Sa aking lupang tinubuan
Na sinakop ng mga dayuhan noon pa man
Ang una'y mga espanyol na mananakop
Dala daw nila'y kristiyanismo
Upang ipakilala sa ating mga katutubo
Ngunit ang tanging hangarin pala'y manakop at gawing kolonyanismo
Kaya ilang daan taon tayong hawak ng mga ito
Ating mga katutubo walang nagawa kundi ang sumunod at magsawalang-kibo
May ilan ding nagsisipag aklas upang makalaya
Ngunit sa kalauna'y sila'y bigo sapagkat pawang malalakas at makapangyarihan silang mga nilalang
Nariyang si Gat. Jose Rizal na kinulong at binaril sa bagong-bayan
Na tinatawag na natin ngayong (LUNETA/RIZAL PARK)
At si Gat. Andres Bonifacio na hanggang ngayo'y hindi alam kung sino ang pumatay
Ang tanging alam natin sa kanya'y siya ang "Ang Ama ng himagsikan"
Sa kabilang banda'y hindi nagpatinag ang ating mga katutubo
Nagbuo ng mga samahan upang mapag-aralan kung kailan ang tamang panahon para lumaban
Kaya nung dumating na ang tamang panahon upang sila'y magsipag-aklas
Marami ang sa kanila'y naghimaksik upang ang kalayaa'y makamtan
Kaya noong taong Hunyo labing dalawa, isang libo't walong daan, siyam na pu't walo
Nakamtan ng ating mga katutubo ang kalayaan na kanilang pinaglalaban
Sa bahay ni Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo sa Kawit, Kabite
Kanyang iwinagayway ang ating watawat
Sagisag ito ng ating kalayaan sa kamay ng mga mananakop na espanyol
Sa mga nakalipas na taon, tayo'y naging malaya na
Ngunit, ano ba ang kahulugan ng isang malaya?
''Ito ay ang pag-gawa sa isang partikular na bagay ng walang humahadlang o kumokontra sayo at may kakayahan kang kumilos batay sa kung ano ang iyong gusto o nais''
Oo nga't malaya kang gawin ang iyong gusto
Subalit, labag naman ito sa karapatang pantao
At nakapapanakit ka na ng kapwa mo
Marami ang sa ati'y nakakalimot na sa mga paglapastangang ginawa sa ating mga katutubo
Marapat nating pagkatandaan na ang ating kalayaa'y utang natin sa ating mga bayaning nakipaglaban
At ang kalayaa'y dapat igawad sa lahat
Magkaroon ng pantay-pantay na karapatan ang bawat nilalang
Mapa mayaman o mahirap man
Mapa babae o lalaki man
Mapa bata o matanda man
Maging tunay sanang malaya tayong mga pilipino
Hindi lamang sa salita, kundi sa isip at sa ating mga gawa.

Susugod na sa bilang ng tatlo
Isa… Dalawa… Tatlo…
Sugod

Ang giyera ay nagsimula
Ilabas na ang mga baril at sandata
Ilabas na ang mga kanyon at bomba
Ang mga tauhan at ang mga preda

Magsisimula na ang giyera

GIYERA
Na tungkol sa pagbabalik wikang filipino
Na minsan nang ipinagmalaki ng ating bansa
At ngayon ay ikinahihiya at itinatago na lamang
Na minsan nang ipinagmaybang at itinangkilik
At ngayon ay naiwan lang at tinangay na
Ninakaw ng mga dayuhan

Nang ito ay mawala ay bigla mo na lamang pinalitan
Humanap ng iba sa paligid
At sa katiyakan ay nakahanap ka nga

Nahanap mo ang ingles
Kaya’t ikaw ay humanap ng sabon na magpapaputi
Kinuskos ng kinuskos ng matagal ngunit di gumana
Kumuha ng puting pampintura
Kinulayan ang sarili
Hindi lang ang kulay ng buhok ang nagiging artipisyal
Pati na rin ang kulay ng sariling balat

Ngunit sa isang iglap ay ikaw ay nagsawa na
Sa mumunting kulay na lagi nang nakikita
Naisipan **** maglibot pa
At lumibot ka pa

Nahanap mo ang koreano na nagsasabi ng
“Hart Hart Saranghaeyo oppa”
Kaya’t ikaw ay kumuha ng papel
At nag-aral ng wikang banyaga
Ngayon ay napakanta ka na rin ng kantahin
Na kahit ikaw ay hindi makaintidi
Pero kinakanta mo dahil nakakatuwa
Hindi ba?

