There Are No Trees in Heaven

It's Christmas all over the world, I know. It's the time of the year when children are supposed to receive gifts, when godparents are too busy looking for the perfect presents, when people are helping and loving each other more, and a lot of other things that will remind you of the Yuletide season. But fate struck once again, in a way that Christmas will truly be unforgettable for Filipinos.

December 17, 2011, Typhoon Sendong hit Cagayan de Oro, taking more than 1,400 lives. And the culprit? Illegal loggers. We all know the essential role that trees play in our environment, don't we? But I guess, we will never learn. Or maybe, we have to learn it the hard way.

Watching TV, knowing that the number of people who died from the typhoon has increased, realizing how the supposed-to-be-festive celebration turned out into a disastrous event, made me look to Cartoon Network, hoping that the Power Puff Girls would really save the day. I am a bit of an escapist, really. But I do know that seeing them defeat Mojo Jojo doesn't change the fact that it's not a merry Christmas for all.

My family and I are living in a bungalow house, and the place we're living in sometimes gets flooded, that's why I know how it feels. But it's not on par with what had happened in Mindanao. What we experienced during 'Ondoy' was, for me, a tragedy, but what Sendong did to Cagayan de Oro made a mark in the Philippine history.

I feel sorry for the flood victims who lost their homes and their loved ones. I know that their Noche Buena will never be the same again. Let us just look on the bright side. Jesus chose to celebrate His birthday with them in heaven.

May the catastrophe serve as a wake-up call for all of us. Just like all mothers, Mother Earth loses her patience, too. But the sad part is, her vengeance killed even the innocents. I am hoping that as we get another year older, we'll become more mature and responsible enough to care for our country. The Philippines has 7,107 islands, do we want it to be a used-to-be?

Ayoko sa Pangarap

Naglalakad sa kanto,
Didiretso sa bahay
Sinipa ang bato
Alam kong walang naghihintay

Nasulyapan ang telepono
Biglang bagsak ng mga luha ko
Matutulog nang maaga
Bukas paggising ko, limot ka na

Hinatak ko ang kumot
Niyakap ko ang unan
Pinipilit makalimot
Aabutin yata ng walang hanggan

Sumilip sa labas
Buti pa ang gabi, maaliwalas
‘Di tulad ng isip ko
Binabalik-balikan pa ang mga alaala mo

Nakita ko yata ang iyong mukha
Ngunit dagling nagtago sa ulap
Kahit sa imahinasyo’y lumalayo ka
Paano ko sisimulang mangarap?

Kung doon lang kita makakasama
At mamahalin mo ako sa tuwina
Pero alam kong lahat ay pagpapanggap
Hindi na lang siguro ako mangangarap

Hanggang tanaw lang.

Kartuns

Nang magkatinginan kaming dalawa,
Siya 'yung nakita ko.
Pero siya, baka si Sakura.
Hindi ako.

Minsan nung nagkekwentuhan kami,
May binanggit siyang pangalan ng babae.
Narinig kong umiyak 'yung puso ko.
Grabe, parang si Mojaru sa Mojacko.

Napapangiti ako kapag ngumingiti siya.
Nahawa na 'ata ako kay Spongebob.
O baka sa aming dalawa,
Ako 'yung mas mukhang tanga.

Gusto kong mag-ala-Shinichi o Conan
Para lang malaman
Kung may nararamdaman ba siya kahit kaunti,
Kung iniisip din ba niya ako palagi.

Hindi siya kasing gwapo ni Goku, ni Tamahome, o ni Eugene
Pero hindi ko alam kung ba't ganito ang epekto niya sa akin
Hindi rin naman ako kahawig ni Chi-Chi, ni Miaka, o ni Jenny
Kaya hindi na ako magpapaka-choosy.

Kung tutuusin, para siyang si Nobita.
Hindi 'yung tipo niya ang pinangarap kong makasama.
Mas bulag yata ako kaysa sa pag-ibig.
Sana lang talaga hindi ako mag-isang kinikilig...

