Kailangan ko ng kape.

5:07 Namulat sa isang gunita.

5:09 Tulala. Pagod ang mga mata.

5:10 Tila hindi na sila nasanay sa bigat— ng muta.

5:14 Makapagkape nga.

5:17 Teka.

5:17 Walang tubig.

5:18 Itutuloy ko pa ba?

5:22 Wow. Iba din.

5:23 Binuhusan ba ‘to ng pintura ni Van Gogh?

5:23 Ang ganda ng langit.

5:24 Naalala ko na naman.

5:25 Wala pa akong kape.

5:29 Wala ka din sa aking tabi.

5:30 Ba’ t bigla kang nasama sa usapan?

5:31 Sabagay.

5:32 Simula’t huli, hindi ka naman nawala sa isip. Sa paggising sa umaga hanggang sa pagsapit ng gabi. Matamlay man o makulay ang langit. Maging sa eskinita ng 6th st. Sa lamig ng ice cream. Sa init ng kape.

5:33 Kape.

5:34 Kailangan ko pala ng kape.

5:34 At ikaw sa aking tabi.

5:39 Kailan ba ito matatapos?

5:40 Ang tagal naman ng oras.

5:41 Mapanukso ang bawat segundo. Gusto ko silang itulak papalayo. Pabilisin ang pagtakbo ng mga minuto. Ayoko nang kumapit sa kamay orasan. At sa kung ano pang mga pangako ang hawak nito.

5:42 Nakakatakot.

5:45 Nakakasilaw na.

5:45 Natapos na pala ang pamimitak ng araw.

5:47 Kailangan ko nang tumayo. Ayaw mo nga pala sa mga hindi nag-aalmusal.

5:48 Tatayo.

5:49 Matutulala.

5:50 Kailangan ko muna kasi ng kape.

5:53 At pwede bang ikaw na rin sa aking tabi?

5:55 Limang minuto. Limang minutong pagnakaw ngiti. Pagkalaban sa oras na tila galit na tayo’y pagsamahin.

5:55 Itutuloy ko pa ba?

5:56 Oo na. Tama na.

5:57 Tatayo na.

5:59 Panibagong araw na naman ang haharapin.

6:00 Makapag-init nga ng tubig.

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It has been a while since I’ve written a Tagalog Poem (or any poem for that matter). This piece is a poem and a story in one. A shoutout to the coffee lovers and to the lovers of dawn. 

P.S. I tried to write an English translation but didn’t like how it turned out. So in defeat, with a hint of distress, I’m posting this as it is. Below is a snippet and probably the gist of the whole piece. 🙂

5:34 I need coffee.
5:34 And you beside me.

Bakit Kailangan Laging May Mang-Iiwan at May Iiwanan?

A poetic duet with a friend, a traveller, an all-time hugotero, an instant love guro, and team bang’s one and only IDOL wanderer. Here’s an early Tagalog hugot about leaving and being left behind…

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Idolwanderer:

Sa ngalan ng pag ibig may dalawa kang pagpipilian. Ang mang-iwan o ang iwanan.

Ngunit sino ba talaga ang laging nang-iiwan? Kaming mga lalaki o kayong mga kababaihan?

Maria:

Sino nga ba ang nang-iwan at sino ang iniwan? Sa larong ito, sino ba ang may kasalanan?

Ako ba na walang ginawa kundi ibigay ang lahat. O ikaw na ang tingin sa akin ay hindi pa sapat?

Idolwanderer:

Ha! laro? Anong laro? Para sayo laro lang pala ang akala koy totoo?

Ang sakit isipin at kay hirap tanggapin. Ngayo’y alam ko na, na para sayo ako’y laruan lang at di pala dapat mahalin

Maria:

May totoo nga ba sa lahat ng iyong ipinakita. Kung napakadali mong nagbitiw at naglahong parang bula.

Ang lahat ng pangako mo ay pinanghawakan ko. Ngunit sa isang saglit, lahat pala ay mapapako.

Bulong ng Hangin

It has been a while since I’ve written a Tagalog Poem (or any poem for that matter). It was my recent hiatus that rekindled my love of writing poems in our local dialect and I couldn’t be any happier. Perhaps it was being one with nature that brought my muse home? 

Hope everyone’s having a lovely day! See English translation below. 🙂

Bulong ng Hangin

Hiling ko na ibulong sayo ng hangin
Ang mga sekretong pilit kong kinikimkim
Na sana sabihin nito sa iyo na hindi ka nag-iisa—
Na ako man ay takot din.

