77 Poem by RIC BASTASA

77



actually i do not talk much about this and that

if you ask me now, this moment, forgive me but i am ready
with a sack
of lies filled with rice grains of excuses to feed my
hunger for truth, sorry

but i need to feed my lean days and you will see
how hard it is when summer comes
with nothing but tin roof on our heads
for shelter,

hot we are familiar about what hot is,
how hot is it when we mean hot
this Philippine summer
in this city
and you must not have the nerve to tell me
to cool my skin
like i am your tamed reptile
a snake perhaps or the turtle that you once knew me to be,

time has changed my shape and way of looking
at the river
you do not know how i have made ties with the frogs
wishing for the heron to come to eat us
and we learned our lesson so well,

we made more slime, and poisonous
tumors in our skins to protect us, they tell you this story
i was there then
and compromised a little with how my life has to be managed,

chameleon, iguana, hot days, sandstorms, some easy preys
to our feeding times,
dark lonely nights with the timid moon
heavy rains at times and flood that
forced us to stay on cliffs
for months, i have learned these all

years, we have not met and one day
we meet again on the hills filled with flowers
and friendly air,

you are so confident, and you touch me
but i am already harmful,
the way i make you feel
sends you the signals of second thoughts
there is a little distance
between you and me
and in between is the doubt and questions

you touch me again
i feel so cold and you felt the danger of this reptile

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RIC BASTASA

RIC BASTASA

Philippines
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