Naaalala mo pa ba noong sabay pa tayong umuwi
Isa iyon sa mga  hindi malilimutang sandali
Naaalala mo pa ba noong inaalagaan natin ang isa't isa
Patunay iyon na hindi ko kaya nang wala ka

Naaalala mo pa ba noong sabay tayong kumakanta
Sa mga awit ba minsa'y ginagawang tula
At kapag hindi naabot ang mataas na nota
Sabay tayong tatawa pagkatapos ay kakanta ng iba

Naaalala mo pa ba noong may sumusuyo sayong ginoo
Makamit lamang ang matamis **** oo
Hindi nagkulang sa pagbibigay ng payo
Upang magandang landas ang tahakin mo

Ngayon napatunayan ko na
Damdamin lang pala talaga ang nagiiba
Ngunit mananatili pa rin ang ating mga alaala
Sa ating puso at kaluluwa

Lahat ng mga nabanggit kong alaala
Ay nagawa niyo na ding dalawa
Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit makita na;
Mas mukha kang masaya kapag kasama mo siya.

**© Arlene Rioflorido, 2015

Sa dami ng saksak na aking inabot
Wag ka ng magtaka kung bakit madami akong hugot

Bakit sadyang mapagbiro ang tadhana?
Hinayaan na ikaw ay makilala.
Mabihag ang puso ko'y 'di inakala.
Nang lumaon, ako sayo'y nahalina.

Ikaw ay sinubukan na makausap,
At aking sinambit ay "Hi! Hello! What's Up?"
Inakala na ika'y sadyang mailap.
Pagkat mga salitang iyo'y ang saklap.

Dyahe, napaka-labo nga naman diba?
Maging ikaw at ako, 'ika ng iba.
Subalit 'di nagpadaig sa mga duda,
Hanggang loob mo'y tuluyan ng makuha.

Ang hangin ay malakas na umiihip,
Sa labas habang ako ay nag-iisip.
Kung pwede nga lang sana ito i-skip,
Ngunit ang dibdib ay lalo lang sisikip.

Minsan hugot.
Minsan talino.
Minsan bobo.
Pero di na natuto.

Sino ito?
Ako ito.

You are who jumpstarts
And completes my day
And I love how
You wake my heart up
With a simple "Good morning"
And "Hey."

You are who soothes my nerves
And calms my mind
In the morning.
You are the warmth
That I seek
When it starts raining.
And you will always be
Like my favorite drink
When I am happy, down,
Or when I can't think.

I think...
I think I love you
The way that I love coffee.
Doesn't matter if it is hot, warm,
Iced, blended, with milk, without,
Sweet, pure, brown, black, bitter,
With chocolate or raspberry,
Single or double shot,
Even decaf.
It doesn't matter.
I love coffee because
It is coffee.
And [I think], I love you...
Because you are you.

You have good days and bad days.
And days when you lose control.
You are generally sweet and gentle and funny
But there are days
When your patience wears thin
And I see that a lot with you.
You have an active mind
And a creativity of a five-year-old
Your stories blow my mind
And are out of this world.
Yet there are days when
Your stories are sad.
And I still love you for that.
You are caring and protective of me
And loving and genuine and sincere
But sometimes you lie
And sometimes you hide
And your fear of questions, and your paranoia
Kind of offends me.
And even in days when you could be
Like a ticking time bomb
Waiting to explode
About to lose control
Believe me, it doesn't matter.
I am willing to take the blow
And I would try to defuse you.
But even if you hurt me
I think...
I know...
I would still love you.

Because you don't love coffee
Only when it is sweet.
Or creamy.
You love coffee if you get to appreciate it
In all its bitter glory.
And I want you to know...
I want to see the best
And the worst parts of you.
And I know...
Even then
I will still love you.

But I have to remind myself
To take it easy.
Because I might burn my lips
And my tongue
From your intensity.
But even then...
Though it hurts.
I will still be able to enjoy you.
I know...
I have been burned by coffee too.

Bakit hangang ngayon?!? ...
Bakit hanggang ngayon.
Ang pangalan mo pa rin ang pinuputak ng bunganga ko
Napapagod na ang mga taengang nakikinig
Nangangawit na ang dilang ikaw pa rin ang hinihiling
Pag kalipas ng isang taon---
Bakit hanggang ngayon?

Ang puso ko’y tumatalon, kumikirot, natatakot, nalulungot
Marinig lang ang pangalan mo.
Makita lang ang anino mo---
At  oo. Nakikita pa rin kita.
Sa bawat matang aking pinagmamasdan---
Sa bawat kamay na aking hinahawakan
Sa bawat lalaking aking sinubukan ibigin nung tayo’y natapos
Hinahanap-hanap ang iyong mahihigpit na yakap
Ang iyong bisig na pumulupot sa aking bewang, leeg--- buong katawan
Ang matatamis na salita na iyong inaawit at inaawit… at inaawit ng paunti-unti…
Paunti-unting lumalapit. Sumusuyo sa pusong nakatago, nakakulong.

Bakit hanggang ngayon?
Kung saan man ako tumingin.
Nandyan ka pa din sa malapit---

Nakiki-usap ako, o aking multo, layuan mo na ako.
Tama na.
Ayoko na.
Pagod na ako sa parati **** pagdating sa hating gabi, ang iyong pagbisita sa aking mahimbing na panaginip
Nilulunod ako ng iyong mga huling salita
Nag-mamakaawa at humihiling ng kakarampot na pagmamahal
At alam ko’y ako  na rin ang syang pumatay
Sa iyo---
nung pinag-kait ko ang iyong ninanais na pag-ibig.

Dahil ako’y naunahan ng pangamba, ng pag-duda.
Eto ba ang iyong parusa? O SIGE NA! IKAW NANG PANALO!
Sasabihin ko na ang gusto **** marinig—mga salitang dapat dati ko pa sinabi:
          Minahal kita.

Mahal na mahal pa rin kita---
Patawad sa aking pag-tangi,
Patawad sa sakit at pait.
Patawad.

Throughout our marriage,
I wanted to please one man, you.

It broke my heart in more ways than two,
When i found out it was different for you.

You got pleasure from me, so you say
But dreamed and schemed to get what she and all the others can give you, even if you'll have to pay.

A favor you could grant,
A simple chore, a lift , perhaps to start.
Then what?
Gifts?
Bags, shoes and all.
A car, a house et al.

Who knows what else your lust might demand from you.

You didn't realize that as you gave,
You lost.

You gave her your eyes,
You lost my trust.
You gave of your time,
You lost our peace.
You gave her a piece of your heart,
You lost mine that you vowed never to part.

All for what?
For a night.
For pleasure.
For lust.

I have obviously failed you,
Did it ever cross your mind that if you'd had her, you might've failed her too?

All throughout our marriage,
I wanted to please one man, you.
Now i wonder, could there be another man who could please me too?