To Every Agoraphobic Who's Trying to Be Brave

I drank coffee outside today

With burnt toast on the side

And the sun on my face

It was dreadful; I was exposed

Anyone could walk by and see

The me I was not prepared to show

But the wind felt good on my hair

And music was calming company

So I gulped down the fear

And asked the flitting little bird

To lend me some courage to face the world

Memories of a Dragonfly

There's a dragonfly zooming around as I'm drinking coffee.

Haven't seen one in a long time.

My last vivid memory was when I was a child playing in our neighborhood.

I caught a dragonfly and pulled its wings out one by one.

Then I caught another.

And another.

And another.

All the while I was giggling.

Fascinated.

Entranced.

For the Boy Whose Name Holds Spring

Sunshine in your smile

Starlight in your eyes

Ocean waves in your hair

A galaxy in your palm

Precious,

Now that you're with the stars,

Though our nights remain cold,

I hope you shine brighter

Are warmer

Finally content among the solace

Of the constellations

###

For Haruma Miura.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow

You will do it

Tomorrow

You'll be great

Tomorrow

You will find

Enough strength to create

Don't cry,

Dear one,

For the spoiled chances

Of today

I'm sure tomorrow

The morning birds will sing

For you to become something

The Faults of Modern Aegis

Drowning in the comforts

You imprisoned yourself in,

You see nothing else

Beyond towers of luxuries

And mobile alerts for food deliveries

You think you're untouchable

Because commodities are always available

But you go to bed

With heartbeat thumping loud,

Dread swallowing you whole

You're okay, right?

Everything's okay.

Just okay.

As you blast that AC today,

You take the time to use

Your temporary unlimited data

And peek outside your feeble walls

And you begin to fear

How much longer

Can your modern fortress hold?

Ingat, Halong, Amping

We've said "ingat," "halong," "amping" instead of "goodbye" to friends and loved ones years before the covid pandemic. But it has borne a heavier, deeper sentiment the moment Duterte is sworn into presidency. I remember reading, at the start of his term, about people who lived through the Marcos dictatorship, saying they fear it will be Martial Law once again. That was disturbing. Now, just a few days ago, Sotto was quoted saying there won't be a need for Martial Law when the Anti-Terrorism Bill is passed. Doesn't that say much about their real intention in drafting this Terror Bill?

We continue living our sheltered lives in eerie calmness while thousands are robbed the right to say "ingat" to their loved ones one last time. We've been living in fear all this time as greedy politicians destroy our country from the inside while giving away our sovereignty to imperialists left and right. Can you really say you live free when you craft your words, actions, opinions to appease those in power? Because mere dissent can cause you your life?

This year's June 12 doesn't inspire poetry nor nostalgia about hard-fought independence nor fiery national pride. But there's a spark of wrath slowly building inside the people who have been used and prostituted long enough. There's a glimmer of hope that true patriotism (untainted by blind allegiance to political oligarchs or manipulative politicians) is not totally snuffed out from the people's core.

So what I'm trying to say is fuck the Terror Bill.

Oh and Happy Independence Day, I guess.

Pagod Ngunit Patuloy na Lalaban

Bakit ba tayo umaasa na gagawin ng self-serving politicians at government officials kung ano ang nakakabuti sa masang Pilipino? Lahat sila trapo. Lahat sila tuta. Lahat sila pansariling interes ang priority at hindi ang mga Pilipino na siyang tunay na dapat pagsilbihan nila.

Patuloy tayong ginagago, at patuloy din tayo umu-oo't nagpapagago. Wala tayong ginagawa kasi "ganyan talaga eh, ano pa bang maaasahan mo?" No. Break free from that way of thinking. Let's not stay complacent. Let's practice the culture of demanding accountability and competence from the politicians we put in those positions to serve us.

Why should we tiptoe around them? Why should we be afraid to offend them? They should be ashamed for disappointing us, for letting this evil proliferate, for turning a blind eye on extra-judicial abuses and killings, for being anti-poor, for letting one man dissolve the separation of powers, for allowing a dictator to terrorize the masses, for letting our sovereignty be threatened by foreign bullies. Walang hustisya sa bansang 'to. Walang accountability. Let's not keep it that way.

Let's stop tolerating incompetence, injustice, and bullshit from the government. Let's use our voices to speak up for ourselves and our country -- and especially for the unheard. Let's speak up so that all politicians and government officials know we're fed up. We're angry. We're watching. And there will be a reckoning.