Takot na baka magkamali,
Takot na baka ito ay mali.

Takot na masakatan na namang muli.

Ngunit para saan pa ang mga pusong daig pa ang ingay ng mga tambol
Kung hindi naman nito kayang mangahas?
Anong pang halaga ng pagtibok ng puso?

Kaya, heto ako, humihiling sa hangin na ibulong sayo ang daing:
Katulad ng paghagod ng mga alon sa baybayin,
Katulad ng paghalik ng palubog araw sa karagatan,
Katulad ng pagyakap ng dalim sa kalangitan,
Matuto tayong magpadala sa tadhana
Na wala ang mga takot ng nakaraan.

English Translation: Whispers of the Wind

I wish the wind whispers you the secrets
I’ve been trying to keep.
I hope it tells you that you are not alone—
That I, too, am afraid

Afraid to make another mistake,
Afraid that this is a mistake

Afraid to get wounded all over again.

But for what are the hearts that beat louder than drums
If they can’t be brave?
What’s the point of having hearts that beat?

So, here I am, wishing for the wind to whisper my plea:
Just as the waves stroke the shore,
Just as the setting sun kisses the sea,
Just as the darkness embraces night,
Let us give in to destiny
Without having the fears of the past.

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Linking this one to dVerse’s Open Link Night. 🙂

Head over here to join the fun!

I Will Look For You

I Will Look For You

I will look for you in beautiful lines of every page I read
In poignant lyrics of every song I listen to, I will look for you
In the tears and joys of an actor in a movie that we may have watched together
I will look for you in gentle melodies of a playing beautiful piece—taking away my fears, like rolling waves, from the shores of your love
Love, I will look for you

I will look for you in every shining star in the sky
In the darkness of a moonlit night
In the touch of the squalling winds
And if I ever fall asleep amidst the crickets’ hymn, I will still look for you
I will look for you in my dreams
I will gamble and play until you’re found
But if a brand new day starts and
As I wake, rise, and realize
That you are not here, I will look for you again.

As a part of my 2016 list of desires, I expressed my want to explore and try our local poetry, to eventually write poems in our local dialect (Tagalog or Bisaya) and share it in this blog. I have written only a few as it turned out, writing in my language was quite a challenge. Sigh.

The poem above is a translation of the Tagalog spoken word I wrote entitled, Hahanapin Kita. I am sharing this for my dear reluctant poet friend, Chuck. Have a great weekend! ☀️😊

Nostalgia

Nostalgia

Ang dalisay na hangin,
Sa aking pisngi dumadampi
Mga huni ng ibon,
Sa aking paggising inaawit
Ang amoy ng kape
Na timpla ni nanay
At mga halakhak
Ng aking tatay—
Ito ay ilan lamang sa binabalikan
Ng aking pusong nangungulila

~English Translation~

The undiluted wind
That kisses my cheeks
The bluebirds’ hymn
As I wake
The sweet aroma
Of mother’s coffee
And my dear father’s
Lively laughter—
These are just few things
My longing heart wants to relive

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “dalisay” which means “pure or undiluted”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Sa Piling Mo

Sa Piling Mo
A Wayra

Langit ang gabi
Sa tuwing ika’y kasama
Sa init na ‘yong hatid
Tuwa’y walang humpay
Wala nang mahihiling pa

~English Translation~

Nights are heavenly
Whenever you’re with me
In your warmth
An eternal bliss
There’s nothing I could ask for

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit: Favim

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “siping” which means to “lie down beside someone”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Tears at Dawn

Tears at Dawn
An Aubade

Mahal, ikaw ay nasaan?
Sa gitna ng gabi ako ay iniwan
Sa malupit na dilim, nagsusumamo
Na sana maibalik ang ‘ikaw at ako’
Ngunit mga luha ay hindi mo nilingon
Pag-ibig mo ba’y nalimot ng kahapon?
Dinggin ang pusong nagmamakaawa
Sana ay balikan sa dapit-umaga

~English Translation~

Where are you, my love?
In the middle of the night you left
In the cruel darkness I pleaded
To bring back ‘you and I’
Yet you failed to see my tears
Was love forgotten in yesteryear?
Hear this begging heart of mine
Please, come back to me at dawn

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit: Motortion Films via Shutterstock

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Today’s Filipino word prompt is “pagsamo” which refers to “the act of pleading”.

Come on! Write a poem or a fiction
Snap a photo under the sun
A six-word tale or a long post, perhaps?
Let’s all get word-high this July!

