A desperate and insipid journey you are taking
to search for the answers for your life's enlightenment
because you had been suppressed and smothered
by the billowing loathing smoke of innocence.

All you could see was the ocean of darkness
the mark you'd made had gone to oblivion
mundane things you kept were just ephemeral
and you would cry for life's absurdity and frustrations.

The rivulets of tear falling from you gloomy eyes
molding a raucous sound, song of you mawkish hymn
impeding by your hands as it echoes through your ears
like a keen of someone suffering from a tribulation.

You let your mouth open as words flow like a river
asking for help from someone you know nothing
to be plucked up from this desolate and barren place
hoping for a paradise where azure sky embrace.

A sudden streak of light cutting the greying sky
like a ladder emanating from Heaven's golden gate
you look up as you take your ethereal ascension
smiling like a newborn baby hoping for another day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dedicated to my sister Ias Lyn Magtulis Gardose who celebrated her birthday last May 9, 2006.

 


Would the world knows
the good hearted elect lady,
where cascades of wisdom flows
full of love and empathy?

She's mighty like a warrior
but no swords in her hand.
Only faith what she offers
to the one on high above.

Go ye and peep on her home.
Little ones sitting on her lap.
Taking worn pages by her hand
to make them grow precociously.

Would I be in this world?
Could I while away withy this life?
Could I ferry in the raging storm?
Without her who would I be?

Woe to you young ones.
Obliterate insolence within you.
Obey and be not indolent
to her you owed your life.

Do we know of who she is?
The name that God had blessed.
The right word as a shibboleth.
The only one I call "mother."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She's like the sun
That gives light to her sons.
Thawing the frigidity with her love.
Guiding them like the One above.

She's like a worn book.
Letting herself to be used of
someone hungered for wisdom words
who needed it when they grow old.

She's like a music piece,
words and notes written on its page
to a musician who's a adept
bringing life-like sounds to the living.

She's a beautiful gift,
Indispensable grace I must say.
Wrapped with her the virtue and ethics,
sharing it to the ones she's tending.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seraphs flying in heaven,
sing with your sonorous voice
and let the sweet smelling scent
reach us here from below.

Oh wicked demons and sprites
hide from the piercing light,
tremble from terrible fight
from a gentle song like a knight.

Let the earth sing its mighty hymn.
Let the zephyr blow as it fly.
Let the trees rustle like a cry
and doves coo to aim on high.

Color the earth with blooming flowers
Be not gloom and somber your face
Ye children gather and bundle the floras
and put them on hand-made woven basket.

Let the good son who is mighty
collect the basket and the sonnet
and give it to the lovely lady
saying " Happy 48th year Birthday."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Dedicated to my mother who will celebrate her 48th year birthday this coming Saturday, April 29, 2006.

 

   The Debarbo family held an unexpected abrupt reunion last March 25, 2006 at Norala, South Cotabato. This was a family of my maternal grandmother Josepha D. Magtulis.

   We had enjoyed the party. Lola and her siblings introduces their children and grandchildren. Drinks galore and different delicacies spread in the table and you could eat them if you can. There are some games. To enjoy the party at the fullest we stayed until dawn.

   The reunion has its purpose- getting to know each other. This helped me knew my relatives and mingle with them. Sad to say that we - cousins to some degree didn't really formed rapport for each other. At least it made us knew each other that when we'll meet at some other place we may recognize each other.

   The family decided to have it a second on some day of December at Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat this year.

   yeheyyyyyyyy!

 

    I saw her smile. What an odd streak from that small pink lips.

    She emerged from one of the classrooms of the university as soon as it rang for the next class schedule. There she was walking on my direction with that teasing smile. My wasted time to wait her hopefully for a long endless hour was compensated after I saw her. She looked more lovely everyday and everytime I see her. I could not help but to smile. A smile of contentment that at least that just a day I could see her. My day would be fine.

    I always looked for her everytime I entered the campus. I rummaged the whole place and craned to the thronging students just to see her. It was funny that I'm desperate to see her. I'd memorized the day, time and where I had seen her. It was Monday at exactly 9:00 am , I'm patiently waiting her in front of the room next to her room. I knew that as soon as it buzzed she will be out of that room. It buzzed... And there she was.

    I felt a tingling sensation when I was aware that she was coming close to me. My body stiffened and I felt stunning over my body. She was really beatifull beyond words.

    Her smile enhances her beauty. She had a fair skin. Her black eyes glinting in the light and her shiny hair was like of a model in one of the shampoo commercials. She had a good body contour. She was voluptuous. She had a buxom. She was my dream girl and maybe every guys wanted. She's a superstar because I can't help laying my eyes on her.