Hindi nagtagal ay nagsawa ka
Sa mga kantahang hindi mo rin maintindihan
Kaya’t naglakbay ka pa
Naglakbay ka hanggang sa wala
Naglakbay ka hanggang sa ang araw ay dumilim at unti-unting pinalitan ng tala

Napagod ka

Napagod ka sa kahahanap ng bagay na hindi naman mapapasaiyo
Nakahanap ka nga pero hindi naman ito sa dugo mo ay itinatanggap
Nabigyan ka ng sagot na ang hinahanap mo ay
Nasa’yo na mismo
Hindi mo na kailangan humanap ng iba pa
Dahil ang wikang hinahanap mo ay nakabihag lamang

Ibinihag ito ng mga espanyol sa dulo ng puso mo
Para mapigilan ang pagbabago
Pagbabago na makakasira ng kaisipang kolonyal na nagsasabing
Ako ang piliin mo dahil dayuhan ako
Itinatatak sa isip mo

Laging magiging sosyal ang banyaga
Laging magiging bulok ang sariling wika
Laging magiging sosyal ang banyaga
Laging magiging bulok ang sariling wika

Nagtataka na ako sa iyo
Ang sarili **** wika ay nakabaon lamang sa puso **** nakakandado
Nasayo naman ang susi pero pilit **** isinasarado

Ano

nga ba ang pumipigil sa’yo

Handa na ako
Sa aking pagsuko

Pagsuko
Hindi dahil natalo ako
Pero dahil idinedeklara ko na ang aking pagkapanalo
Isusuko ko na ang mga sandata
Isusuko ko na ang giyera

Inaanyayaan kita
Sabay sabay tayo
Magkahawak ang kamay at hindi kakailanganing bumitaw at maghiwalay
Sama-samang baguhin ang mundo gamit ang sariling wika

Buksan ang nakakandadong puso
At doon ay makikita mo ang sedula

Hawak ko na ang sedula

Hawak ko na ang sedula
Ng pagkabilanggo ng wikang filipino
Handa na akong palayain ito at gamitin para sa pagbabago
Ang dating linya ay magbabago

Laging magiging sosyal ang sariling wika
Laging magiging sosyal ang sariling wika
Laging magiging sosyal ang sariling wika
Laging magiging sosyal ang sariling wika

Susuko na sa bilang ng tatlo
Isa. Dalawa. Tatlo.
Suko

Tapos na ang giyera

Isang republika na gawa sa pangarap,
Pangarap na walang kasing sarap,
Pangulo na karapatdapat sana'y mahanap,
Upang pangangarap ay makita kahit isang sulyap.

Pero pano natin ito magagawa kung tayo'y nakakulong,
Ang nakaraan na kinulong tayo sa isang selyadong kabaong,
Na hanngang ngayo'y tayo'y nakalibing,
Dahil produktong banyaga'y ating laging hinihiling,

May pag-asa pa ba tayong lumaya?
May pag-asa pa ba tayong umiwas sa hiya?
Kung lagi tayong kumokopya,
Kailan pa ba tayo tunay na liligaya?

Tama nga ang sinabi ni heneral Luna na "hindi natin kalaban ang amerikano o ang espanyol dahil ang tunay nating kalaban ay sarili natin",
Paano tayo tatayo sa sarili nating paa kung tayo'y nagpapaalipin,
Ang sugat ng kolonisayon ay ating gamutin,
Wag hayaang tayo'y lamunin.

Produktong pilipino'y mahalin,
Hindi ang produkto ng banyaga ang tangkilikin,
Sariling wika ang aralin,
Hindi ang wikang tayo'y paiiyakin.

Pero ang mga hiling ko'y napakahirap makamit,
Dahil tayo'y isa paring yagit,
At nagpapagamit,
At masasabi kung tayong mga pilipino ay punit.

Ang mensahe ko sa pamahalaan,
Pakiusap wag niyo kaming gulangan
Pagkat di naman kayo dayuhan,
Para magkaroon ng pusong gahaman

Huwag niyo sanang ibulsa ang pondo
Na pagmamay - ari naming mga pilipino
Pagkat pinaghirapan namin ito,
Dugo't pawis puhunan diyan,para may maibayad sa inyo

Ano ang silbi ng mga slogan
at mungkahi nihong patakaran
Noong nakaraang halalan?
Yun ba ay agad nakalimutan?

