Rainbow and Other Haiku

by


Melchor F. Cichon


All rights reserved. 2008.

For any information, please contact the author melchorcichon@gmail.com


For my wife Pilma D. Cichon


Contents



Introduction

It was summer of 2004 when I became so interested in haiku.
I surfed the internet to see if there are techniques in haiku writing.
There are a lot of them. Many of them contradict each other.
So I just focused on the samples published in the different haiku sites like Heron’s Nest, Tinywords.com and Simply Haiku. I also read the works of Basho, Issa, and those of contemporary haiku poets like Jim Kacian and Christopher Herold. These are some of the haiku poets that have greatly influenced my haiku writing.
Aside from writing haiku in English, I also wrote haiku in Aklanon.
In this collection, I selected those haiku which I believed to be my best, both in English and Aklanon. I wrote these haiku between 2004 and 2008.



Gathering Grains

white moon--
father gathers scattered grains
in the street

Full Moon

the full moon
winks at Kal
in his nipa hut

White Moon

I lose
the white moon
when our car turns to the left

Old Chair

old wooden chair
I used to sit on it
beside my wife


Rainy Season

rainy season
a spoonful of sunshine
between dawn and dusk

Tiny Stars

beside Pilma
tiny stars
in a rippling lake water

Empty Nest


dreams
rest in
their empty nest

Catching Rain

catching
summer rain
with our tongues


Manila Bay

Manila Bay
the sun kisses
the curling sea

Our Bridge

in my room
your lingering perfume
our bridge

Atop A Mountain

atop a mountain
seeing plastics and cans
instead of flying eagles

Homecoming Dove

homecoming dove
the wind is now
lesser under her wings


Early Harvest

all our chickens died
except one
for my birthday

From A Nipa Hut

gray afternoon--
a boy at a nipa hut
smiles at me

After Summer

after summer
my grasses
are still green

Caged Kitten

after lunch
the kitten in a cage
does not feel sleepy

June Rain

after a hard rain
the skies are trapped
in our bedroom

Above Aklan Bridge

plastics
at the river bank
wave to the passengers

Black River

above a bridge
a boy looks down
at the black river

Deepening Night

deepening night
eyelids becoming
heavier and heavier


A Wild Flower

a wild flower
blooms in a cracked
concrete road

A Sign At The Gate

a sign at the gate
of a cemetery
"A Gateway to Heaven"

A Bleeding Night

A bleeding night
approaches
a shining dawn

Nadusmo Si Inday

nadusmo
si Inday
sa Boracay Beach

Lemon Juice

squeezing lemon juice
on a fresh wound--
this full moon

Empty Table

New Moon--
he walks away
from an empty dining table

She Grips My Hand

Sunday afternoon—
she grips my hand
as we cross the city street

Not Today


Friday morning—
a young mother
refuses to bath her first son

[b]New Year's Eve [/b]

New Year's Eve--
deafening sound from
the neighbor's sterio

Rain Forest

rain forest--
seeing the future
in your hands

Keeping Her Nipa Hut

grandma--
sweeping away cobwebs
in her nipa hut

After Christmas Day

the morning after Christmas--
the streets rest
from footprints

Kinayog nga Paeay


kinayog nga paeay--
ag kita tanan hay paeay
matimgas o upa

After Ten Years

after ten years
I embrace
the giant acacia tree


Sa EDSA

Sa Edsa
walang
"Sandali lang!"

Ro Botong

paghawod it botong
ro adlaw
naghayag

Full Moon

full moon,
on a cloudless night,
does not slide anymore in Iloilo River

Sa Ibabaw It Bilbord

ro tatay ag anang ungang maisot
sa ibabaw
it higanteng bilbord

Sa Ibabaw It Sanggutan

ginpatik it oman
ni Tatay Jose ro saeod
kon abu ra sueod

Caged Pigeon

caged pigeon
the chicken wire
slices the skies

Ilang-Ilang

soon someone
will pirate your fragrance
Ilang-Ilang

Sanggutan

sa saeod--
sa kada tueo it tuba
may rebolusyon


Fishing Net

dawn--
he steps over
somebody's fishing net

After The Burial

after the burial--
mourners
look at the prepared merienda

Mosquito

mosquito, do not worry--
my swatting
is my way of loving you

Crossing the Highway

late afternoon--
an old woman crosses alone
a busy highway

July

He lifts me
from the curling
sea

Late Afternoon

a red ant
moves out
of a chicken's shadow

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve--
father erases the blot
on his white t-shirt

