequences.

But thoughtful they were
to  hire overzealous writers,
being aware of their need of arming future.

The writers extolled the futile deaths
embellished words, made it look  heroic
which really pointed only to a ****** end.

Look at each tomb stones lined
here in the cemetery, once more
see, if the names extolled once are still not eroded.

Ako’y modernong karpintero
Sa henerasyong baon sa utang,
Hindi pa man isilang,
Ang kamalaya’y limot at simot na.

Puros kalyo ang latay
Sa pares na kamay
Na ang sigaw ay pagbabago
Diktahan man kahit demokrasya pa,
Lahat tila may mantsa’t tatak pulitika.

May direksyon ang pagdisenyo
Pahalang sa kapwa-tao,
Samantalang ang kabila’y
Ang labi’y eksperto sa pagsayad sa lupa
Patungo sa ulap at bituin
Kung saan naroon raw ang Maykapal.

Narito ako sa kanilang tagpuan
Tatawid sa kalyeng hindi masilayan
Bingi sa sanlibutan
Minsang pinaligua’t sinabunan ng kadiliman.

Narito ako,
Sa sentro’y may hanap-hanap
Kilabot ng pagtahi sa sugat ay titiisin.
Pagkat ang latay, hindi man nasaksihan
Ramdam maging sa tadyang
Na akin daw ay pinagmulan.

Kung mararapatin lamang
Ng lupang minsa’y naging gintong bayan
Na pang-habambuhay siya’y lisanin
At sa pagbukang-liwayway, tatakbo sa Liwanag.

Walang karapatan ang takipsilim na uminda
Pagkat ang Haring Araw
Sisikat at yuyupakan ang kanyang dangal,
Siyang isang pobre’t salat sa Katotohanan.

Niyapos ko ang buhok
At pinahid sa mansanas, sa mangga’t
Maging sa dagat na sagisag ng kalayaan.

Ako’y tumakas
Tangan ang sandata ng buhay;
Pakuwari ko’y walang himagsikan
Ang siyang muling sisiklab
Pagkat ang laban ay tapos na noon pa man.

Puting papel at plumang walang tinta
Ang iniwan sa akin ng Ama
Hindi ko mawari sa paanong paraan ba
Maililimbag ang isusulat nitong pluma.

Ngunit ang tukso
Na madungisan ang pahinang puti
Ang puro’t walang bahid ng itim at kulay bahaghari,
Alam ko, balang araw
Mapupunan ito, hindi ng salita
Bagkus ng larawang sa sansinukob
Ay hahagkan ang bawat nilalang
Itatas muli ang bandila -
Silang puro ang tiwala sa Pintor ng Pagbabago.

(5/23/14 @xirlleelang)

My chest is physically hurting.
But I haven’t cried.
I've yet to shed a tear, yet my eyes just want to flood.
She’s all he talks about.
And he barely even looks at me anymore.
I've never liked someone so much,
And now my heart is being torn.
How do I heel from this?
How can I keep him out?
How can I stop this hurting in my chest
And learn to live without?
What has he done to me?
I knew opening up was wrong.
He fed me lies and words I needed.
But never meant a single one.
He sat there, watching, amused by the convincing.
Flirting everyday, texting non-stop.
Making me believe that it was I that he had wanted.
But I wasn't
And I learned too late.
That I was just a conquest.
Another life to shake.