    She's closer by now. I imagined her more than Helen's beauty was. She was a lady with that beauty envied by the invisibles. Eventhough, she had the woman power, I knew that she had a good heart. With that glinting eyes, I knew how friendly she was and sympathetic to all. She looked innocent beyond her intelligence and cunningness.

    I didn't remember how I came to like her. No, not just liking her but loving her. I'm not fond of reading romance novels. I don't believe in a sudden struck of affection. Love at first sight? Never. But my heart betrayed my mind. I was so deeply in loved with this girl for the first time I met her. When was that? I really couldn't remember the day but the scene was very lucid to me. It's just an ordinary day that I never expected to be that special.

    My teaher gave us a research project and we had to make our pre-research to determine and gave her our title problem. She dismissed the class and I hurriedly went to our library for  taking a reservation of one unit of computer. The computer room had a good space. That time there were many students huddled for the same purpose as mine. I lined with them. I was the last person at that time. I heard the conversation at the counter with the librarian and the student who was the first in the line. The student was asking if there is any free computer but the librarian replied that the computers were fully reserved even for the next hour. Frustrated, I walked out. As I'm traversing the gap between the counter and the door, I saw her. That was she. I didn't remember hearing bells pealing on my side and seraphs singing a lovely song but I heard a beat. A very strong beat. My world froze as I watched her smiling. After that day I can't help myself looking at her without loosing my interest. My day would miss something if I will not see her. That's why there's someone in me that urge me to find her. To look for her.

    There was a sad feeling that pierced my heart. Looking unto her getting closer to me, I realized that she wasn't near at all. She was aloof. It's a paradox that the more I was aware that she was walking to my direction, the more I realized that we're very far. We  were a hundred miles apart. I knew her and who she was but she don't know me. She never had the idea that I'm always watching her. She didn't even noticed the peeking eyes that follows her.

    Suddenly someone bumped me at my back. I was occupied that I didn't bother to stand on the middle of the hallway. "Shame on me!" I murmured. I chided myself. Too much for daydreaming that I had to be embarrased in front of the crowd. They were looking at me with that mocking smile. Was I'm ridiculous? Yes, Iam. I realized that I'm blocking the student's way. I was budged unto her that I'm blocking her way. I felt my face blushing. I slowly turned my head to her. A blessing in disguise! On my direction I saw her looking at me. I saw her smiled.

---

That hill is my domicile,

an island inside the island.

The beautiful, bountiful land

given by our great God.

The inevitable night

bathe the place with its shadow

but Selene was guiding me

as I walk in the still water.

For a long tedious walk,

as I whiled away,

I saw the iridescent light

on that far distance horizon.

In that holy place,

I heard the banging gongs.

Their thunderous voice

woke up the great trill.

But someone was playing the flute

casting its harmonious melody

like a mother singing her lullaby

to the great waves clashing the place.

The world stopped revolving

as all creatures made their obeisance

to the mighty "Someone"

on His desmene playing His sonata.

In the legion I could see

the brave lizard with his golden scales,

the white bird with his great wings,

and the sacred python with his strength.

The great Deity smiled,

stretching His arms to receive me.

He poured His sacred oil

from the horn of the giant buffalo.

And I know the meaning

of this great scenario

that I'm, a woman of my tribe

given the gift that everyone wanted.

How could I tell my man,

to stay affection without consummation?

This is my duty and I must do

even my nights were be cold as snow.

The place was slowly vanishing.

My vision was full of haze.

My thoughts gradually regaining.

I woke up and started weaving.

 

    This poem is a requirement for my subject Education 130( Livelihood and Non-Formal Education ). We had our Educational Trip which we had selected Lake Sebu as our venue for our community mapping. We had our great time there listening to the tribal sounds and watching their crafts.This poem was inspired by the T'boli's traditional belief that a weaver -definitely a woman must have a dream before starting. The dream is then depected on the designs of the abaca cloth called T'nalak.

---

Here I am crouching in the corner
Perspiring in the blizzard of winter
Shivering in the sultry summer
Help me or not, drench me with water.

Please help me! I should say
Carp the flaws you can see in me
The baffled feeling I couldn't express
A feeling of a person his senility.

I'm not old but young and fine
Take my dumpy body sinking on a mire
Squint me and see what's on my mind
I see things in a spidery sight

 

Oh! I see the same person in a legion
To you I pray to get me a stone
But be careful and be vigilant on
Some sneaking with a cuff of its own.

 

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