Monday, December 29, 2014

To all my friends and followers of my blog, have a healthy and peaceful New Year!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

To all my readers and visitors to my blog, have a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year! With this coming new year, I might not be able to post here frequently as I have started compiling my 4th book in time probably with my birthday. Do drop by once in a while and leave a note or two. Happy holidays everybody!!!


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Death in the family


the autumn wind
scatters the dried leaves
in the family photo
his face is gradually
and slowly fading


from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Brother's death



an old leaf falls
on the gentle prodding
of the autumn wind
unexpected news 
of my brother's death

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

BILINGUAL POEMS



Having been constantly using a borrowed language since high school and beyond, I am sometimes torn to uncertainty as to whether to use one in favor of the other or end up writing in both idioms in my poetry. Here is a sample.

from a distance
at the appointed time
I wait for your glance
to bask once more
in your smile

Tagalog

sa abot ng tanaw
at takdang panahon
hintay and sulyap mo
nang muling mamasdan
and iyong ngiti

Published in my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Monday, October 13, 2014

Runaway daughter

fading fragrance
of wilted jasmine
runaway daughter

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sold house


Sold house -

Lingering a bit, my kids had to literally drag me out of the house which I sold but has not yet been occupied by the new owner. Earlier, I begged them to let me see our house for the last time. I had to get rid of it due to the passing of my wife with most of my children out and living on their own. Also, it was emotionally draining for me and I could not stand and bear to see, feel, and relive the decades of memorable experiences living there.

for the last time
I listen to the laughter
of my growing children
echoing from the rooms
of my just sold house

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Her absence



the silent sound
of her absence
fills our room
only the echoes
of yesterday remain

from my book, 
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Last embrace


(For my brother Gabriel who passed away two weeks ago. Rest in peace Bro!)

I know now
why our embrace
was so tight
your last farewell
to fleeting life

In my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest @ Dec. 2011

Monday, September 8, 2014

Football fever



football fever
time to separate the boys
from the men

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Runaway Son


a torn kite flails 
in the telephone line 
their runaway son 


Published in 
World Haiku Review, April 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Obituary



humming their love song
she scans the obituary
once more

Friday, August 29, 2014

Lotus Festival



Lotus Festival
  
Not many summers ago, the annual observance of the Lotus Festival in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California was a mild disappointment, to say the least. The reason? No lotus flowers in the lake for unknown reasons. 

Considering that the reliability of their profuse blooming every summer is as certain as the traffic gridlock in the vicinity, visitors from within and outside the area were vocally disgruntled. Locals were at a loss on how to explain to their out-of-town friends the absence of the floral attractions.

                no lotus flowers
                in the murky water
                global warming here?

Published in World Haiku Review, August 2014

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Friday, August 15, 2014

War aftermath



hopping around
bomb holes and shrapnels
one-legged dove


Monday, August 4, 2014

Letter of goodbye

under the willow
she rereads his tear-stained
goodbye letter

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Greener pasture



on to greener pasture
a family of geese flies over
the double barbed fence

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Unkempt lawn



my neighbor mows
the grassy edges
of my unkempt lawn
in the shade I try to write
this friendship poem

From my book, 
Haiku and Tanka Harvest


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Widower's gardeb


widower's garden
her roses blooms
side by side with weeds

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hospice doldrums



hospice doldrums
she gazes at the bird
flying to sunset

Friday, June 13, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

18th Birthday


eighteenth birthday
she dances with strangers
my daughter's daughter
if I feel such a pain
how about her father]

from my first book,
Rustle of bamboo leaves, ©2005

Friday, June 6, 2014

Free-spirited



she dances
to her own music
my free-spirited
granddaughter
not unlike her mother

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Loneliness

chilly night
under its darkness
hides my loneliness

Tagalog

gabing malamig
sa iyong dilim nagtatago
aking kalungkutan

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Discharged soldier


discharged soldier
he stares at his gun's barrel
to nothingness

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest
https://www.createspace.com/3737478

Friday, May 23, 2014

Almost dawn


almost dawn
she senses his coming
tiptoeing to their room
a strange perfume
ushers him in


from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Nearing Home



nearing home
the sun starts to set
in my rear-view mirror
I've lived a good life
my cup overflows

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Friday, May 9, 2014

Mother's day


my daughter
invites me to brunch
this Mother's day
just for a tender moment
she's her late mother

from my book,
Rustle of bamboo leaves

Monday, May 5, 2014

Longings


dream demons
harass me all night
in my half empty bed
still waiting for you
all these years


Monday, April 28, 2014

Spring cleaning



spring cleaning

the first doll she gave

her newly-wed daughter

World Haiku Review
August 2012

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spring sunshine


spring sunshine
the toothless smile
of a homeless girl

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Easter Sunday


a morning glory
greets the early dawn
Easter Sunday

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Friday, April 11, 2014

Deadly typhoon



deadly typhoon
amidst scattered débris
a newborn cries

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Last bus


last bus
his welcome flowers
start wilting
on the now
empty bench

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Goodbye letter



under a willow
their favorite rendezvous
he rereads
her crumpled letter
of goodbye

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Spring advent


spring advent
her love and orchids
are blooming

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Dad's young wife


spring cleanup
she rips her Dad's photo
with his new young wife

In my book, Haiku and Tanka Harvest
https://www.createspace.com/3737478

Monday, March 17, 2014

Earthquake



a mild earthquake
wakes me up today
but lulls me back to sleep
a harbinger
of what's coming?


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Spring cleaning



spring cleaning
the first doll I gave
my newly-wed daughter

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Lenten lesson


dust we are
to dust we shall return
lenten lesson

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Writing senryu



writing senryu
everyday drives
my shrink insane

Friday, February 21, 2014

Suicide attempts


the widower explains
to his visiting son
why he chopped their shade tree
twice there, he drawls
I tried to hang myself

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest
https://www.createspace.com/3737478

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Prayer garden



wrong entrance
from a hectic mundane world
to a soothing, quiet place 
where time stands still -
a prayer garden

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Full moon



full moon
and empty arms
oh it's so hard
to fill the void
you left behind

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Aloneness


yearning for her touch
even in my dream
so long this dark night


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Marital quarrel


marital row
the silence between them
is deafening

Tagalog


away mag-asawa
ang katahimikan ng dalawa
ay nakaka-bingi




Friday, January 24, 2014

Forbidden love



the entwined
rose and ivy
hanker for the sun
the vicissitudes
of forbidden love

Friday, January 17, 2014

Aloneness



alone once more
the cold night lingers
too long

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Apocalypse



near apocalypse
a meteor just missed
the earth again

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Nature's fury



man's ingenuity
still no match
to nature's fury

Tagalog


ang galing ng tao
di makakapantay
sa lindol at bagyo

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Wilting bouquet


after the last bus
without her again
his welcome bouquet
left on the bench
starts to wilt