Paano kung para sa'yo pala ako?

I'm Glad You Were Born

Dear mommy,

Thank you for always being there, no matter what the circumstance is. Thank you for the advices that I won't hear from anyone else. Mothers know best, really. You are my ultimate best friend, someone I can confide my secrets to. You know who my crushes are, listen to my love stories, no matter how frivolous they may be. Your words never fail to mend my broken heart and make it whole again.

I just want you to know that you are my inspiration as I go through inextricable adversities, or when I just need to move forward because life wants me to. I wouldn't have gone this far if it weren't for you.

I love you not because you're the world's number one mom, but it's actually one of the reasons.
I love you not because you love me.
I love you not because of the things that you can do for me.
I simply love you because you are God's proof of how much He loves me.

Happy birthday, mommy! Always remember that I love you from here to the next galaxy and back!

*Picture was taken from Google
Duyan ('Cradle') by Nestor Leynes

Radioactive Love

I didn't know that scientists have a fair share of good love stories, too. Reading some articles, I found out that it was the mutual interest in magnetism that drew Marie Sklodowska and Pierre Curie together. What a good research topic to begin with, magnetism.
She was denied of a laboratory space at Krakow University because she's a woman, that's why she returned to Paris. From there, she got closer to Pierre, they got married, and they hardly ever left their laboratory since then.
It's yet another proof that when one door closes, another opens. But although their romantic and scientific love story didn't last, it still has undeniably changed the world.
Happy 144th birthday Madame Marie Curie!

[Photo was taken from Google, which is a page from the book Radioactive, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss]

(Anino) Ako

Maaari akong pumunta
Sa mga lugar na wala akong kakilala
Magtampisaw sa ulan,
Kumanta sa daan.

Kahit wala ka.

Maaari akong magpalipas ng gabi,
Umupo lang sa isang tabi
Titigan ang buwan,
Bilangin ang mga dumaraan.

Kung saan wala ka.

Maaari kong limutin ang mundo
Para libutin ang alaala mo
Mag-isa akong kasama ka,
Tinititigan kita.

Ngunit wala ka.

Ang pag-ibig ay may sulok
Sabay tayong mauna sa tuktok
Malilibot ko ang mundo
Malimot ko kaya ang alaala mo?

Ako at wala ka.

Mga Tula Para Kay James Soriano

Diona

Ang diona ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng pitong pantig kada taludtod, tatlong taludtod kada saknong at may isahang tugmaan.

Hindi Sanay sa Filipino

Lenggwahe ng lansangan
At hindi ng mayaman
Doon ka sa kangkungan.

Tanaga

Ang tanaga ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng pitong pantig kada taludtod, apat na taludtod kada saknong na may isahang tugmaan.

At Sino Ka?

Itong si James Soriano
Akala mo kung sino
Ayaw ng Filipino
Tanungin mo ang kurso.

Dalit

Ang dalit ay isang katutubong anyo ng tula na binubuo ng walong pantig kada taludtod, apat na taludtod kada saknong at may isahang tugmaan.

Literado

Kawawa ka, James Soriano
'Di sanay sa Filipino
Nakahihigit pa sa'yo
Ang mangmang na katulad ko.

Malayang Taludturan

Ito ay ang tulang isinulat nang walang sinusunod na patakaran kung hindi ang ano mang naisin ng sumusulat. Ito ay ang anyo ng tula na ipinakilala ni Alejandro G. Abadilla. Ayon sa kanya, maaaring makalikha ng tula na walang sukat at walang tugma.

Ako Ang Iyong Mambabasa

'Di ko tatanungin kung saan ka nanggaling
Unang una, wala naman akong pakialam
Pero sana, sana lang
Bago ka magsulat ng kung ano
Isipin mo muna kung para saan ito
Dahil kung para lang sa sarili,
At kung may masasagasaan kang iba,
Wala kang karapatang maging manunulat.

Pinagmulan:

http://filipino-tula.blogspot.com/2010/06/ano-ang-mga-anyo-ng-tula.html