minsan ako'y kriminal.

sinisikil,
pinapaslang,
ibinuburol at
nililibing ko ang pag-ibig

sapagkat ang pag-ibig
minsa'y
makapangyarihan
dinudurog ang buong
pagkatao,
ang buong puso
sampu ng kaluluwa
ng umiibig.

tulad nitong bago kong
pag-ibig.

walang ibang sagot
kundi ang kamatayan
sapagkat
hindi sapat
na ika'y iniibig ko lamang
sapagkat
( Read more... )

[para kay tom e.]

this passing night
now finds its meaning from
a nearby heart
that is,
like me,
longs for its pair heart.

when it's over,
this night,
i will keep it inside my heart's
deeper corners
but not too deep

not in the
deepest corner

so that tomorrow
when the first ray of sun
touch my face,
i will hold it with my left palm
and ( Read more... )

you visited in my last night's dream,
and the other night too.

you reign again
in my night universe,
entering into me,
even in my slumber.

you who never wanted to admit
you feel too.

you,
who always,
always told me
it was just because
you taught
i might be
who you can,
who you may,
who you need.

but last night
in my dream,
it was you
who traveled through
the island of ( Read more... )

check out this week's bulatlat
and read  a poem, a feature and a photo essay i contributed. thanks.

midnight melody

kun sa matag nakong pagginhawa
ikaw ug ikaw ra ang hinungdan,

dili magduhaduha
kining akong kasing-kasing,

mosawm ko sa dagat
bisan pa man ang lawas
dili anad sa paglangoy

o kahay molupad ko
sama sa langgam paingon
sa iyang bay
bisan pa man og
pangitaon pa nako
ang akong pako.

ingon niana,
buhaton nako
bisan og unsa pa man
aron maduol kanimo

bisan ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

i miss you.
terribly, terribly so.

though you have not touched me and i have not touched you for a long time,
believe it or not,
i can still smell your sweat on my chest, i can still feel you under me,
i can still smell your whole body.

it is true, i have memorized you. i have memorized your whole being that even from afar i can hear your heart beating, ( Read more... )

between the hills and the sea,
your image appears
gracing the roads and highways
of a territory newly found
like a certain wind,
a beautiful wind.

and the clouds form pleasantly
your face
that has become familiar
in my every sunrise,
in my every dream,
in my everyday
filled by thoughts of you.

i touch the wind
and it seems like,
i am touching you.

today,
you have ( Read more... )

the moment i stepped on my boat back to cebu on june 27in cagayan de oro, the first thing i uttered on the calm waves of the night sea was "i am coming back."

and i meant it.

eversince i arrived in cebu the next day, that was the thought that was primarily filling my everyday. and why not? mindanao is marvelous. northern mindanao is ( Read more... )