Cebu Airport, 0020 Hrs Poem by RIC BASTASA

he must be a jinx

the three women who worked
as domestic helpers in taiwan for two years
with whom he had some
brief conversations about the places to visit in singapore
like sengkang and sembewang
(they were not interested about sentosa at all)
were not allowed to leave
by Immigration

they were loaded with canned goods and noodles
and they were supposed to stay in a cheap hostel
at 20 Singaporean dollars per day

he did not know anymore what happened to them
as he boarded his flight that early dawn

he must be jinx

previously he also talked to two beautiful women
who were supposed to meet their boyfriends in serangoon
(she believed every word that his white boyfriend
told him that he owns a submarine, an airplane
a resort in bali)

she finished her nursing course and works
in a calling center
the other one is a high school teacher
somewhere in Leyte

they were beautiful and young
not really dumb as you may think

they just think that this country is not a good place to make
their hope live some more years
to make their dreams come true in flesh and bones
and with smooth lively
skin