Di ba't marami kayong pangako
Na sabi niyo'y di mapapako?
Nasaan na ang mga ito?
Naglaho ba kasama ng bagyo?

Nasaan na ang inyong sinasabi
Na bukambibig niyo palagi
"Kung walang kurap,walang mahirap"
Nakalimutan niyo ba sa isang iglap?

Ito pa nga ang isa,
Tila mas maganda sa nauna
"Ang tuwid na daan"
Eh puro liko naman ang nasa pamahalaan!

Alam niyo di dapat pilipino
Ang itawag sa mga tulad niyo
Pagkat kayo'y may pusong dayo
Pawang mga gahaman at tuso

Para kayong espanyol na dayuhan,
Kinakamkam ang aming pinaghirapan
mababait lang kapag may kailangan
Lalong - lalo na sa araw ng halalan

Pwede rin kayong maging amerikano
Mayaman nga,panot naman ang ulo
Maaari ring maging hapon,
Na nagpasakit nang ating kahapon

Bakit ko ito sinasabi?
Para malaman niyo ang mali,
Baka sakaling kayo'y magbago,
Para pilipinas,mag-iba ang takbo

Wala sanang tamaan dito sa nilalaman,
Pagkat ito ay karapatan:
Ang maipahayag ang nilalaman,
Nitong damdamin ko at isipan..

so Fernando Suarez was my high school Spanish teacher in La Florida the Land of Flowers he used to take pictures of me when I fell asleep in class with a flash to wake me up with drool running out of my mouth on to my desk and books because I stayed up late after basketball practice studying and before I lived in La Florida I lived in Sacramento California is also a Spanish word as are Santa and Rosa where my youngest son was born Teresa of Avila said she wasn't afraid of Satan me neither but she was afraid of those who are afraid of Satan and I am afraid of predation at times and annihilation but not of the Dark Night of the Soul one Dark Knight Chicago I went out unseen ah! the sheer grace Joe Perez and a beautiful Mexican girl were in CCD with me in Sacramento and Alex who is from Tucson played a lot of ping pong in Chicago wonder and exile in the new world amazing Cabeza de Vaca la Raza Cosmica Richard Rodriguez discovery of Brown my mother went to the University of Toledo my mother Sally Brown who died in Georgetown.          

                                 Viva!

so Fernando Suarez was my high school Spanish teacher in La Florida the Land of Flowers he used to take pictures of me when I fell asleep in class with a flash to wake me up with drool running out of my mouth on to my desk and books because I stayed up late after basketball practice studying and before I lived in La Florida I lived in Sacramento California is also a Spanish word as are Santa and Rosa where my youngest son was born Teresa of Avila said she wasn't afraid of Satan me neither but she was afraid of those who are afraid of Satan and I am afraid of predation at times and annihilation but not of the Dark Night of the Soul one Dark Knight Chicago I went out unseen ah! the sheer grace Joe Perez and a beautiful Mexican girl were in CCD with me in Sacramento and Alex who is from Tucson played a lot of ping pong in Chicago wonder and exile in the new world amazing Cabeza de Vaca la Raza Cosmica Richard Rodriguez discovery of Brown my mother went to the University of Toledo my mother Sally Brown who died in Georgetown.          

                                 Viva!

Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Hablo un pequito Espanyol
All Walls Fall

I was given madness
Madness was given me
2037
3033

In my solitude
Memories of She
In my solitude
Still xie xie ni

           T

1 tonight for my boys
1 at Taipei 101
Un pequito Espanyol
Un pequito Midnight Sun

Time tick tocks
La Florida for fun
My Mr. Spock socks
See how they run

      Only just begun ...

A love for the English language, yes
Pero, un pequito Espanyol tambien
La Florida in summer
San Francisco Zen

Staunton aglow in snow
Dr. Cohen calls Shakespeare the Gift
Anxiety attacks
Grateful when the depression lifts

I was in the UK twice
Went to Poet's Corner
Long Black Veil
Solitary Mourner

I love American music
But I'm not that great a singer
My lips upon her lips
Her hair within my fingers

Simone Weil in Assisi
1937
Guernica as well
Stranger Things' 11

          Merci

I write little poems. That's what I do.
Sometimes send 'em away
Chapel of the Cross
St. Therese - the little way

