WINTER POEMS

WINTER POEMS

TANKA

around

the bonfire

of used Christmas cards

the homeless gather

hugging warmth

HAIKU

Christmas program

the deaf children sing

in sign languagee

day after Christmas

she gives a used card

to her shelter friend

chilly night

under its darkness

hides my loneliness

Tagalog version

gabing malamig

sa iyong dilim nagtatago

aking kalungkutan

Published in my book,

Haiku and Tanka Harvest

https://www.createspace.com/3737478

Bilingual poems

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

I like to think though that I have some readers who understand both Tagalog and English hence my decision to use both as much as possible. Any comments or feedback on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a bilingual 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

"Haiku and Tanka Harvest" by Victor P Gendrano

Selected Haiku and Tanka poems, 2006-2011 A selection of over 200 haiku and tanka poems previously published in various online and print journals as well as book anthologies, written from 2006-2011.

CACTUS

the cactus plant
outlives and outlasts
even man himself
who then is the master
of the universe

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest
available at Amazon

Tagalog

ang cactus ay

nabubuhay nang matagal

sa tao, sino nga kaya 

higit makapangyarihan

sa mundo

Friendship

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

MORE BILINGUAL POEMS

HAIKU

lack of rain

still no news

of their runaway daughter

Tagalog

kulang sa ulan

wala pa ring balita

lumayas na anak

a fly on top

of the carabao

the mighty one

Tagalog

nakasakay

sa likod ng kalabaw

makapangyarihan

TANKA

from a distance

at the appointed time

I wait for your smile

to bask once more

in your smile

Tagalog

sa abot ng tanaw

at takdang panahon

hintay ang sulyap mo

nang muling mamasdan

ang iyong ngiti

From my book,

Haiku and tanka harvest

Chopped tree

the widower explains

to his visiting son

why he chopped their shade tree

twice there he drawls

I tried to hang myself

In my book,

Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Loneliness

starved for a woman's touch

he indulges in fantasy

and falls prey to a flirt

beneath the cloak of night

alone,he weeps

In my book,

Haiku and Tanka Harvest

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

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

https://www.createspace.com/3737478

Her absence

the silent sound

of her absence

fills our room

only the echoes

of yesterday remain

from my book, 

Haiku and Tanka Harvest

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

https://www.createspace.com/3737478

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

Widower's gardeb

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

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

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

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

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

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

Spring sunshine

spring sunshine
the toothless smile
of a homeless girl

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

Easter Sunday

a morning glory
greets the early dawn
Easter Sunday

from my book,
Haiku and Tanka Harvest

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