Green-minded

Green-minded ako

Berde… berde ang kulay ng mga puno

Mga punong sa halip na pinaparami

Pinuputol, pinapatay

Pinapalitan ng matatayog na kongkreto

Berde… berde and kulay ng gulay

Sabi’y pampahaba ng buhay

Ng tao, at ng mundo

Dahil bawas sa karne

Bawas sa emisyon ng karbong

Nakasusulasok

Maitim na usok

Na sa planeta’y bumabalot

Planetang nalulunod din sa basura at plastik

Plastik na sumasayaw sa hangin

Lumalangoy sa ilog

Lumulutang sa karagatan

Plastik na nasa isdang kinakain

Sa tubig na iniinom

Tila wala ng pag-asa

Wala na nga ba?

Ang mga isip-berde ay hindi papatalo

Patuloy ang buga ng karbon

Kasabay ng pag-usbong ng malinis na enerhiya

Mula sa tubig, hangin, at araw

Kumakaripas sa takbo ang urbanisasyon

Ngunit humahabol ang mga ideya

Ng green architecture at green space

Marami ang walang pakialam

Walang pakundangan sa pagbili at pagtapon,

Pagbili at pagtapon, pagbili at pagtapon

Subalit marami rin ang nakikialam

Binabago ang pananaw na wala tayong magagawa

Sa bawat pagtatanim ng puno

Sa bawat pagsuporta sa renewable energy

Sa bawat pagpili sa maka-kalikasang produkto

Sa bawat paghindi sa plastic straw, at plastic bag,

At plastic water bottle, at plastic spoon and fork

Sa bawat pagkonsumo ng organikong pagkain

Ang mga ito’y parang patak

Ambon sa umpisa

Nawa’y maging daluyong ng isip-berdeng gawa

Green-minded ako…

Sana ikaw din

 

Red

Bold

Striking

Pulsing with passion

Life, love, luck

Rage

Warning yet enticing

Heart beats, heart bleeds

Stop

Gratitude

To waking up every morning

To clear skies, to the rain falling

To tasty treats and hearty meals

To healthy food that heals

To kind words, to honesty

To genuine generosity

To beautiful people, to helping out

To traveling feet here and about

To diversity, to sights and sounds

To kindred spirits and friendships found

To come and go, like night and day

To those who choose to stay

To shared stories of rise and fall

To accepting people, warts and all

To peace and breaking up fights

To standing up for what is right

To trees, to plants, to nature

To family that continues to nurture

To creativity, to music, to art

To connections of the heart

To pain and healing

To the joy of life worth living

 

To another year

I’m truly grateful

Aesthete

I like to stand at the summit

And gaze at the sea of clouds

The magnificent mountain ranges

The sunset

The sunrise

I like how the cool wind embraces me

Tousling my hair

Like gentle hands giving its affectionate gesture

Dancing through the branches and leaves

Making them wave their hello

I like the refreshing smell of the air

The scent of wood, and soil, and vegetation

I like how the birds tweet a tune

And crickets and night creatures with their orchestra of sounds

I close my eyes and stretch my arms

Taking it all in

Aesthete (adj.): Someone with deep sensitivity to the beauty of art or nature.

Do you enjoy nature, too? If so, do your part. Be stewards of the environment. Happy Earth Day everyone!

Tanka # 2

Dig the ground until

It can no longer cough out

Those precious metals

Just because you can, you will

As you always do, you kill

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez decides to shut down several mining sites in the Philippines. This is a welcome news for environmentalists but of course, the mining industry cried foul in defense for economic gain and jobs. Amidst environmental destruction and local communities suffering, these smug capitalists still feel entitled claiming their right to destroy the planet.

Tanka #1

They’re chopping us down

One by one, relentlessly

Are trees enemies?

Vanishing to oblivion

Verdant foliage forgotten

Ingay

Napakaingay

Nakabibinging katahimikan

Mula sa walang pakialam

Walang humpay na talak

Ng nagmamagaling

Diskusyon ng intelektuwal

Pagpipintas at pangungutya

Ng walang magawa

Kanya-kanyang pananaw

Kanya-kanyang paliwanag

Batuhan ng kuru-kuro

Ng sentimiyento

Ng mga baho

Sino ang mas magaling?

Sino ang tama?

Sino ang santo?

Sino ang panalo?

Tanda ng kamulatan?

O pawang katangahan?

Nakakalito

Nakakahilo

Kanino maniniwala?

Sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo?

Alamin, makialam, magtanong

O mas mainam ba

Na manahimik na lamang

At wag ng dumagdag

Sa kalansing ng latang walang laman?

Brief Encounter

Our paths cross

We started talking

Void of pretension

Genuine conversation

Kindred spirit, this may seem

Like old friends

Or long-lost siblings

 

Time floats by

Then we part ways

 

And our paths would never cross again

Blissful Sonnet

Suck the marrow out of life

Implores Dead Poet’s Society

So leave me now, strife

I don’t need your loyalty

 

To be a ‘Yes, Man!’

Like that crazy Jim Carrey

Good-bye, then, plan!

It will work out, maybe

 

La vita e bella

The Italians say so

Thus, smile, young fella

To worries, let go

 

What a happy day!

YOLO away!

Cold

I can’t feel my fingers

All I see is white

It’s been a year since the sky exploded with ice

They warned

We didn’t listen

Then everything went downhill

 

I can’t feel my fingers

All I see is white

The world was gripped with terror

Chaos

Nobody knew what to do

Then everything went downhill

 

I can’t feel my fingers

All I see is white

People died

Animals died

Plants died

The earth died

Then everything went downhill

 

I can’t feel my fingers

All I see is white

I’m alone

I don’t know if others survived

God, I’m hungry!

Everything’s going downhill

 

I can’t feel my fingers

All I see is white

Excruciatingly starving

Looking at my hands

Drooling

Everything’s gone downhill

*Inspired by the movie, Snowpiercer and Stephen King’s short story, Survivor Type.