Come

children of war
play hide and seek
among the damaged military tanks

Tawaya

gatunod ro buean--
may habatian akong hibayag
halin sa Tawaya

Singa-Singa It Sampaguita

agahon
may nagakamang nga ueod
sa singa-singa it Sampaguita

White Sand

summer--
Boracay’s fine white sand
bathing tourists

Cristina Bugayong

come,
let's hear
Cristina Bugayong's song


Inside A Shuttle Bus

inside a shuttle bus--
scent of a blooming
rafflesia

Between Two Blue Mountains

between two blue mountains
a lone fisherman
in the sea

Flower Horn Fish

flower horn fish--
do your Chinese characters
bring luck to your owner?

May Gaeum Ro Buean

ugsad--
ugaling ginatabunan
it madamoe nga gaeum


A Piece of A Dream

Wowowee...
a piece of a dream
shattered

No Moon

no moon
no stars
after you left me

Boracay Beach

cold wind--
a girl gathers beach grasses
at Boracay Beach


Graduation

finally
father stops
sighing before going to sleep

Leyte Landslide

Leyte landslide--
the rescuers
still seek the school building

All the Flowers

all the flowers
have been kissed by butterflies
but this Sampaguita

Sunset

Sunset--
your shadow
overshadows yourself

Curling Waves

the curling waves
on the shores straighen
for my birthday

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning--
he gathers the sun rays
into his palms

Cool Morning

cool morning--
the smell of garlic bread
reaches the street boy
…..Heron's Nest, vol. viii, no. 1, March 2006, p. 4

Flooded In

flooded in--
he plays chess
against himself

Face Up

face up
on the table--
an open Bible


Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang
Boracay kneels
without question

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve--
I saw Mommy kissing
another Daddy


Income

he earns
less
than she spends in bingo

Four Writers

inside a taxi—
four writers slashing the smoke
in four different ways

Glass Window

rainy afternoon--
she writes a haiku
on the glass window

Not Old

not old
she reminds me
...always refreshed

Once Again

once again
she promises to build bridges
over the unseen rivers

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
watching the tip
of a setting sun... with Bing

Mt Everest

Mt Everest
you are there
not for Pinoy yet

Freezing Winds

freezing winds--
another Pinoy plants his flag
on top of Mt. Everest

Serene Silence

serene silence--
father chisels and planes
the narra woods


Election Time

during elections--
candidates build bridges
over unseen rivers

Honorable Men

after elections--
honorable public officials
no longer honorable

Your Wink


your single wink
keeps me awake
the whole night

Philippine Summer

Philippine Summer--
stone Dr. Jose Rizal
in overcoat

Full Moon

full moon brings out lovers


Old Pond

an old pond--
a young lady jumps in
wow, no hair!

Caged Butterfly

I wish you were
flying freely in my garden--
caged butterfly

Morning Coffee

your eyes
twinkle
in my morning coffee


Last Night's Rain

last night's rain--
floodwater still above the knee
on Calle Real

Late Afternoon

late afternoon--
Anaisa refuses to fetch in
even just for fifteen minutes

Lily

Lily,
out of the water
out of her mind

She Talks All Day

she talks all day
she complains all day
this woman

Overdress

an employee who overdresses
puts on her make-up
wildly

One Tear

one tear of her is enough
to melt
his knees

Sunny Afternoon


sunny afternoon--
narra's shadow
overshadows his shadow

Water Canons

Independence Day--
water canons for rallyists
in Mendiola Bridge

Bluer Moon

summer breeze--
the bluer moon
over the Tagaytay Ridge

Your Smile

inspired by your smile
I forget
my broken heart

Drops of Blood

Sunday afternoon--
drops of blood on the cockpit
all that remain of his pet fighting cock

Losing A Friend

losing a friend
the way the sun
refuses to set

Viewing A Rainbow

viewing a rainbow
over another rainbow
this early morning

After A Fiesta

after a fiesta
fried dried slipmouth
tastes much better now

Rising Sun

rising sun
an army of red ants
at my lovebird's feeder

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
last two petals left
she loves me, she loves me not!

