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7.28.2005

Paper Cup

Paper Cup

Do not pour passion into a paper cup,
you risk burning away
its flimsy core of pulp.

Do not cling or become attached,
my purpose is clear---
to deliver but a single serving of joy
to your lips.

For paper cups,
promises do not hold water
inasmuch as we weren't built strong enough
to make promises
much more carry them through.

So forgive me
if I’m the one leaving you crushed,
I should have warned you:
paper cups are only good for vending machine love.

Stephie
7.28.05

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White Flag

*Para sa angel kong si Francis, hanggang sa muling pag kampay. Salamat sa lahat ng payo, paalala at suporta. God Bless You.

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Sa Dalampasigan


ni enrico c. torralba

Lunggati ng aking isipan at puso
Sa dalampasigan ay muling yumapak,
Yumakap sa himig at mga pangarap
Na alay ng alon at hele ng simoy.

Sa tagpuang ito ng duya't pangarap
Malimit bumulong ng awit ang simoy,
Puno ng anyayang mag-iwan ng yapak
Sa sinapupunan ng laot at puso.

Dama ang balanggot kapag nakayapak,
Pati ang taklobong nais magsapuso
Ng mithi kong sundan ang laro ng simoy
Sa mga naglayag at mga nangarap.

At kung sakali man mag-iba ang simoy,
Hindi maliligaw ang mga pangarap,
Hindi mababasag sa bato ang puso,
Tuluyang mabura ang nilikhang yapak

Sapagkat ang tibok ng puso't pangarap,
Kandili ng simoy at naiwang yapak.

allvoices

7.27.2005

Pulang Tula



Tanghaling tapat.

Nag uunahang pumatak ang luha ko sa nakabukas na pahina ng notebook. Nagsusulat ako ng tula at pula ang panulat na gamit ko. Eto ngayon, basang basa ng luha, kumalat ang tintang pula sa papel.

Isang lawa nang pula, nilamon ang mga linyang nais ko sanang isulat. Paano ko tatapusin ang tula ngayong iniwan na ako ng taong naghatid sa akin sa panulaan? Pasasalamat pa naman dahil napili akong PP poet of the month for August. Dahil sa'yo kaya ako nandito, dahil tinugon ko ang paanyaya mo na muli kong pakinggan ang tawag ng panulaan.

At ngayon ito?

Sana hindi dito matapos ang pagkakaibigan natin. Sana hindi dito matapos ang pagmamahal mo sa tula at sa buhay. At sana mahinto na rin ang pagpatak ng mga luha ko sa pahina ng di matatapos at nagdurugong tula.

allvoices

7.22.2005

Lavender Water

Lavender Water
A spray on linen sheets,
pressed sweetness passed on to dreams
Light floral notes tucked under pillows,
scented letters remembered in sleep.

Stephie
7.22.05

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7.21.2005

Larawan

LARAWAN
May mga litratong kailanma'y
hindi isisilang sa liwanag--
mga tagpong isa-isa kong pinilas
mula sa aklat ng nakaraan,
pinag-ingatang ipunin at pagtagni-tagniin
upang ika’y mailarawan:

Tatlong puting rosas sa mesita.
Mainit na sopas kung ako’y nilalagnat.
Halik na tumutuyo sa aking mga luha.
Pagsundo kahit kasagsagan ng baha.
Pakikipaghuntahan kina itay at kuya.
Siyam na gabing pagsisimba.



Ganito kita nais maalala mahal,
at hindi kung paano ka nila ipinipinta.
Sa sinasabi ng ibang nag aanyong halimaw ka na
sa kagaspangan ng iyong mga gawi at pananalita,
ayaw nitong puso kong maniwala.

Mariin kong ipipikit ang mga mata,
at sa lambong ng pagkukunwari'y
mamasdan ang larawan sa gunita---
ang ikaw na una kong nakilala

Masisisi mo ba ako kung piliin kong
wag nang dumilat pa?

stephie
7.17.05

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Collaborative Haiga in English


You two need to sign your names on this. i love it!
Robert Wilson, editor Simply Haiku

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7.19.2005

Haiku Princess


*thanks Francis, I felt like a Princess for a day.

Hi!
Hi there,
My Haiku princess.
Your words are limited
to your world,
Of nature not gesture,
Of lines not bylines.

Hi!
My Haiku princess.
Just hoping
You wont limit
your words
to reach my world.

Kiko, 7/19/05 ( for Angel 24/7)

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7.18.2005

Swan Song


"When I leave PP, will you also write a senryu for me?"-Mitz


white kimono--
a swan walks down the aisle
singing

stephie
7.18.05

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7.15.2005

HAIGA



Collaborative haiga with my Kuya Jheric. Galing ning picture niya noh? Napatula tuloy ako. Hehe.

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Alay kay Diego


I though this would be a fitting tribute. Its a senryu.

thought sparks
leave this candle burning

at both ends

steph
7.15.05



hi steph,

please don't be sad that i left PP. i am just too busy with everything else going on in my life. i am glad that i have somehow inspired and encouraged you to write more.

keep on writing. please be rest assured that this is not goodbye.

be well,


diego

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7.14.2005

WALANG PAALAM


Tula
ang iiwan mong alaala,
mga salitang naipunla sa aking pagkatao'y
kusang sinibulan ng anyo at hubog
kumislot, huminga.

Buhay
ang mga katagang nailimbag
punumpuno ng saya at luha
sari-saring kulay
mga yugto ng iyong buhay
naitala sa sukat at tugma.

Huhugutin
mula sa balon ng gunita
muling babasahin
nanamnamin ang himig sa bawat titik
at hahanapin ang init ng haplos
ng matalinhagang diwa
habang ika'y wala

Walang paalam sa isang makata.


