Pagtatagpo

Balot ako ng kayumangging roba na tinatakluban
ang buo kong katawan mula sa bumbunan ng aking ulo
hanggang sa mga kuko ng aking dalawang paa.

Nag-uusal ako ng dasal
sa pasilyo ng monasteryo patungo sa aking kuwarto

nang ako ay mapahinto
at muli kang makatagpo
pagkatapos ng matagal na panahon.

Sa ating pagtungo, hindi ang iyong mukha, kung hindi
ang mga daliring nakausli sa iyong manggas ang nagpaalalang

ikaw ang minsan kong nakilala
na hinangad kong maging kaibigan
sa kabila ng aking kagustuhang mapag-isa.

Lingid sa aking kaalaman, iyon din pala ang nais mo –
ang maging monghe, katulad ko.

- mula sa tulang “Salaysay” ni Allan Popa

About a person who tries to walk

All it takes are just few steps.
My sandals squeak
Against the tiled floor,
Yes, I am only inches away
From my goal!

Until my feeble knees,
Like they usually do,
Yielded to the ground.
Ouch, but I am few inches
Away from my goal!

I sob uncontrollably.
Then you pick me up
And utter your usual words,
“You are too young
To defy gravity.”

But that was what you told me
Yesterday, and the other day;
Last week, the previous month,
The past year and all the ones that
Preceded it (if I remember correctly).

I changed my sandals several times already –
From size 3 to 10, and now size 8,
Yet everything is still the same -
I am still few inches away from my goal
And I still hear those exact words.

You know that I never wished
To fly, nor did I dream to float
On the puffy clouds or reach
The twinkling stars in the sky.
I only pray for one thing:

That is to conquer those few inches
And get to my goal,
Like you always do
When you stand on your two feet
And pick me up when I fall.

This you never knew
And probably will never know,
For only blank eyes stare at mine
Whenever I try to speak,
Help me reach my goal.

Sabi ng isang bata sa kanyang kalaro

(noong ika-26 ng Setyembre 2009 sa Marikina Riverbanks)

Halika kaibigan, lumangoy tayo sa
Katubigang pumapalibot sa atin,
Damhin ang lamig ng bawat patak ng
Tubig sa ating balat,
Habang hindi nagpapadala sa
Malakas na ihip ng hangin.

We never talked

But we knew we always had the connection -
From the day our eyes met and
We started to see each other at
Random places. In school, we walked from
Opposite directions, but we somehow managed to
Intersect, exactly at the same point, despite
The number of people around us, which
Supposedly must hinder our chance
Meetings. At a fastfood, where we ate
With our own friends, we went out at
The same time, regardless of
Who came first and how long the stay.
On our way home, we were standing
At the same train station. I knew you came first,
For you were there when I already came.
I was seated far from where you were
Standing and still, I could see you. And I know
You could also see me, because for that slip second,
Our eyes met again.
The doors opened and I knew I had to go,
But somehow I looked back, to your direction,
Just to know if you cared that I would leave.
And yes you did, those pair of eyes
Glanced my way for the last time

For I had to turn around and go. But I knew
I had nothing to worry about. Next day
Would come, and on that same spot in school
We would see each other, also in that fastfood
And train station. Our eyes would continue to
Connect us in these unseemingly circumstances
for a few seconds. Yet, this was everything that we should have,
brief moments and our eyes

For we never needed words.







*no revisions*

Payo ng mansanas sa kakain nito

Mula sa puno ako ay iyong pitasin. Pagkatapos,

Idiin mo nang marahan ang iyong ngipin sa akin

At ukaban ang malutong kong laman – na binabalutan ng

Balat na pula.

Kasabay nito, tatagak ang aking

Katas na dapat namnamin ng iyong

Dilang hahanap-hanapin ang manamis-namis kong

Sarap. Sipsipin at kagatin mo pa ako nang

Paulit-ulit upang lalo mo pang malasap ang

Takam, na magtatapos sa aking pagkatuyo at kawalan

Nang ngatngatin mo ako hanggang sa aking

Kaibuturan.