Last Night I Wrote A Poem In My Visayan Language Poem by RIC BASTASA

it was only for me
visayan lines
flowers i pick
from my own garden
only for me
to see to smell to smash

not for the world
my mumblings
murmurs
of my homegrown
longings

finally, seeing selfishness
having tendrils
and roots in my hands and feet
i deleted it
early in the morning
nipping it in the bud
the eyes of my prison

i open the window
to the language
of the world, so you can see
so you can come inside me

welcome welcome welcome
the tower of babel has fallen