A LULLABY NIGHT

I have sung all the lullabies I know. I have told and re-told his favorite stories. My voice is tired, my eyelids droop, and still, my toddler wiggles and squiggles in my arms. He would not sleep. I pray a silent prayer, he pokes my lips driving his little finger against my teeth. My disapproving

WHERE IS HOME? (a Haibun)

The other day, my nephew posted pictures of decorative structures that he and his friends have set up in my old hometown. While the change was aesthetically pleasing, something clicked inside me: Bayanan, my hometown, is gone. Bayanan has changed a lot in the years I have been away. The sleepy barrio is gone, replaced

SPRING FLOWERS

  Spring banners unfurled flaunting beauty undefiled Delicate petals of every hue speaks of joy, ever true – the  bleakness of winter nurtures grace beyond measure.   I do not think I will ever tire of looking at flowers and taking their pictures. I have quite a lot of photos after months of seeing only

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

After a rainy spell, I stepped into the sunshine of a spring afternoon  to go to the blooming cherry tree near the city green which was about a mile away. I did not particularly relish walking on city roads, busy as they were even on a Sunday afternoon. Fear of getting run over by oncoming

SONGBIRD

  Birdsongs, free like the wind, beauty without guile serenade the soul. On this side of heav’n they sound just like angel songs. I had to follow this bird into the neighbor’s yard and to stand as quietly as I could under the tree to get a shot of him/her.  I doubt if this is

BUTTERFLY

  The quiet of butterfly wings as they glide in the air speaks of grace that need no herald nor fanfare, and ever brings mindful hearts wonder. Written for DVerse Poets’ Meeting the Bar Prompt – Brevity.  Frank wants folks to write a five-line or shorter poem.   I chose to write a modified tanka  with

BECAUSE … (A Haibun)

“Vanity of vanity. All is vanity,” so says the prophet Qohelet in the Book of Ecclesiastes about  life. It does seem like life is all about chasing the wind. There are days when, saddled with the routine of everyday, I find myself engrossed in an internal conversation about existence. How do I reconcile the repetitive

CATERPILLAR (Tanka for WPC: Waiting)

Waiting for how long a caterpillar endures darkness of cocoon holding on to the promise imprinted in its essence Magic in due time rewards the patient labor Metamorphosis reveals the inner grandeur honoring humility WPC:  Waiting  

WANING SUMMER

It was a time of great expectations. I thought summer would be the time when I would finally be able to compile the poems I have written through five years of blogging and group them into themes. I was curious to know if even a half-decent chapbook would come out of my efforts. Alas! Other

GOLDEN LIGHT (WPC: Ooh, Shiny!)

The sun, slanting in the horizon, always gives me pause. In the mornings, the rising sun casts mysterious shadows on the ground. In late afternoons, the glowing sunlight in the backyard casts a golden glow on the grass, the wire fence, and the tiny insects buzzing around. When I can, I head out to the