Nang ako'y napatingala sa mga tala
ang naalala ko'y si Bathala
kaya nama'y humingi nalang ako ng gabay
para sa aking napipintong paglalakbay

malayo man ang paroroonan
alam kong ika'y hindi malilimutan
saan man ako magpunta
ikaw pari'y makikita

sa aking mga mata'y
ikaw ang nasasalamin sa twina'y
ako'y magagalak
hanggang sa aking pag halakhak

gaano man kalayo
tayo ri'y muling magkakatagpo
hindi man bukas o sa makalawa
alam ko'y makikita ko rin ang iyong tawa

ani nga nila'y
magkalayo man, magkaibigan pa ring tunay
alam kong di ka bibitaw
dahil yan ang lagi kong hiling sa bulalakaw

paalam, sa ngayon
ang ating muling pagkikita'y sa Mayon
dahil pagdating ng panahong iyon
alam kong sa tuktok na tayo naroroon

Hidden at the back of my mind
an idyllic vision
taking a trip
to span all continents.
Travel to Asia's Great Wall, Europe's Eiffel Tower
Africa's Giza Pyramid, America's Statue of Liberty.
Travel by Aladdin's magic carpet
spell-bound and comfortable, yet bewitched.
Travel for too long
for an endless trip, there it is
my destination.
A final full of dreams, a final to come true
a destination that fir altogether
a destination with that jigsaw.
I cry to reach for destination
I wait for long hours, saying myself
when I reach it - that will be it
this trip is for lasting happiness. But last destination lost
it's a dram, can't believe t'was a dream
a dream which outdistances me.
Next time, I promise
not to travel with that genie's carpet again
go to walk through path untrodden
go to climb Mt. Mayon, swim more to the Pacific deep
go bare footed in the Gobi
I promise, I promise
to live more my travel
the destination, the next stop
sooner in sight
than I expect it to be.

i.

heretofore bygone week's
Tis I was layden in mine outgoing's;
Incapacitated, mine feet's step's unknowing.

ii.

Dolor rolled as Boulder's
Down mine emptied innard's;
Jinn filled with hate and sin, tooketh over.

iii.

They tried to possesseth me
And diluteth me by their fear's;
They scratched, and bit, all didst spit
Yet mien reine reigned in by chariot flares.

iv.

Mount Mayon, in southern Luzon
Volcanoe's surround her citadel;
She snatched me from the barbarian's
In heaven, whence in hell.

v.

Manila in the concentrate
Between the thickness of it all;
Is where mine rose, her face didst gloweth
Her virtue's were one, of the prophet's and high law.


©Brandon nagley
©Lonesome poet's poetry
©Earl Jane dedication/Reyna/hari/soulmates

Mayon Volcano of our Nation's Pride
Sleek be your Shape on our Motherland's Back
Surrounding Spices, your Flaming Rage hide
Which Form to take our Economy lack
So you decide to Chill; And leave a Bruise
That from Bathala's Favour reaped your Skin
And Kiss the Nimbus pour her Tears a-new
Whose Lost Love's Folly besought from Within
Then why Cagsawa, her Arm does extend
Ringing her Bell despite the Missing Pall
Meant her Heart Forever; Love without End
Her Chorus buried as if there at all.
She bids her Wave, as Albayenos notice
That Spark from your Mouth; Kindle her Precipice.

Our ashes have settled on the cliff of pride
while the seed of today sprouts your frailty beginning.
We have at last seen the face of our god
which you have not even learned to utter
or never will at all.
Your intelligence gave you power that
failed the comprehension of our yesterfathers.
You built humans in just a sprinkle of *****
on to the skin of alligators and ants
on to the stem of a bee and the sting of a plant.
And you called them your sons
And you called them your kind.
The burrowed earths have no more riches
and they are left unpalatable to worms,
no more worms even
for even these decomposers
learn to tire feeding on your greed
no more shades of blue in the putrid waters
to which this bottle was thrown,
to which this letter longed to swim with your same species
that can never be in our family tree
for it has grown dead atop the impotent soil.
How we wished that your sons wished they
were with us in the time when
sparrows roared in the Kamagong tree when
wild boars chirped in the dancing bamboos when
the snow-like smokes breathed in the cone of Mayon when
the bangus and tilapia worshipped the nets of the singing fishermen.
How we wished they wished they knew.
How we wished they wished they saw.