Noknok

When the earth is dark and calm,

And all the birds are home;

Settled closely on the palm,

Watching the grass owls roam, 

A shadow will disappear, 

From the door by the rear.

The moon coyly rises up,

And beams over the daisy;

Father idly takes his cup 

And snores before the TV,

While his sneaky little lad,

Dips his barefoot in the mud.

Look for him in the meadow,

You'll find him in the pond,

Biting a leaf of coco,

With a snail in his hand;

Coax him to hurry to bed, 

He'll only shake his head.

He'll come home when Venus burns,

And falls asleep on the stair,

His ankles plastered with ferns,

And dewdrops sit on his hair;

He'll dream of bugs and mice,

Till earth lifts up her chalice.

 

Himno sang mga Retirado nga Manunudlo sa Tigbauan

 Ang amon kabuhi, bulak ang katulad,

Madugay nga panahon nga nagpamukadkad;

Bisan nga marugon ang mga sinipad,

May diutay nga binhi, mabilin nga halad.

Binhi sang paglaum ang amon nga handum,

Nga buot ipanggas sa pihak sang kadulom; 

Agud henerasyon nga bulos sa amon,

Padayon itib-ong mga damgo namon.

Bisan ang pagtunod nagahilapit na,

Serbisyo sa banwa ginatinguha pa;

Amon panindugan, matarong dampigan ,

Modelong sulundan sang mga kabataan.

Amon ginadamgo, magmadinalag-on, 

Iwagan ang tao nga mangin mapuslanon;

Agud pagtaliwan sa dutang luha-an,

Mga binuhatan, tumbas ang bulawan. 

(tune: Cierta Flor Silvestre | Bulak nga Ilahas )

Bosom Friend

We were partners in Maytime "halad" when we were kids,
We played with her toys and cuddled her doll with blinking eyelids; 
We huddled behind the ruins of the church and munched butungbutung, 
Then tried to forget our toothache by singing a funny song.

We were classmates in high school when we were in our teens,
We formed D' Beatniks, a gang of unique imaginary siblings;
She fondly called me by my home pet name "Nene", 
I sweetly addressed her with endearing nickname "Inday".

We enjoyed the jam sessions on our birthdays,
We watched Tagalog movies together on Saturdays and holidays;
We invented our own exclusive system of writing, 
And created original jokes, expressions and style of lettering.

We coined coded words known to us only, 
We modified songs or revised them to sound funny;
We were tandem in making childish pranks and petty mischiefs,
Had same food, secrets, boy friends (not boyfriends), girl friends and beliefs.

We were schoolmates and boardmates when in college ,
We attended ballroom dances and every school celebration;
We finished a teaching course and embraced the teaching profession, 
And had same number of scion in our marital union.

We happily reminisced our heyday every class reunion,
We cherished each fragment of our yesterday like precious token; 
Through time and space, the bond of friendship remained unbroken,
Because genuine friends are indeed blessed in heaven.

Now, we are torn apart by inevitable destiny,
I lean over her cold casket, mournful and heartbroken;
In my heart, I tenderly clasp every bit of a treasured memory,
Of an unforgettable, beautiful, and  unfading friendship with Girlie.

Sunset

Let us behold the setting sun,
With a light heart and bit of fun;
With canes, crutches or holding hands,
Watch its glorious rays that stun.

Think of the sun as our Dear Lord,
Returning to His great abode;
And soon, we'll tug behind like horde,
To rest at the end of the road.

What magnificent sight to see,
The sun glow like the Almighty;
With open arms, waiting tenderly,
Welcoming each soul that's weary.

As toward the sunset we are near,
Drive away sadness, fret or fear;
Spend your remaining time in cheer,
Amidst friends and loved ones so dear.

Live not in the past for it's gone, 
Don't worry 'bout days still undone;
Treasure today second to none,
Share it freely with everyone.

Spare your greatest doings,
For fellowmen, friends or siblings;
Empty your heart of hateful feelings,
Sunset is time for reckoning!

Paghinunod

Atubangon naton ang paghinunod,
Sing may kalipay kag kabakod;

Nagakambitanay  ukon nagasungkod,

Bantayan ta ang adlaw sa pagtunod.

