Sunshine

Arise my heart and see the sun
Feel the breeze, breathe the morning air
The dark of night has ceased, has gone
In the light, the trees are not bare.
The flowers smile, the birds they chant
A new hymn—a medley of praise
The sky above, cerulean
The clouds caress in warm embrace.
But why the gloom despite the joy,
Why sorrow, for the rain has stopped?
The storm rages, its cruel voice
Echoes eerily in my heart.
When will the sunshine come to me?
One day I know, happy I’ll be!

Broken Sonnet

Can you see me soak in the rain
Of tears that flow? You do not know
That the dreams I dreamed gave me pain.
And now I writhe to see you go.
From afar I see, I admire
Your fragile wings sweet butterfly.
I can never hold--they're not mine
You belong there, up in the sky.
Flee from me quickly, lest I see
Your vivid hues fly gracefully.
My rose has wilted, suddenly
The petals, dead--so flee, you're free.
From afar I know, you're happy
Though you're unaware how I grieve.

Calypso's Murder

I wrote this poem several years ago. Enjoy.

Calypso's Murder

Last night I passed by your window.
I did not see you. Have you moved out
And realized the toilets
Wouldn't flush and the pipes were leaking?

But just the other night I saw you.
And the night before.
You, a child of the night
Bathed with moonlight, adorned with
The shimmering stars. Endowed with
The nightingale's song.

And I love you.
I loved you when I saw your long, black hair
Dance gaily to the flat tones
Of the nocturnes of the wind.

To see you would bring daylight. My sun would be
The glow in your eyes when you smile and think
Of him. Or maybe me. Or maybe her.
For I have not seen daylight in a while
And God makes the sun shine for those in darkness too.

Perhaps tonight I can see you. But if not
Then tomorrow I shall return to the monotony of work
Without a ray of light or a song of a dance
Glowing in my heart or ringing in my ears.

Then I shall die.
For I have realized that your existence
Is not as eternal
As the god of the underworld
Who choked you to extinction
And strangled you to your death.

Poetry

Thanks to TVisio of SocialSpark.

4ever7 Heaven Fear Not
God'stentatious Delight
Love Our Virtuous Whirled
Avatar where You Might!

Pablo Neruda

One of my favorite poets is Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) . I first found interest in his works when we studied magical realism in a college literature subject. Ninotchka Rosca used the same technique in her novel State of War.

Nowadays, his works can be found everywhere. Together with other Hispanic authors, his works may be read on the trains of the LRT. Sponsored by the Instituto Cervates, a Spanish language school, Spanish poems translated into Tagalog are posted inside the trains and become a worthwhile read for the passenger. The aim of the project is to remind our youth of our Spanish heritage, while inviting commuters to learn the Castillian language at their center.

I am posting here one of my favorite Neruda love poems. I hope you enjoy it just as I did.


I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You

I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.