THE PHILIPPINES

Folder:

2003 Poetry

85 percent of water

is what i boast

sprawling all over

from seas to creek to rivulets

from islands to islets

transparent, bluish

or green or sometimes

a glitter in between

here, water decants in awe

take a plunge, a shower, a spurt

feel the thrill underneath

the deep

savor a regional festivity

feast on our hospitality

embrace a moment of infinity

forget for a while your ethnicity

and who knows, you might not

want to leave my country

volcanoes? we have lots

in fact two of the world

wonders, we have

we’ve got 70 plus different

native tongues but have

agreed to use only one

communication here is never

a problem, we speak English

with fluency or meandering ease

Philippines

the so called Pearl of the Orient

the regarded Third World

the gateway to Asia

the land of salts and peppers

the conceived haven

of Dumb, Pedants and some charlatans

we may have lots of follies

and corrupts

but we are highly entrusted

to perform well when it comes

to delicate tasks

we sell our performance

from physical to intellectual ones

you can check out your

immigration office to see this for once

please don’t misconstrue

i’m not here to openly brag

for we are but a speck on the map

you may have heard horrid

things about us but

not all of it were

confirmed as facts

internationally, we are berated

because of the terrorist attacks

but don’t be afraid to visit us

you see, Philippines is not that bad

our country, like Eden,

offers so much

only the system here rots

and we’re not the only one

whose system rots, even

the most powerful nation

experience the same setbacks

written 1/16/2003