Long Manila Poems

The Ash Can  ©

I got the call on Sunday night.  I was traveling on business.  When I looked at the caller ID
 I wondered why my husband’s boss would be calling me....

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Oh well I got an angry email to begin my day
Because of my last post on the Jabidah thing yesterday
Galit sa akin but greeted me with Assalamu alaykum.
And kung personal Moro friends ko naman ito...

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Feb. 6, 2021
	Hello I was born normal on May 17, 1979 from Paranaque, Philippines. My name is Jacqueline Ramirez Mendoza and was taken from Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis. Given by my cousin, Jocelyn Picazo Santos. My...

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Well, here we are in the Araneta Coliseum
In Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines
To witness two modern boxing Gladiators
Their prowess, stature, about to be seen

This will be the third between the WBC, WBA
Stepping into the...

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You knew you were going to die. 1
And yet you came, thinking no matter how insane,
the man on the seat of power would never want you dead
… it would be too much on his head.

And...

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"50 Words for Poe: Rasputin"



The Rat was buried in the Pet Cemetery
His name was Rasputin

She had been fond of him for some time
feeding him morsels 
every now and again
tickling his whiskers occasionally -
until he decided...

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In 1960, I was introduced to the world in a place called Rome
A place where gladiators battled at center stage, a place so far away from home
Young, robust, handsome; nah 'pretty', that's right 'pretty'
A product...

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I saw old images of different views of Ho Lang Island
The stone towers built by Spanish still standing erect
I felt nostalgic to look at the past of this island
It was dubbed as a "no man's...

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Jarabe tapatío in Plaza Castillo,
girls dance in the Mexican night.
The floral bouquets of their dresses ablaze,
a rainbow of colors so bright

But it wasn't this way, far back in the day
when dances held little such drama.
So...

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The young boy was pale, 
He walked slowly in the alley 
No. 41.His skeleton hand hold a rusted tin can. 
He was in business,for him it was. 

On his innocent face, 
In a modern world,who...

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Philippines, my country of birth,
one of the countries in Southeast Asia.
It is an archipelago or group of islands,
with more than seven thousand islands.

Luzon, the largest island in the northern
part of the country, is where I...

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This is about a man whose name is Jesse
Born In Kansas and raised in Missouri
 Was called to fight for his beloved country
And  assigned to defend an outlying territory

Jesse fought as hard as any...

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Manila folder,
Growing older,
Lying on table,
Watching other files,
Grow bolder,
It was earlier looked upon,
Now ignored,
As if it was dead,
After a bloody gore,
They had submerged in its custody,
A lot many papers and notes,
Carrying dates and events,
About people and...

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The road that has been improved and widened would’ve yielded many unexploded munitions. I’m curious how many were found and wonder how many thousands still hide unfound. Sections of the trees/grass by the road are...

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The Philippines, with its strategic location 
at the crossroads of the Pacific Ocean, 
and the South China Sea, 
is the Pearl of the Orient, 
the nickname used to describe 
the country since the early 20th...

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"Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, 
hindi makakarating sa paroroonan".
(A person who does not remember where he came from 
will never reach his destination).
Filipino proverb.

Gift me wings so I can fly to a blessed land
of emerald...

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OH you marbles in a jar!
Teacher wants us to guess how many of you there are
I try to count the ones showing, but I lose track
This silly circular jar, has neither a front nor back
The...

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He was sitting just there,
Suddenly she came shouting shrill,
Its time and you have to leave,
He reluctantly took his manila,collected his glasses,
And made for the door,
He hiked himself on a bus,
And landed at the Tube,
Wading through...

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Along this foggy daybreak stroll,
I tread along the intersection
between Mabini Street and EDSA boulevard, 
crossing number 25 Ortigas Road.

I breathe in the same grain 
of Manila pollen and dust itching
my throat ; an acrid mound...

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A racist white man’s vehicle broke down
in the middle
of the blackest pride side of Motown

He scratched his red neck double chin 
in Appalachian drawl dismay;
perplexed at having a little Aryan problem
of not being “Black Tie...

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This would be just prior to circa 2000. I'm guessing it's closer to the 80s, but my memory fails, The Philippines was one of three Southeast Asiatic island nations that I went to with my...

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sitting down at their desk
they open up the manila folder of the recently
“let go” & 
muster up the audacity 
to draw up a psychological profile of said individuals
based on what little had been documented of...

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dear Calafia,
i saw you then
whirling around the house with
a face painted with Dior and MAC
a dress of carmine and ruby
a suitcase crammed full of clothes
walking out the door without a doubt
as you went to say...

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     Pearl Of The Orient 


           Phillipines !
          Pearl of the Orient...

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At the VFW Post in Buang, Philippines they know Macarthur
Staggering off then
Swaggering back onto
These Philippines Islands and the
 Wail of Hirohito
Drowning in chorus with the headsman’s gush of 
Bloodstained tears
Upon the occasion
Of Bataan
Remembered.

Then in repose...

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