pseudo

idinuduyan ako ng iyong tinig
patungo sa landas ng mga alamid,
doon, kung saan tayo nagtagpo, noon
minsang tag-ulan at mababa
ulap sa bundok Sinombrero, ang iyong hininga
humahaplos sa aking batok.
basa tayo ng pawis sa maghapong paglalakad
sakbat ko ang pangamba sa aking dibdib
yumakap ka sa akin upang langhapin
tsokolateng nakatago sa aking bulsa, sa aking kamay
orkidyas na luray ang inagaw natin
sa mataas na punong narra. nabagting ka pa,
pag-akyat. hindi kita sinalo.

ngayon,
nahihirapan akong huminga. tila
idinuduyan ako ng iyong tinig sa pagtulog
dahil sa

Flutab
for symptomatic relief of cold and flu.
contains pseudo-ephedrine.

~ nilikha sa riyadh, 27 Disyembre 2004 ~

#

Translation:

your voice hums me slowly to sleep, brings me
to the trodden paths of mountain cats,
there, where we meet for the first time, then
one rainy season when the clouds are low
at Mt. Sinombrero, your breath
caressed my neck.
our bodies wet with sweat from a day-long walk,
i wore my fears on my chest
you embraced me to savor
fragrance of chocolate hidden in my shirt pocket, in my hands
the wilted orchid we robbed
earlier from the tall narra tree where the vines caught you.
you fell - but i didn't catch you.

now, i can hardly breath as if
your voice is soothing me to sleep
because of

Flutab
(for symptomatic relief of cold and flu.
Contains pseudo-ephedrine.

~ written in riyadh, 27 December 2004 ~

Notes:
Flutab is now banned in Saudi Arabia
a victim of a hoax email announcing it as dangerous to health.
Sinombrero is part of the Caraballo mountains along the Nueva Ecija-Pangasinan border; unfortunately photos are unavailable.
Photo of Caraballo mountains along San Quintin from Paramio here.