A Bolo and A Turkey


Rizal:
without
a head
how long would

Bonifacio:
a
turkey run
after being boloed?

why
must you
insist on boloing

my
bolo demands
fulfillment of desires

like
humans demanding
for ritual blood.

Franklin's
turkeys are
the gastronomic ablutions

frankincense
for wrathful
echoes of divinity.

to
pacify fear
the eclipse within

to
strike against
the inscrutable Fate

to
protect from
constant self delusions.

consumption
of excess
allays and hides

what
rages like
smoke in forests

all
glut is
derived from the

bones
and flesh
of other cultures.

On Being a Crook


Marcos:
I
heard you
are a crook

Nixon:
what?
I am
not a crook!!!

easy,
easy. you
are among friends.

hah!
I left
like an animal

grasping
searching for
the least worthwhile

worried
about trifles
when thinking about

leaving.
living is
such sweet sorrow

and
you? what
about your exile?

I
finally came
home to America.

to
America? I
do not understand.

America
birthplace of
seven deadly sins

don't
blame America
for your greed!

I
do not.
I learned well.

Contemplations on Bullets

Kennedy:
so
you are
also a martyr?

Aquino:
more
than twenty
pierced my skin.

three
high calibered
passed me by

one
is really
all you need.

yours
must have
been a sight

once
fired only
bullets stopped bullets

bullets
ended what
bullets started, poetic…

reality
intruded into
my quiet dance

cha-cha?
I always
wanted to learn!

I
only dance
with my wife.

The Center of Gravities of Tatooes


Marcos:
shhhh
she's reading
gravities of center

Aquino:
is
she performing
anthropological once more?

not
yet. it's
about some guy

who
wants to
take and take

but
does not
give in return.

tatooes
attract them
far and wide

like
moths to
Stygian dancing flame

seekers
of truth
in many forms

but
truth is
trans-uranic in nature

glowing
brightly but
for a millisecond

trailing
paths obscured
by liquid nitrogen.

wait,
she reads
from the poem

she
scares me
when she reads.

she
scares me,
when she reads.

On Filipinos


Nixon:
why
do we
speak like this

Kennedy:
we
exist in
a Filipino's dream.

filipinos
voted for
me in California

filipinos
make such
nice domestic help.

filipino
stewards serve
excellent coffee in

the
White House,
but there was

one
steward who
threw chairs across

the
parquet floors!
He scratched it

during
the 1950's,
in Ike's years!

did
you know
the filipino steward?

very
respectful, always
with a SIR

why
throw chairs
instead of cha-cha?

he
wanted to
be back home

home
or the
white house? Insanity!

he
dances cha-cha
with his wife.

The World (of) Order by Americans


Aquino:
tell
me something,
will you manong?

Marcos:
what
is it
now? your daughter?

why
do americans
love flags more...

than
women homosexuals
blacks yellows browns.

yes!
I must
be too blind

all
they care
about is money.

but
constitutional amendments
are being changed

it
all comes
down to money

and
you would
know about money

of
course! I
am an American!

I
still do
not see what

the
attraction is:
power and glory

that
fleets so
quickly like life

if
you have
enough of one

what?
what can
you create, accomplish?

I
am American:
Dead yet inspiring!

you
inspire fear
resentment anger hate

beneath
it all:
being the best!

enough
of you.
the Americans are

mystical,
powerful yet
awefully flawed in

morals?
not that
easy. They are

believers
in their
agency, their destiny.

so
contradictory in
actions and policy

don't
you see?
strength beauty omniscience

Questions
dilemma paradox,
The cruelest joke.

like
my end,
the cruelest joke.

Jose & Andres Go to the Karinderia


Rizal:
hurry
up will
you? we're late.

Bonifacio:
who
had to
clean a fedora?

I
want to
make an impression.

impress
who? them?
we are heroes!

so
are they.
at least some.

I
was martyred
by that bastard.

wait,
is aguinaldo
in the group?

I
hope not!
he deserves oblivion.

you
are so
harsh to him.

he
sent his
henchmen to do it!

he
was busy
running the government.

he
had no
respect for anyone.

the
invitation does
not name him.

good!
did you
bring the tuba?

may duwendeng naglalaro

may
duwendeng nagtatago
naglalaro sa kompyuter

lagi
na lang
tumutuldok ang makinilya

handaan
ko kaya
siya ng pagkain

titigil
kaya ang
kanyang pagbisita rito

The Fallen Angel

Marcos:.................................Aquino:

See
what did
I tell you
........................................................that
........................................................she's the
........................................................fallen angel savant

not
angel savant
a great avant

........................................................hmmm,
........................................................feels like
........................................................a post avant

just
go with
me on this

........................................................then
........................................................you are
........................................................the people's hero

Marcos:……………………..Aquino:



see
there, right
there, I tried…

………………………………………to
………………………………………make the
………………………………………world a better

place.
yes! of
course that's it

………………………………………then
………………………………………how come
………………………………………it's not better

well
i didn't
have enough time

………………………………………what?
………………………………………you had
………………………………………twenty years, twenty!

my
son would
have continued it

………………………………………no!
………………………………………not for
………………………………………another twenty years

Marcos:.......................Aquino:

look,
it's not
that I'm complaining

...................................................yes
...................................................it is
...................................................you always complain

you
undid everything
I had created

....................................................(snorts)
....................................................yeah, thanks
....................................................for grooming Erap

blame
me for
enrile, not erap

.....................................................don't
.....................................................get me
.....................................................started on kudetas

i
never endorsed
kudetas by anyone

......................................................you
......................................................just made
......................................................the military learn

when
will you
forgive my faults

......................................................when
......................................................our politicians
......................................................learn about truth

Juan Tamad

why
does mother
shout at me

when
i sit
under the tree

newton
did it
and discovered gravity

Unang Subok

Neneng,
Pasubok ngang
magsulat ng tula

Ah,
ganire
pala itong hay(naku)

Para
bagang isang
malamig na batis