Mother tongue
[in poetry]
In moments of desperation
I pray in my mother tongue.
No please and Lord help me
could match a fervent
nanlulumo at nagsusumamo
Panginoon tulungan mo ako
No hopes and dreams
can measure the gravity
of pangarap mong sana
Hiraya manawari
A longing for your deepest dreams
to become a reality
When hearts break and relationships fade
Nilisan mo ang gabing minsa’y atin
is not the same as
Why have you left me?
When love finally arrives
Giliw ikaw ang liwanag sa takipsilim
Hits more than
My love you are my life, my sunshine
Words are words
until they’re deeply felt
When poems are read
and songs are sung
Nothing can compare
to the sound of the filipino
beating heart.10.09.2026 - Written at the park, from random scribblings that were meant to take on a different form but settled here—settled there, in the land where I’m from, in the language of my childhood, in the heart and depth of the Filipino language.
Photographed in a family farm in Little Forest, New South Wales. This sunrise was one of the most beautiful things to wake up to in the early morning.