RIC S. BASTASA

cousin lauro need not complain
about obituaries
i am tired of his myriad pretenses
this time he says he does not know the address
neither the time of the funeral,
baloney, i sent him the notice two days ago
when he said he was in Tacloban attending
to a business meeting, urgent as it was,
now his baby is sick
but alberto's funeral pushes through
in the rain, black umbrellas open
lauro is not here again
perhaps, he is dead, somehow, we wish
for his uncalled for
indifference.