Want to join the fun? Find the prompt words HERE! Don’t forget to pingback & use the tag WordHighJuly. Mazel tov! 😉

Sampung Segundo

A week ago, I added a new section called Love Local and posted my very first poem written in our national language, Filipino. It was heartwarming and fulfilling that I was able to embark on a new journey of exploring Philippines’ literature through poetry. The challenge, I realized, lies in translating the poem in the English language without sacrificing its true meaning and emotion. Gladly, it turned out all right but, still, this remains a work in progress. *Sigh*

So here’s a second of (hopefully) more local poems from a hopeless romantic’s pen. I hope you enjoy this. 🙂 ❤

© theodysseyonline.com

Tagalog Poem #2: Sampung Segundo

Sampung segundong nagtagal bago ang mga ngiti ay napawi
At ang mga hikbi ay kumawala kasabay nang pagtulo ng mga luha
Mga patak ng luha na tila ulan na humahampas sa puso at kaluluwa
Nilulunod ang natitirang pag-asa
At mga ala-ala
Sampung segundo na ikaw ay minasdan
Papalayo sa bukas kong pintuan
Naghihintay, umaasa- nagmamakaawa
Na sana ikaw ay lumingon, takbuhin ang ating pagitan
Pigain sa higpit ng iyong mga yakap
Ang lahat ng hindi natin pagkakaunawaan
Sampung segundo na wari mga daliring nakakapit sa bangin
Nanginginig, nangangalay, nangangawit
At isa-isang bumibitiw sa bawat hakbang ng iyong paglayo
Sampung segundong pagsusumamo
Na ang ating kwento ay madugtongan
Maibalik sa panahon ng ikaw at ako
At makulayang muli ang aking mundo.

English Translation: Ten Seconds

Ten seconds that lasted before my smile fades
Before sobs loosened up and tears fell down my face
Tears that felt like drops of rain hammering my heart and soul
Drowning whatever is left of hope-
And your memories
Ten seconds of longingly watching you
Walk away from my door
Waiting, hoping- begging
That you’d turn back around, run the gap between us
Squeeze with your tight embrace
All our differences and rifts
Ten seconds that seemed like fingers gripping on a cliff
Shaky, numb, and tired
Letting go one at a time in each step you make
Ten seconds of pleading
To keep the story of us
Turn back the time when there was you and I
 And bring the  color back into my life

Hahanapin Kita

Painting by Catrin Walz Stein

I have mentioned in my 2016 list of desires that I want to explore and try our local poetry, to eventually write poems in our local dialect (Tagalog or Bisaya) and share it in this blog soon. I think that ‘soon’ is now.

And since today marks the start of love month and the countdown to a very special day, I’m sharing this first of (hopefully) many local poems from me. This one’s inspired by two of my favorite spoken word poets, Juan Miguel Severo and Sarah Kay. I hope I did fine. 😀 😀 😀

A Tagalog Poem: Hahanapin Kita

Hahanapin kita sa magagandang linya sa bawat pahina
Sa madamdaming liriko sa bawat kanta, hahanapin kita
Sa mga luha’t galak ng mga artista sa isang pelikula na maaaring sabay nating pinanood
Hahanapin kita sa malumanay na pagtugtug ng isang magandang piyesa na tila mga alon na tumatangoy sa aking kaba papalayo sa dalampasigan ng iyong pagmamahal
Mahal, hahanapin kita
Hahanapin kita sa bawat kislap ng mga bituin sa langit
Sa liwanag ng buwan sa mga gabing kay dilim
Sa simoy ng hangin na sa akin ay dumadampi
At kung ako man ay maidlip sa huni ng mga kuliglig, hahanapin pa rin kita
Hahanapin kita sa aking mga panaginip
Makikipaglaro sa isip hanggat mahanap kita
Ngunit kung sa pagbungad ng bagong umaga
Sa aking paggising, pagmulat, pagbangon
Ay hindi kita makita, hahanapin ulit kita.

English Translation:

I will look for you in beautiful lines of every page I read
In poignant lyrics of every song I listen to, I will look for you
In the tears and joys of an actor in a movie that we may have watched together
I will look for you in gentle melodies of a playing beautiful piece—taking away my fears, like rolling waves, from the shores of your love
Love, I will look for you
I will look for you in every shining star in the sky
In the darkness of a moonlit night
In the touch of the squalling winds
And if I ever fall asleep amidst the crickets’ hymn, I will still look for you
I will look for you in my dreams
I will gamble and play until you’re found
But if a brand new day starts and
As I wake, rise, and realize
That you are not here, I will look for you again.