Old School Bag

first school day--
a new set of books
for an old school bag

Termites

inspired by their wings
termites fly towards
the electric bulbs

Rainy Season

rainy season--
he sells chicken eggs
to buy cigarettes

Water Supply Disruption

water supply disruption--
just a pail of water
for a bath

That Moment

that moment
when you suddenly kiss me
behind the door

Rainy Morning

rainy morning--
walking barefooted
in a holey street

Mano-A-Mano

Pacquiao-Larios' Mano-A-Mano
no one fires a gun
today

Birth Anniversary

birth anniversary--
no one places a flower
at his monument in Luneta

On His Death Anniversary

on his death anniversary--
people paraded
in Luneta

Terrorism

terrorism
wakes up
those who are awake

Sunken Moon

she hears
the echo
of a sunken moon

Gray Skies

gray skies--
tonight
I miss the moon man

Oil Spill

suddenly
oil slick covers
the shorelines of Guimaras

Oil Spill

oil spill--
they hang
their beach seines

Her Silence

night strolling
her silence
makes me walk alone

In My Table

fish and rice
become scarer
in my table

August

August--
in my country
crows do not starve

Siren

siren sounded--
another air strike
is coming

Warm Afternoon

warm afternoon
mother crushes between her thumbnails
a red mite

Dusk

dusk--
an old man
plucks a rose bud

Lezo

Lezo
I did not leave you
rising moon

Passing Clouds

passing clouds--
she kisses me
behind the door

SS Yarmouth Castle

from deck to deck
Terry Wise drags away passengers
from the blazing SS Yarmouth Castle

His Steps

following His steps--
I get up
from a slip

Behind His Back

behind His back--
the disciples talk
on who is nearest to Him

Sunday Homily

Sunday homily--
I become
a child again

Glass Window

rainy afternoon--
she writes a haiku
on the glass window

First Night

first night--
the moonlight
enters our hotel room

Casting Net

casting net
into the river—
empty heart


Enrollment Period

enrollment period--
co-workers' promise
to pay the debt on time

Sunrise

sunrise--
she wipes away
Guimaras' tears

Oil Spill

oil spill--
mangrove trees die
leaf by leaf

Waste Pickers

again--
the waste pickers wait
for another garbage truck

Oil Spill

oil spill--
the fragrance
of ripe mangoes

With Pilma Tonight

with Pilma tonight
we create
our full moon

Life in Charcoal

her framed charcoal
brings out
her life

Inch by Inch

the river bank claims
my ricefield
inch by inch

Out of Mind

worker...
out of mind
out of work

Jeepney Ride

two Korean students share
a handkerchief
to cover their noses

Alubihod Beach

missing
ladies in bikini frolicking
at Alubihod Beach, Guimaras

Like Sirius

like Sirius
Fulgencio twinkles
after sunset

Termites

Sunday morning--
a colony of termites
on their way to the books

One, Two, More

one oil coated turtle
two oil coated turtles
...more oil coated turtles

I Will Not Leave You

Guimaras--
I will not leave you
even after sunset

Beneath Guimaras Strait

I miss the moon
beneath Guimaras Strait--
early August

Different Relative

fiesta--
my aunt tells me
to eat in the kitchen

Marilou

mid-afternoon--
Marilou smiles as she gives me
a paracetamol tablet

Juan Plants Trees

Dawn--
Juan plants trees
Pedro cuts them down

Burning House

burning house--
one by one Rona Mahilum rescues
her brother and sister from the inferno

