Donning splendiferous landscapes stretching for miles,
A culture that aptly prides, in bold, welcoming smiles;
A thriving land of islands~ an archipelago evincing awe,
A resplendence of nature, an exclamation of hurrah.
Sandy beaches embrace realms of pristine coastline,
Harboring lush foliage, embodying sublimity divine,
Of marine life, corals, reveling warmth of idyllic clime,
Reminiscent of paradise, of placidity, stilled in time.
Fun loving, amiable, proud tradition extolling grace,
Quaint, yet modern, is the vibrant vibe of this place;
Of museums, antiques, art galleries, buzzing cafe,
Of hotels, casinos, of famed sunsets on Manila Bay.
Luzon, the Visayas, Mindanao~ gems of the blue sea,
Living in tranquility, projecting utter beauty and glee;
Islands of hospitality, homeland of a privileged few,
A magnificent portrait, upon sea-canvas nature drew.
Philippines~ an acclaimed, lauded, pearl of the Orient,
Rich in diverse culture, her allure citizens augment,
Pulsating rhythms of hearts and souls, worthy of praise;
A treasure preserved, revered since the ancient days.
My thumbs pressed on the trigger.
The M-2 bucked its load.
I squinted down the barrel
And watched his head explode.
An early morning ambush,
A steaming Luzon hell,
For Ferdi and Imelda,
Our Cold War clientele.
The mission was generic:
Suppress the NPA*.
It didn't really matter
Just who got in the way.
I carried out my orders
And did what I was told,
But Christ, the kid I wasted
Was only twelve years old.
*New People’s Army – a Maoist insurgency
Memory verse-recitation
enriched our phone conversation,
concluded with, “Mommy loves you,
but God loves you the most!”
Gaining consciousness after his accident,
“Mommy” was the first word he uttered.
He’s 22, but he’s like a two year-old, longing for Mom.*
God-instilled Mom’s love
reverberates in the heart**
oblivion can’t shut
*Such son is among the children whom I have become a mother to in our orphanage. He was brought to our custody when he was 1 and 8 months old. The last time I saw him was in 2018. He started to call me in May this year, and we had regular fellowship hours through phone... until the 2nd week of June. We are praying for his recovery as we await for his transport back to our place, to be in our care, hopefully after the community quarantine. He met an accident on June 24 in the Visayas. We are in Luzon, so he is an island away from us.
** Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
July 10, 2020
3rd place, "A MEMORY" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Line Gauthier; judged on 7/13/2020.
Down the pine-studded mountain and towards the sea
Me, mounted on a rickety, swaying, desperately-desiring bus,
Floorboard splotched with rusted holes revealing
tires
Below my feet
and salted sea wind soon
Breathing down my neck.
The Luzon day stretched before me, road
Singing in it's curves
drowning out Philippine faces painting
Collages of
colors and years.
Revealing Spanish lighthouses beckoning
Lost souls and
Galleons
Scattering gold onto
ivory shores.
One hour later,
Nerves frayed from endless bumps,
I tumble onto the palm-fringed beach to
Witness
Waves cresting like glittering
Champagne and a
Delicately worn grandmother being
Gingerly dipped into the
Azure Softness like a
Queen Cat in a
Cherub's cradle.
Sshh…
I can see it
Creeping behind the wounded paper
Fabricated in the surface of the wall
The wall. Yes the wall.
Countless stains embedded
Thousand images magnified during midnights
Raindrop stains transformed into wars
Inkblots turned into murder scenes
A dot of blood resurrected into a horrible monster
And the monster lives in the wall.
Now it’s peeking
Its mocking eyes met mine
Staring at me as if I have murdered millions
I suddenly felt numb
Yet I desired to crush it till it turns to a single dust.
I stepped closer
My body trembled
It didn’t move neither did it show an act of resistance
But instead, its red eyes glowed
And opened wider and bigger.
I closed my eyes hoping it would vanish.
I reached for a hanging portion of the torn wallpaper,
I tore it forcefully—
Mirror!
(an entrant in to the Luzon-Wide Press Conference back when I was in college, adjudged 6th Place)
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