D11 Poem by RIC BASTASA

by the way,
there is a difference between biting nails
and cutting them...

it is not the ball game that you see
when you bite your nails
it is the little child in you at that moment
when mama scolded you because you did not
following her instructions
to take the bath beside the well
at 4 o'clock in the morning
when you climb the balimbing tree instead
to pick some fruits
and you fell down
and injured your knee &
wounded the left side of your thigh
and you in fact
lost consciousness
and regained it only
in the hospital of that
little town
where your Papa was born

cutting the nails is another

it is not the hygiene that you have in your mind
it was what you did
that Monday night when you were so angry
at yourself
and on that Tuesday morning
while you were having
breakfast alone in your
condominium
you received the news
from the province that your
Mama passed away.