Red roses turn dark all over
Leaves fall on the grounds
Heavy footsteps approach
With the crisp break of dry leaves
It’s the season again of cleaning up
And making quick deals
To see the colors of red,
Blue, and purple all around
Pack all the songs of youth
For a strength unknown
Bring the lively drums
Of the beating heart of a child
For today is another day
Of lovemaking of gods
When one tells the other
To hide all the colors
Under a shirt or two
And keep the mystery of love
As tiny bits of red petals fill the empty jars
The air fills up with the stench of yesterday’s death
With the crowd quickly crowding above the town
Children start going out of their little boxes
Pushing their way up the slopes of deserted land
They step cautiously with their mouths shut
Their tiny feet soak with the blackish mud
They scan the place left in the aftermath
As one by one they see familiar colors of the past
They rush with quiet steps towards the pile
A glimmer of blue, yellow, and blue pop up
Yet they are all touched by the red spots
Others got a bit darker now after the first blow
But the children didn’t know as they poked the colors
“Mama?,” one of the little children said
“Papa?,” the others call from the far left
Hindi lang sa Quiapo nakikinig ang butihing Maykapal
Minsan sa paglalakad ay may Aleng makapagtatanggal
Sa mga munting itinatagong sugat, siya’y may itatapal
Ilahad lang palad at uuwi ka nang may bagong dangal
Huminga at itigil muna ang iyong mahabang paglalakad
Marahang ibukas at ipakita ang linya ng iyong kanang palad
Umupo sa silya at maghintay sa tapat ng mesang malapad
Na dala lagi ng Aleng bihasa na sa ganitong pamamalakad
Kung di pa sapat, itanong ang laman ng iyong isipan
Maiging magmasid nang iyong lubos na maunawaan
Ang misteryong ipinagdiriwang sa harapan ng simbahan
Buksan ang mga mata sa dalang tunay na kasagutan
Kung itong mga pagbasa ay hindi pa rin sasapat
May isa pa namang baon ang Ale na maaaring ipangtapat
Sa kung ano pa mang kailangan ng iyong pagsisipat
Inaakalang ang sagot ay nagpapalaki lang sa mga lamat
Pula, berde, dilaw, ano ang kulay ng iyong kahilingan?
Pumili lang sa may Aleng nakaabang sa iyong harapan
Tiyak na ang isip mo ay unti-unting malilinawan
Sa panalangin mo kasi ang mga kandila ay may dalang kasagutan
Moonlight draws the crowd closer to the sound
Searching for shadows eaten by the nearby ground
Was it a cry or a scream of a boy who has yet to be found
By the party taking snaps of tears falling on the mound
This is the day, the last of summer as they say
People should be jumping for joy and not dismay
But it seemed like November has come early this May
As the shots are heard on the colorful end of day
Tiny steps walk towards the tiny gaps above
A growing smudge of red fills the cover of the glove
Worn by a person smiling, showing some love
Who later cleans his hand as he shakes the escaping dove
It seems like a late start, but I hope to bring life back to my blog. I haven’t written anything in the past couple of months as I simply tried to find better ways to adjust to my teaching job. Now, I will try to begin a new routine to bring myself back to writing. I hope to continue with this. As a first, let me leave this one here:
Sa pagsayaw ng liwanag ng kandila sa ating harapan
Pakaliwa’t pakanang pagsabay sa ating bawat paghinga
Minsan inaakala nating patapos na ang problemang noo’y nagpahirap
Sa puso nating punong-puno na ng di magagandang alaala
Na may iilang natirang peklat katabi nang unti-unting naghihilom na sugat
Kaso sa bawat hakbang pasulong at sa paglapat ng liwanag
Dahan-dahang nagbabalik ang hapdi sa mga gasgas na naghilom
Na ipinanalangin natin nang taimtim na sana’y di na magbalik
Pero ngayo’y nagbabadyang muling bumukas at magpahirap
Na muling kikirot habang pilit nating huwag pansinin
Kaya yata talaga matalinghaga ang takbo ng ating tadhana
Minsan ang liwanag kasi’y natatakpan ng mga ulap
Na pilit naman nating itinataboy sa pag-ihip
Ng mainit na hiningang nagsasabing
Ako at ika’y buhay pa
Na ano man ang mangyari, may isa pa tayong panangga
Ang huminga at magpatuloy sa pagharap sa kung ano pang ibato ng tadhana
Matuto rin tayong magpahinga upang tayo ay makalaya
Ihanda ang ating mga mata sa pagmasid sa paglubog at pagsikat ng araw
Magasgasan mang muli, kumirot mang muli ang ating mga puso
Mabulag man saglit sa kislap ng liwanag ng mga nakaraan
Tayo ay magpapatuloy, may isa pa tayong hininga
Wild fire kisses the first rain drop
With the wind for the moonlight
Of ashes waving their final goodbye
As the rainy day comes for their welcome
Flames throw a great pas de deux
With the touch lingering in the heart
Of the prisoners of the dark
Praying for a savior in the light
This is the rainy day
To quench the thirst
To brighten the way
For those lost and dried
Out of ropes to climb
And hopes or smiles
A star twinkles
A planet dies
Then I stay standing
At the corner of the last road
Open for dreamers, workers of faith
I see the sign
Of the blood moon rising
People cheering
For those leaving
Searching for better lives
Not knowing they already have a life
Here, at the same spot
When reality hits fantasy
A star twinkles
A dreamer flies
Off to a new course
But still holding on their own rope
A dreamer leaves
A dead man calls
Sharing false hopes
A shining delight
For a prosperous good night
In a land of strangers
In a valley of sweat and salty cries
As the star twinkles
Shut the eyes of each dreamer
Smiling
I still am
At the corner of the last road
Seeing the rising smoke
A fumigation on going
To clear the brains
Stop the hearts from beating
Bitbitin ang naiwang tagni-tagning damit ng kabataan
Ibalot ang buong katawan, pakiramdaman
Ang init ng iilang mabubuting piraso
Ng mga alaalang pilit ikinubli, ipinangako
Na babalikan, noon, kahapon, siguro nang nakaraan
Pansinin ang dampi ng malamig na hangin
Lalong higpitan ang yakap sa nakuhang damit
Uminit man ang pisngi, bumuhos man ang pighati
Tanging sa iyo nakasalalay ang pagpapatuloy
Ng kahapon, ngayon, at kung ano pang mangyayari
Kaya dalhin, kahit kupas na ang kulay
Mga alaala, paalala, at ilang nakukubling pag-asa
Dahan-dahan man ang paglalakad, pagtitig, pagpupumiglas
Lalaya, makalalaya rin at maghahatid ng bagong bukas
Fingernails grow fast and clear
Eye-catching pieces for a chandelier
Put some rings or a golden pierce
The ceiling is sure to be a centerpiece
See the chains of the rib bone clock
Hear it crack with every hit of the rock
That leaves a space for the next flock
As thunders ring the final death lock
Goodbye, sweet dreams
Goodbye, my chandelier
Greetings to the new rose
Of this dark, empty prose
Or poetry to the ears
But painful grip of
Reality’s final drill
