"milkfish" poems
Flashes of silvery scales
that formed an endless chalky chain,
casting back my jarring image,
distorted by the watery current of life;
my mouth opened and closed,
my eyes lost in a daze;
the unblinking eyes of the milkfish
as they stared deep into the void
mirrored back to me
like moon to the lake
I mused to myself
whether
the milkfish knew they were
forever swimming in circles;
and they mused to themselves
if
the humans knew they were
forever walking in circles.
Aug 12, 2020
Aug 12, 2020 at 3:11 PM UTC
imagine Manila in white
like a necklace of sampaguita hanging
on an ivory saint’s neck
like the pearl left in the oyster
pristine and untouched
like the lines on the concrete
safely leading you home after work
like thin bones of the milkfish
from a table laden with every meal
like the stately pillars of our Congress
bleached clean after a bone deep cleanse
like the full bellied summer moon
when we dance and sing of the past
like an infant’s first taste of milk
whose wails are silenced at last
my god, can you imagine?
imagine Manila in white
Sep 21, 2025
Sep 21, 2025 at 8:05 AM UTC