I'm tired and lonely and tired
Taught 2 years in Taipei
Sleep alone at night
Too sad at times to pray

Un pequito Espanyol
Man of La Mancha y xie xie
Like Herman Melville
I long to escape the USA

But now I have no money
So I am probably here to stay
September When It Comes
San Francisco Bay

                5th of May

I can't quite forget the foggy mist
Near the Golden Gate bridge
Blows through fast, doesn't last
The City is pretty at night

Hablo Espanyol, pero solamente un pequito
Maria y Elena
Santa Rosa
Santa Fe

California is Asian
Noodles
Dumplings
Dim Sum

I tried to show her
Sadness
New York City
Gunmetal grey

         Nothing Gold Can Stay

I don't really know what the Baroque is
Yo soy un Americano
But I've written about 20000 little poems
In the last 7 years or so
Which is certainly excessive

Drawn to Magic? Si!
Espanyol? Si tambien.
Portugal? Never been
Mexico City? Yo espero.

              When?

Ambivalent about the professors
Some wonderful! Some arrogant ******.
Could I be a classic?
Chinese temple sticks

Archbishop Oscar Romero
Murdered during Mass
My blue soccer shirt
El Salvador drives past

Hablas Espanyol
Pero solamente un pequito
Heard Cornel West lecture
At the University of Toledo

Tired after work
Gonna take a bath
Donald J. Trump
American sociopath

             2024

Flickers of misty fog
Blowin' through San Francisco
Green sweater, black jacket
Un pequito Espanyol

Japan town
Two umbrellas
New Year's Eve
Moonlit stroll

We fly from Denver
3 days
2 nights
No self control

Charlotte
Uptown
Green lights
Strong hallelujahs roll

                 Emily!

The isolation is frightening at times
I reach out but do not reach
You should see the girls
Who live in Satellite Beach!

Shared privacy, One love
Hablo un pequito Espanyol
Vegetarian burritos
80s Rock n' Roll

I like those Taoist Immortals
I climbed Yangmingshan
Thin Red Line
Scifi Gamla Stan

The marriage is Disaster
But she gave me the gift of travel
The World's Greatest Detective
The Riddler too unravels

All the King's Men at JMU
She calls him Jackie Bird
I rebel; therefore we exist
One man against the Absurd

                    Word!

Sittin' in the back of the church
Did not attend the Mass
Did not drink the Wine
Studyin' the stained glass

Very few children
Pero, Aeropostale '87
Statue of St. Therese
Talked to Chelsea, Kevin

Hablo Espanyol
Pero solamente un pequito
Me here in Mary's Land
My mother buried in Toledo

Why no female priests?
Where did the children go?
One man come he to justify
One man to Overthrow!

            Yoko yo yo ...

Spanish California is intriguing to me
Heard the mission bells
Me gusta San Francisco
Moroccan mint tea

So many indigenous hunters
Dancers
Shamans
The archaic Fire

Yo estudio Espanyol
Para tres y media annyos
En la escuela
En la Florida

I've never been to Spain
But I kinda like the music
The Golden Helmet of Mombrino
Can't refuse it.

He is from Bolivia
We talk as I eat
California snow
Green shoes on my feet

Nevada has the desert
Jerusalem was brown
Little Sage Ridge School
When Love Comes To Town

Yo hablo Espanyol
Pero solamente un pequito
I was born in Knoxville
My parents from Toledo

She's in Colorado
He likes Baltimore
1985
2024

  Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Awakening starts with terror
Then proceeds slowly
Hints and guesses
More than one life only

Coincidence and mystery
Un pequito Espanyol
Movies, music, books
Nitnoy Rock N' Roll

Solitude, but threads
Invisible threads connect
Irish eyes are smiling
Irish eyes protect

Shakyamuni Buddha
The original Woke man
Slowly. Precisely.
Do the best I can

               Forward!

Meet with my new psychiatrist
I'm manic, yes I am
But he listens and things get better
Samuel Coleridge: Sam

California Coast
California sun
Santa Rosa birth
Taipei 101

Vegetarian burrito
Mucho gusto, muy bien
East to California
San Francisco Zen

Cabeza de Vaca
Clear on Galveston Bay
Hablo Espanyol
Un poco for to pray

      Guadalupe!

Flickers of misty fog
Blowin' through San Francisco
Green sweater, black jacket
Un pequito Espanyol

Japan town
Two umbrellas
New Year's Eve
Moonlit stroll

We fly from Denver
3 days
2 nights
No self control

Charlotte
Uptown
Green lights
Strong hallelujahs roll

                 Emily!