Anne Stephanie Cruz
July 14, 2005

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7.13.2005

Pinoypoets Rengga: FROTH

**Rengga nina Ani, Jojo, Steph, Claire, Rhodge, Mr. Batutz at ang napadaan na si Mitz at papa nyang si Vin na birthday pala kagabi.

Something arises
from a cup of coffee tonight,
not only the steam that climbed
with the smoke from your cigarette

Here,too, do your senses converge
on a spot above your cup
where mist mixes with metaphors
and the mind streams with ideas--
thought bubbles frothing rich brown

Let us all sip, puff, think and write;
witness caffeine and nicotine
rape your barren unconscious.

Starbucks Shangri-la
July 12, 2005

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7.12.2005

Mga Haikung Pasaway


i.
nautilus:
a heart afloat at sea
with no vacancy.

ii.
a mighty bullfrog
belting out a pond song,
croaks his last

iii.
a catterpillar
overstuffed with spring greens
paints the town red

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7.11.2005

Simple Pleasures


*para kay ani. Sana senryu ito, hehe!

life's simple pleasures:
a twenty-minute massage;
love, without pressure

steph
7.09.05
starbucks emerald ave

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7.07.2005

Short Flower Poems


I dare not call them haiku, just short poems about blooms.

Daffodils

*para kay Mahal kong Xam

between blanks
your bound fingers
trace daffodils

Sakura

*for Jheric and Cherry

heart and soul
a cherry blossom falls
spellbound

Wisteria

* for Francis

on display today:
weeping buds, purplish blue--
your heart on her sleeves


stephie

7.7.05

*he's one of the reasons I keep writing...

wrote:

hi ms. anne stephanie, these haikus are really nice. ang paborito ko dito ay daffodils. very profound. sakura is ok lang. wysteria is also good (which reminds me there is a famous painting called wysteria. if i remember correctly, it looks like stained-glass).

diegoberrioscanto

allvoices

7.06.2005

Kowtow


Head bowed,
gaze kept low
I humbly submit
consecrating myself
to worship and obey--
to please no one but you.

stephie

allvoices

7.05.2005

Wake Up Call


Crash landed to bed Friday night, I was hoping for long, blissful hours of sleep. I had said goodnight to family and friends, dimmed the lights and lulled myself out of mental activity with Jewel's foolish games playing and replaying in my head.

I was a thread away from deep slumber, somewhere between being half awake and jumping off the cliff to neverland, when my cellphone started ringing. I would have ignored it but the fact that I live apart from my dad and kid brother prompted me to think that it might be an emergency.

Groggily, and without even bothering to open my eyes, I picked up the call. I felt the color drain off my face when I heard the voice on the other line. This must be how Ebeneezer Scrooge felt like when he was visited by the ghost of christmas past. My pulse raced and my heart thumped inside my ribcage. How did you find me? After five long months, why bother to look for me?

Flashback to the days when sun cellular's 24/7 still worked.

Regardless of how late I turned in the previous night, I would promptly give you your six a.m. wake up call. Deep sleeper that you are, it would normally take me 30 minutes to an hour to rouse you from sleep. This daily ritual equalled to bonding time and bedroom talk rolled into one.

Given your unpredictable schedule and field assignments, its impossible to tell when the next text message or phone call would be. These wake up calls are our only time to talk about everything-- plan the next date, bitch about work, laugh at crazy stories as the faint morning sunlight streamed through my window.

No, we never exchanged I love you's at the end of every conversation. You weren't the lovey-dovey type, you would always tell me, just like you weren't one who believed in exclusivity and commitment. What were we then? Very good friends who treated each other really well, you said. In other words, Friends with Benefits.

(This meant you were free to play the field and at the same time act like an ogre whenever a guy showed the slightest hint of interest in me. Remember that one you were sorely jealous about? I hate to break it to you mahal, but he's gay and was always laughing behind your back for being so obviously miffed at him.)

Wake up call after wake up call was made and concluded. Several months after I felt this freedom in the form of tears stinging my eyes. Mr.-No-Commitment, the elusive bachelor, was finally tied down, but not to me. That was the end of the conversation. I had just become a dropped call.

Flashforward to 11 pm Friday night.

For the life of me I could not understand why you went to great lengths to look for my new number. Why you were suddenly so concerned that you have disturbed my peaceful sleep and robbed me off precious rest.

"Sorry for the wake up call, I just wanted to see how you've been".

Oh, so you and girl are now an uncouple. Is there no one to wake you up at six tomorrow?

"Yes I'm doing well, thanks for the call. But it's late, I'm afraid I would have to let you go now. Oh, no it's okay, you didn't wake me up."

Click.

I didn't lie. You can't wake up someone who's no longer dreaming.

allvoices

Haiku



Subok uli...never say die. makukuha ko rin ito someday. :)

i.

dewdrops freezing
cracked glass windows
mourning spring's passing

ii.
a duck sits
on a lonely pond
waiting for ripples

iii.
morning fog creeps
kissing sunlight
fading in the embrace

allvoices

7.04.2005

Conspiracy

by Andoy, Mitz, Steph and Bambina posted 4 July 2005

Rolling through landscapes lost,
smoky eyes in a dark red-lit room,
cacophony of white noise foiled against
distinct syllables of poems newly writ.

Listening to echoes of words ghosting by
entwining, undulating like twin snakes--
verses birthed in a flash of lightning
swallowed by silence,
slithering slowly out from its hollow
like notes from an indian's flute.

Tonight, we conspire to write.

allvoices