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Jun Lit Aug 2021
The tears that dropped just yesterday
have not yet dried up, lawn's still wet.
One glance, your candle's lit, struggling.
The next, you're gone, the winds have won.
Hijacked in the midst of this storm  
that silently kills, we're helpless
as flame after dear flame flickers
and covid sweeps all who we love
and yes, everything that matters.
Suddenly, life is but a dream.
Jun Lit Jul 2021
Lasaping mabuti bawat lagok, paulit-ulit
Namnamin ang pampagising na pait
Habang ang likas na tamis, nilalasang pilit
Sa ‘yong lalamunang sabik, ang init guguhit.
Tulad ng bawat pagtatanghal, sa isip di mawaglit
Todo-bigay ang birit, tila laging huling hirit.

Araw-araw mang nakikita ang Bundok Malarayat
Hindi nagsasawang sulyapan ang Silangan pagmulat
Bawat araw na tayo'y buhay, may dalang sigla’t galak.

Hwag nang ipitin ang kwadrong alas o otso
Di na magiging mahalaga kung sino nga ba’ng nanalo
Kapag ang mga kalaro sa pusoy ay wala na ni anino.

Hagkan si Habagat at yakapin si Amihan,
Daluyong ma’y ihatid, sa kabila’y walang ganyan
Di-pinansing hininga’y aapuhapin sa paglisan

Ang lupang hinamak, tinapak-tapakan
Ang lupa ring naghandog ng susing kabuhayan
Ang lupa ring hihimlayan sa huling hantungan.

Lasaping mabuti bawat lagok, paulit-ulit
Kapeng barako’y masarap habang mainit
Ngunit wala nang bisa sa huling pagpatak ng saglit

Lasaping mabuti bawat lagok, bango’y langhapin
Kapeng barako’y larawan ng pagbangon at paggising
Ng bawat araw, biyayang pasasalamata’t tatanggapin.
16th poem in my series "Kapeng Barako" - Kapeng Barako is brewed coffee in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines, often of the 'liberica" variety and roasted traditionally in large metal vats. The series includes poems that focus mostly  on my memories of Lipa, the place of my birth, childhood and teenage years. The current COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize which things are really essential, who really matter and how volatile human life is, and that every single day when we wake up still alive is a gift in itself.
Jun Lit Jul 2021
Ang Lipa ng aking kabataan, tila kumakatawan,
sumasalamin sa mahal nating Inang Bayan

Ilang tampalasan na ang dumaan
Kolera eltor, malaria, pesteng balang
Mga sundalong Hapon, mga sakang
Malulupit na kampon ni Kamatayan
Dumaan pa ang sakit na kalawang
sa dahon ng kapeng inaalagaan
At bukbok sa bungang manibalang,
nanlalaglag, di na pakikinabangan.

Ngunit ibang klase itong ngayo’y salot
Bala ay di nakikita, mala-bola daw ang balot
at tila may mumunting galamay na nakakakilabot
at masusundan ka, sa’n ka man sumuot.

Binago ng COVID ang ating kapalaran,
pananaw, pagkilos, pati kabuhayan
Nakita kung alin at sino ang dapat pahalagahan
at kung sino ang tunay na karamay at kaibigan.

Kung sa nilagang kape pa ang pagtutularan
kitang-kita kung alin ang latak at alin ang matapang.
Nawa’y may masalok na pag-asa sa Silangan,
Nawa’y may malagok tayong kaligtasan.
15th poem in my series "Kapeng Barako" - Kapeng Barako is brewed coffee in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines, often of the 'liberica" variety and roasted traditionally in large metal vats.
Deep May 2021
Victory is resounding the dull cries,
Thousands became victim of a deranged mind,
The mighty whom people assigned power
To change the quality of life destroyed it completely,
The cries, the lament of innocents;
boys without mother, girls without father, parents losing the only light, and the only lover who loved her like she dreamt-
All are lost somewhere in the blame game.

— The End —