In Floridablanca....

Nearly twenty years ago,

Pinatubo

I was there

standing in Floridablanca…

Our first stop

before Zambales…

You tugged on my ponytail

as queues inch past.

A wafer wisp girl of five

with threadbare legs

and tattered rags,

I handed you several tootsie rolls

you beamed

even cried.

Your nanay

then heavy with her fourth child,

asked for a maternity daster.

“Wait, I’ll check.”

I sifted through the sacks of rice

sardines, medicines

and assortment of shoes and clothes…

Eyes hungry

hands clammy

I scrounge, heaving

as I shake pyroclastic mould

in my laughing Reeboks…

Clinging

her breath smelled like burnt raisin,

looking as though confessing

I opened the tamaraw window

“I had one left.”

Then, another

lady sauntered

eight months burdened

pleaded to give it to her, instead.

I climbed

atop the tamaraw van…

rolling and swinging

the coveted daster.

As it bounced

in between them

they tugged and pulled

ended pulling their hairs

until dear life of ‘daster’

fell and untangled

in Pinatubo’s flushed matter.

weary with their burdens,

the two , bowed their heads

Despite it all.

you whispered to your nanay

“Next time

never do that anymore.”

With a wave,

you made my day.

“Our Home”

As the persimmon air

fills our lungs

I know it is time…

gathering the flock

singing and dancing

celebrating our stock

Pistahan

Our Lady of Sorrows Church

September’s here

to revere our Lady …

We dance the tinikling

pandango sa ilaw,

itik-itik, moro-moro

all in between.

we eat

lumpia, adobo,

pork sinigang, tinola

pansit, apritada

turon, halo-halo

even mais con hielo.

We sing

Ala Freddie Aguilar

Imelda Papin

Mike Hanopol

River Maya

Charisse Pempengco

Or double dare Pilita Coralles

if we try that harder…

We play

Tumbang preso, Luksong Tinik,

Patintero, Pabitin,

Huego de Anilo…

Herewith

Our Lady of Sorrows

we have arrived

this is our Home.