At Last

at last--
after two months
new leaves

Using Her Mouth

using her mouth
she keeps on searching
for the broom

Morning Sunshine

morning sunshine—
three blossoming Sampaguitas
at the waterfront


La Paz Batsoy

simmering
La Paz Batsoy--
quivering grandfather

For A Moment

for a moment
Filipinos are one--
Pacquiao floors Morales

Moonset

moonset--
a firefly rests
on my shoulder

Moonset

moonset--
the fireflies
pierce the darkness

Lanterns

lanterns at the windows--
pomelos hanging
on the street

Nanga Bridge

Philippine life
in the unrepaired
Nanga Bridge

From Baby Powder

from baby powder
to men's perfume
the massage attendant

Dousing Water

moonshine--
dousing water
on our fire

Our Full Moon

through the rooftop hole,
Bing and I create
our full moon

New Hope

New Year--
even the bunker-oil covered seagrass
struggles to grow new leaf

Alone, I Left

alone, I left
alone
I will go home

Exams

exams--
tired of sending money,
go home

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006
alone
with my flower horns

Gourami

gourami--
ginpabay-ang mamaehan
sa eutay

Breaking A Boulder

after breaking a boulder
into stones,
he smiles

Regular Employee II

she comes in
on the dot,
mostly, on the line

Regular Employee

she times out
on the dot, she times in
on the line

Deathbed

deathbed--
buyti eang ako
mabuhi ako

Eutay

tig-ueoean--
sa gihapon
mapilit ro suman

Office Weather

after hurling her papers--
the office weather
gets cool

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang--
it reminds Boracay
to think of Him

Typhoon Reming

windy night--
too many young mango fruits
in the streets

Droplets

imagining
connecting the droplets
on her window

Typhoon Reming

Typhoon Reming--
it leaves
without shedding a tear

No Way Out

Iloilo River--
no way out
from the fish corrals

Mayor's Birthday

mayor's birthday--
the president did not pass
Nanga Bridge

Adlaw It Mga Minatay

Adlaw it mga Minatay--
tuba ag maeam-an
sa altar para kay Tatay

Mudflow

mudflow sa Guinubatan, Albay--
nagtawag si Lola
sa nanay na

Sunbathing

sunbathing--
the crooked shadow
of an open umbrella

My Hair

my hair has whitened
while waiting
for your return

January Breeze

January breeze--
again she tells me
she will retire

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
wishing your lips
were kissing mine

Typhoon Seniang

Typhoon Seniang--
Boracay bites back
to neon lights

Showering Summer

showering summer--
shooting a star
with a bow without an arrow

A Blind Leads

cloudy summer--
a blind woman leads
a normal woman

Your Shadow

high noon--
your shadow
does not touch my shadow

Sun Sets

sun sets--
my misty eyes
seen in your eyes

Fresh Dews

Valentine's Day--
fresh dews
on a fresh red rose

Coffee Break

coffee break--
smell of fresh coffee
in a cup of hot water

Batan Waves

First Night--
the soothing sound
of Batan waves

Election Period

election period--
posters now cover
a clean wall

White Tulips

white tulips--
I closed my eyes
to see your purity

I Face My Shadow

mid-afternoon--
I face
my shadow

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day--
her red t-shirt
is inside out

My Guitar

after planting rice--
I tightened
the strings of my guitar

My Frayed Belt

August--
I tighten
my frayed belt

Misty Morning

misty morning--
all my thoughts
point to my parents

Dawn

dawn--
Sirius lights
my cold bedroom

Moonbeam

moonbeam--
I touch the shadow
as if yours

Sunset

the sun refuses to kiss
the edge
of Manila Bay

Villa Beach

Villa Beach--
rotting plastic bags
waving in the sand

Line by Line

line by line
the waves erase my letter
on the sand

After The Rain

after the rain--
the butterfly flips its wings
and flies again

Brown Out

brown out--
a firefly
enters our home

First Quarter Storm

First Quarter Storm--
the leaves in the university campus
keep on quivering

Full Moon

full moon--
dark clouds
move closely to the moon

Gray Morning

gray morning--
creaking sound
of the bamboos

Angelus

Angelus
praying time...
a nun sleeps on the Abbot's lap

I Sing

I sing
my mother's lullaby
but still my daughter is awake

Early Morning Check-Up

early morning check-up---
the touch of
your healing voice

Sunset

the sun kisses
the edge
of Manila Bay

Low Tide

Low tide--
I hear the first cry
of my first child

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
the setting sun
waves in the sea