They say in Scandinavia
The person who learns a new language
Gets a new soul
Yo hablo solamente un poco Espanyol

I'm a little California
Sacramento as a child
Santa Rosa youngest son born
California: Land of movies, techies, ****.

Also racists
Nixon, Reagan, Tucker Carlson
Y beautiful San Francisco
Cool Grey City of Love

Lovely Ms. Kathryn Orr
Admirable Coach Brian Katz
Mi amigo Mark Hasik
Valedictorian Dee Ann Reeder
(She now studies bats)

One afternoon in Monterrey
My sons so small - tidal pools!
Tak. Gracias. Xie Xie.
El Futuro para Casa Roble High School.

                 Esperanza Rising.

Not a good day
Anxious terror dread
A little veggie pizza
I lie upon my bed

Soon the NCAA
Basketball my love
Thanks for Mike Dunlap
Thanks for Andy Dove

Somewhere in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Hablo un pequito Espanyol
All Walls Fall

Mind on San Diego
Bishop McElroy
Drive to Ayutthaya
Som tam. Nitnoy.

           Ahoy!

Persepolis was an interesting book
And I've never been to Iran
I worked at Moby ****
Father of Cam Cam

Northern California
Un pequito Espanyol
Quiet, empty hotel rooms
I take her for a stroll

Charleston at night
Wind wends to water
Sor Juana's mystic flight
Postcards that I bought her

Gave Dune to my son
Grateful for his friends
2024
Politics portends

             Portends.

Not holdin' out for a hero
Holdin' out for help
Kyoto Zen temple
Miso soup with kelp

I got anger issues now
Brooding, too *******
Please local motion
Dr. Dawaldi said soft

Grateful for good sleep
Chicago left me scarred
The Highwayman and Tess
Windows locked and barred

San Patricios Battalion
Fights against the USA
Hablo Espanyol?
Un pequito. Si xie xie.

              Cristo Rey!

In America
But not of it
wind, water
     wake

Me on the Mekong River
Lady of the Lake

Not Jerusalem and Athens
Gotham. Rock N' Roll

Centuries click past
Midnight's broken toll

     un pequito Espanyol

lived in California twice Sacramento Santa Rosa youngest son born Mark Mike and Steve drove down I 5 to San Diego balboa park was beautiful sunny day no pedophiles the ocean brilliant blue not much for l.a. but i do love movies san francisco more my style moroccan mint tea exploritorium richard rodriguez alone and writing brown the last discovery my mothers maiden name was brown hablo espanyol solamente un pequito fernando suarez was my teacher la florida pero california snow lake tahoe yo

                                   no one will ever know ...

73 percent against the Americans
But 37 percent for
Bryan Adams a Canadian
James Bond. ***** Galore.

Un pequito Espanyol
Though I wish I did know more
Santa Rosa son
4044

Denver, Colorado
Taos. Santa Fe.
New Orleans. Detroit.
I could go all the Way.

Silent in the Night.
Silent outside the Church
Charleston all it up
Kingfisher. Raven. Perch.

              waiting

So I have a dream about Spain
Wake up
And two men in the elevator
Are speaking Spanish

Yo hablo Espanyol
Pero solamente un pequito
Yo estudio in la escuela
Para tres y media anyos

I'd like to believe
In synchronicity
Not sure

                        Ole!

Un poco Espanyol
Me gusta Florida sun
Irish eyes are smiling
Taipei 101

Is life an illusion?
Baby, Born to Run
Toledo, Ohio - Toledo, Spain
Un pequito fun

when i come into this library, for some reason, i like to think about california i lived there as a child my youngest son was born in santa rosa yo hablo espanyol pero solamente un pequito will i get back? i would like to meditate at the san francisco zen center i would like to see the tidal pools in monterrey again i would like to see lake tahoe in snow

                                           i could die there
                                                  on i go ...

No one important
Awake in the night
Un pequito Espanyol
Un pequito light

Thankful for my sons
Sor Juana's mystic flight
Taipei 101
My Mr. Spock kite

               Well, alright!

La Florida. California.
Hablo Espanyol
Pero solamente un pequito
A little rock n' roll

Chinese food tonight
Classic milk tea
Quiet in my house
Quiet. Xie xie ni.

                   Si.