Isipon nga ini ang Amay naton,

Nga nagapauli sa puluy-an nga langitnon;

Kag  kita, nagasunod agud papahuwayon,

Matapos ang makapoy nga panglakaton. 

Sa pagkatahum sang adlaw tulukon,

Daw Dios, nagabanaag, humlad ang mga butkon;

Handa sa pag-abiabi kag pagbaton 

Malulo nga nagahulat sa pag-abot naton.

Kag samtang padulong sa paghinunod,

Ipaiway ang kahadlok kag kalisod;

Ihinguyang ang bilin nga tion nga 'gakamudmod,

Sa pagkalipay sing ululupod.

Indi pagkanuguni ang kahapon kay tapos na,

Hinugay palibog sang buas kay wala pa;

Karon ang tion nga atubangon ta,

Kalitan kag himuslan kay ari pa kita. 

Ipaambit ang lubos nga pagpalangga,

Sa mga kaupod kag mga himata;

Likawan ang pag-ugtas kag pagkagha,

Kay ang paghinunod, tion sang malinong nga hunahuna.
                                                                                             

MATEMATIKA

Sang mabun-ag ako sining kalibutan,

Ginpagkit ni Nanay agud indi malipatan

Ang pat-od nga petsa sang akon kaadlawan 

Sa takop sang amon antigo nga kaban.

Karon, sa tagsa ko ini masiplatan,

Nagalabay sa akon nga panumduman,

Ang kabuhi, malip-ot  o  malawig man,

Numero ang panugod kag katapusan.

Ang kabuhi human sa matematika,

Kay maghalin sa pagkabugtaw mo sa aga,

Tanan nga hulag kag obra ginakwenta,

Kalkulado mga oras kag distansya.

Madamo ang indi sa matematika,

Kay ang numero mabudlay imemorya;

Apang dumduma ang iya importansya,

Kay iloy ini sang tanan nga siyensya.

Kon ang matematika bale-walaon,

Indi gid mag-uswag ang aton nga nasyon;

Mangin kinaradto ang sibilisasyon,

Pierde kita sa global nga kompetisyon.

Nagkiwi ang piramida sang Ehipto,

Kon ang kalkulasyon sadto indi  husto;

Ang musika indi magsanto ang tempo,

Kon indi tungod sa kumpas nga de numero.

Bisan ang binalaybay gani, may metro,

Kag ang inoras ginasukol sa segundo;

Matematika - gamit sa pag-imbento,

Kag pagtuon sang bug-os nga uniberso.

Kinahanglan gid ang matematika,

Nga ginatawag, "eksakto nga siyensya";

Para gid sa tanan nga mga tinuga,

Kay bisan damang, nagatakos kang lawa na!

Gani kita tanan dapat manuto na, 

Matemateka, padalman sang pensada;

Agud mangin bansagon man ang pungsod ta

Sa patag sang binag-ong teknolohiya.

 

 

My Foreign Tongue

They call my spoken words "slang"
I aspirate my 't's  and stretch my  'e's;
I  sound the schwa and speak with a twang,
I  chatter like a bird in my foreign tongue.

I  tell the world of my stories of old,
My pains, my ills, my grief untold; 
They heard of me like bells that rang, 
Through my glib foreign tongue. 

I break the news, I squeal the truth 
I echo the cry for justice so long; 
I whisper my love, I shout my demand, 
I claim the rights, to my people belong. 

I air my gripes, I plead for peace, 
I  speak my mind, my pleasures I release;
Ideas unheard, I express with grace, 
In my foreign tongue I speak with ease.

 
I talk to the breeze, 

Far across and over the seas; 
I lull the song my folks have sung, 
In  my borrowed foreign tongue. 

The door before me, 

My folks close with a bang; 
They call me fool, my past I flung, 
Because I speak in a foreign tongue. 

But if I speak not in my foreign tongue, 

The lyre of my people shall never be strummed;
My life's sweet symphony shall remain unsung,
For in my native tongue, the world is dumb. 

May the anitos of my forefathers forgive me,
I use my foreign tongue not because of loyalty; 
I did because I must, out of necessity, 
Or else, my voice shall be doomed to obscurity.