Homing Herons

homing herons--
the streets of Kalibo
still filled with dancing tribes

Round Table

a cat looks at me
while a rat eats sauted pork
at the round table

Bush Fire

thick smoke from bush fire
wants to catch the passing moon--
a mongrel dog howls

Morning Star

Sunday morning star--
a boy digs in the lahar
that buried a home

Golden Snails

two golden snails stare
at the two-leaf rice seedlings--
dark clouds loom eastward

Passing Moon

passing full moon looks
back at the golden rice fields--
a spider quivers

March Raindrops

morning rainbow--
March raindrops
cling to the windowpanes

Cracked Ricefields

cracked ricefields--
thin clouds smile
at them

The Spring

late afternoon--
the river
looks back at the spring

Jawili Falls

full moon--
two lovers frolic
under Jawili Falls

Town Swells

after a mountain rain--
the whole town proper swells
like the river

Waving Heat

a young lady
in lettuce bikini--
waving heat in the street


Asiong Aksaya

early misty morning--
Asiong Aksaya encodes ten records
of the same file

This Christmas

this Christmas Eve
nobody sings
but the lizards

Can't Carry His Spoon

he can't carry
his table spoon anymore--
setting sun

White Mountains

125, ooo feet above the skies--
white clouds like mountains
and valleys

Casher's Office

blue skies--
they only have eyes
for cash and figures

Calm Day

calm day--
the rock waits
for the waves

Heron

summer--
the heron thinks
she is bigger than the carabao


Manny Pacquiao-Solis Fight

Manny Pacquiao-Solis fight--
again
no recorded traffic violations today

Two Long Nights

two long nights--
your answer freezes
like the moon in Maeara*

*Maeara is a man-made lake in Lezo, Aklan, Philippines

After Summer

after summer--
brown flood water
rushes to the sea

Cherry Blossom

a cherry blossom falls
in front of a young couple--
a worm wriggles

Philippine Summer

Philippine summer--
raging fury
dry fire hydrant

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday--
Words from the Empty Tomb
for the empty hearts

Holy Friday

Holy Friday--
Mary meets her only Son
on the Cross

Lone Tombstone

blue skies--
blue mountain smiles at
the blue tombstone

Blue Skies

blue skies--
sparrows tweet while picking worms
from acacia blooms

After Katrina

after Katrina--
sunset creates
sky ripples

Beneath a Forest

beneath
a thick forest--
a pathway

Sunset

sunset--
he looks out beyond
the rolling waves

My Eyesight

misty morning-
no one passes this pathway
but my eyesight

Misty Morning

misty morning--
still no shadows
on the pathway

Cool Breeze

cool breeze--
faint Sirius
beneath Pasig River

Falling Star

falling star--
she finally grips
my hand

After Sunset

will you smile
with me
even after sunset?

Bulol

sickbed--
a man pours pig's blood
on the bulol

Linger On

after sunset--
will you linger on with me
till moonshine

Humid Noon

humid noon--
nobody stops by him
but the house fly

Morning Funeral

morning funeral--
the mourners
prefer to walk

Early Dawn

early dawn--
I woke up smiling
again, I saw my parents

Passing Clouds

passing clouds--
the puppy in the barrel
peeps at me

Elections Over

elections over--
candidates' pictures on trees
still smiling

After Elections

after elections--
no quarrels
on money for votes

Crescent Moon

crescent moon--
passing by
my arm-length skies

Mother's Day

Mother's Day--
father does
the laundry today

Election 2007

election 2007--
all trees at the highway
wear propaganda materials

I Kiss the Sun

I kiss the sun
in my room--
summer noon

Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon--
the church bells
keep on ringing

Preserved Turtle

a preserved turtle
looks at me
wherever I go

18 Cakes

18 different cakes
wait
for her 70th birthday

Free Jackfruit

a slice of free jackfruit--
a homeless man eats it
including the seeds

Diwata Ng Dagat

Diwata ng Dagat
knows that a fig leaf
is not enough for her

Wild Fire

wild fire--
a woodpecker
still pecks on an old trunk

Beyond The Bridge

beyond
the broken bridge
another broken bridge

After Her Kiss

early Sunday morning--
after her kiss
another kiss

Nanga Bridge

one year after--
Nanga Bridge still looks at the sign
"Sorry for the Inconvenience"

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge after one year--
the notice: "Sorry for the Inconvenience"
still hangs on the post

Nanga Bridge

Nanga Bridge--
one year after,
still unbridged

Edge of Summer

edge of summer--
the smile
that brings in sea breeze

Brown Out

brown out--
outside the window
the leaves stand still

Ob-Ob Hill

Ob-Ob Hill--
wishing the fishermen
to be in the seas

Blue Skies

blue skies--
the calm seas
still wait for the fishers

Listen

listen...
the white lilies long
for your whisper

Early Summer

early summer
Bing's smiles
bring in a sea breeze

Kalamansi Juice

kalamansi juice--
a black ant
still moving around

Lilies

spring dawn--
on top of a broken aquarium
white stargazer lilies

After Sundown

after sundown--
she picks up
the broken pieces of sun rays

Mossy Fountain

mossy fountain--
slices of a moon
in ripples

Shamrock

Sunday morning--
I kneel to kiss
the shamrock

Loving Her Again

loving her again--
re-reading
her Valentine's card

Sunday Mass

Sunday mass
the cry
of the baby

Windy Afternoon

windy afternoon--
she kisses
a painting on the wall


New Cycle

new cycle--
her hand
reaching His shoulder

Johnson's Blue

please turn to me too
bee--
Johnson's blue

Offbeat

even the sound of the tide
in Libagon Bridge,
offbeat


Mosquitoes

rainy Sunday morning--
mosquitoes take shelter
on my legs

Cash

cash--
the wind comes
the wind goes without notice


Nanny

early morning shower--
Nanny looks at me
wherever I go

*Nanny is the name of a dog of a Japanese haiku poet, Etsuko.

Sunflower Field

Sunflower Field--
Conrad lifts her
to Cloud 10

Heat Wave

visiting again
my old town--
heat wave

First Full Moon

first full moon--
the brightness
of Sirius

(for the people of Trinidad and Tobago)

Afternoon Shower

afternoon shower--
a rainbow appears
in full color

Evening Traffic Jam

evening traffic jam--
the jeepney driver
keeps on scratching his head

Deal Or No Deal

Roadband scam--
P200 M
deal or no deal?

Between Her Ears

between her ears
an empty
shell

Eve of Erap's Decision

Eve of Erap's decision
still the rain
pours into our room

After The Ambush

after the ambush in Basilan--
each one blaming
each other

Clearing Skies 2

clearing skies--
Sunflower walks along
the Boracay Beach

A New Bamboo Sprout

a new bamboo sprout--
a sparrow sings
a new song

Body Bags

Basilan--
when will body bags stop
coming?

Boracay Beach

Boracay Beach--
the blue clouds
cover the setting sun

At The Park

at the park--
a Pinoy picks up
a fallen cherry blossom


Thinning Fog

thinning fog--
a crane calls
for her mate

A Hen Crows Twice

A hen crows
twice--
a moonlight night

I Miss Bing

I miss Bing--
I remember her scrabbing my back
when I took a bath

Ati-Atihan

Ati-Atihan--
all roads end
in Kalibo

A Setting Sun

a grandfather at dusk
watches a setting sun
at Boracay Beach

Forced Retirement

retirement day--
bundles of memo receipts
still waiting for inventory


Crane

thinning fog--
a crane calls
for her mate

November Departs

November departs--
my boss clings
to her chair

House Fire

house fire--
the first fire truck arrives
without water


Atop A Santol Tree

atop a dead santol
a antiyamis
keeps on singing

New Year's Eve

New Year's eve--
atop a dead santol
an antiyamis sings

Mariannete Amper

Sos, ano eon lang ra?
Naghikog si Marianette
Bangod indi makatuon,

Christmas Chill

Christmas Chill in Baguio--
free straw
for a strawberry flavor tahu

Lunch Time

Professional Regulation Commission--
at 11:30 a.m.
the employees start eating their lunch

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve--
Santa goes to Dr. Juan de la Cruz
to check his high blood pressure

Christmas Day

waiting
for Bing to return from Ayala Center
Christmas Day


Tahu Man

Christmas morning--
Sean Marie still waits
for the tahu man

Early Morning Rush

early morning rush--
a passenger jeep
in upside down

He Asks Me

He asks me
to lie down in His green pasture
almost end of summer

Raising Voice

morning talk--
Ana thinks
I can absorb all heat

Ati-Atihan

Edge of Summer

edge of summer--
the dew tightly grips
on the twig

Death

smiling--
Death warmly opens
his door

Death Warmly Opens

Death warmly opens
his door--
smiling

Christmas Day

Christmas Day--
no vacant chair to rest
inside the Mall of Asia

White Hair

more white hair appears
on Anna's head--
New Year

Edge of Summer

edge of summer
our dining table
littered with fallen winged-ants
Crossing a Bamboo Bridge

crossing a bamboo bridge
a father holds
his son's arm

Crossing A Bamboo Bridge 2

crossing a bamboo bridge--
a son holds
his father's arm

End of Work

end of work
he steps down
slowly on the stairs

Wake

wake--
grandma tells me
not to sweep the floor

St. Paul

St. Paul--
the coolness
of the boiling oil

Hand Shaking

hand shaking
my rheumatism
strikes again

In An Old Library

in an old library--
a new friend
I thought I could smile with

Old Library

old library--
one librarian thinks
of mental adequacy

All the Rats

all the rats remain
in this old library
except the maya

New Librarian

new librarian--
I smiled
before he came

Dawn

dawn--
mosquitoes throw
out my haiku

Dawning

dawning--
the smell of bebingka
from our neighbor

After A Shattering Storm

after a shattering storm
the rock
stands still

Sunset

sunset
the ocean
slices the sun

Sunset II

sunset--
our water pump
disconnected

Holy Friday

Holy Friday--
a child tells her grandpa
to knell

Warm Evening

warm evening--
the sound of fallen leaves
of a narra tree

Brown Leaves

narra's brown leaves
settle
on a park car

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday--
the rocks stand still
when He passes by

Papaya 1

Papaya--
bacteria penetrates
her roots

Cool Breeze

cool breeze--
Rizal,Bonifacio
and Teodoro Patino in the library

Papaya

papaya grows in our yard
with arm-length leaves--
shadows all over

Cloudy Skies

cloudy skies--
our new university librarian
develops ulcer

Blue Skies

blue skies--
Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller
and her doll

Dark Clouds

dark clouds
loom
inside the university library

Retirement

retirement--
the weight of the stairs
lingers on my legs

Tirad Pass

Tirad Pass--
the grasses can't stand
still

Inay

Inay,
why are the weeds
overcrowding in our garden?

Ripe Bananas

summer--
ripe bananas
in our mortgaged land

Manny Pacquiao Fight

Manny Pacquiao fight--
no police record
filed

Sampaguita Petal

Pilma drops
a sampaguita petal on my feet--
amihan chill

Katsubong

Light shines on tne bowing
katsubong flower--
Silent Night

At Baywalk

sweet talks
at Baywalk--
Christmas breeze

Morning Bath

morning bath
at a free-flow faucet--
Christmas carol in Pila, Laguna

The Doughman

the doughman smiles
as he prepares the dough--
Christmas at the Mall of Asia

At Baywalk

the flags
fly freely at Baywalk--
Christmas Day

Igorot

tasting
the heritage of the Igorots--
Christmas in Mine's View Park

Christmas in Baguio

thinking
of my home--
Christmas in Baguio


Farther and Farther

farther and farther
away, the swan boat goes--
Christmas in Baguio

Santa Hangs

Santa hangs
on a tree--
Baguio holiday

The Mansion

The hedges separate
The Mansion from its people--
Christmas Holiday

Baguio Chill

Baguio chill--
a blind man
tests his portable organ

My First Hair Cut

For a moment
I thought I feel
lighter

Sampaguita's Branch

at Sampaguita's branch
black ant
crawls fast


After A Day's Toll

After the day's toll
a smile from her
a bark from Bantay--Melchor F. Cichon

Ripples In An Old Creek

summer—
a duck leaves
ripples in an algae-filled creek

Taeabong

magaeum--
ginpakita ku taeabong
ra panit nga maitum

After the Fishing Season

after the fishing season
the cry
of the coral reefs


Lunar Eclipse

Lunar eclipse--
a pregnant mother
refuses to see the moon