IF

If in the morning
I don’t see your face,
I die a little.

And if at some nights
I don’t get a goodnight kiss,
I die a little.

You are my sunshine;
I live for your love, your kiss.
Your smile, I so miss.



//01 March 2008; 11:11am

Seranada

Tagaimpek ti adda man koman dita sibay
Manipud nasam-it a pannakailibay.
Riknaen lamuyot angin a sumangbay
Buyaen dagiti bituen nga agkiraykiray.
Tagaimpek ti adda man koman dita sibay
Dagiti paddekko’t maaddaan ganaygay
Mangiturong kaniak kenka, ala sapay
Ta dita saklotmo awanton ni upay.

Ti samuyeng ni iliw indanto agpukaw
Iti sipnget ken yuyeng adalem a dan-aw.
Bang-i ni naglabas, lemmesen ni ayat
Kas diro ni tagainep, nargaan pusaksak.
Aggarakgakto’t mangrabrabii a pittagaw
Pannakauyos angesko, diakto agaligagaw.
No gasatko laeng iti matay, riknak natalinaay
Sam-itek pannakapasag, lagipmo a naruay.

Bangonennak Imnas, punasem dagiti daginsen!
Dinak ikalang, dinak lipaten, biagko’t alawem!
Iburaymo dayta ayatmo, agekmo dimo italimeng
Kadagitoy matak, bibigko nga agkusnawen.
Matmatam kadi biagko, rupak a nabessag
Denggem toy puso, bitekna’t madagdagdag
Idennesmo ta barukong, ayatmo a naruay
Uray laeng tagainep, umayak kenka sumangbay.

(*inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Indian Serenade)

//Clifton Pascua

Abungot

Sangarakem dagidi a balikas
Inyabrasa natibong a katkatawa
Intalimeng lansad ti kaunggan
Pammasingked a nangngegan.

Ngem ubbaw dagidi a sapata
Inyebkas balangkantis a rikna
Manglimlimo nalanay a mata
Kinatarnawda’t nagpatingga.

Maysa kadi laeng a parmata
Kinasayaat nga inka impakita
Ta idi pidduaek ti kumita
Kinaulboden ti nangbalkot kenka?

Agallangogan man ti barukong
Ti naguliban a kinapudno
Ta daydi kinadarisay a sinappupo
Ubbaw met gayam a sursuro.


//Sherma E. Benosa
22 November 2007; 10:24pm

UPSIDE DOWN

The world sometimes chooses to turn upside down
And there’s nothing we can do except to watch it
Tumble and throw away everything in it
And pray it would right itself again somehow
Before more people get hurt
Before real damage is done.

Sometimes it’s just temporary
Like madness that eventually gives in to sanity
But sometimes it can be permanent
Like the scars that attach themselves to our hearts
To remind us of the choices we made
To make sure we won’t forget.

So we watch as our convictions are tested
As truths are twisted and trampled upon
And lies are validated as though they were facts
And the losers celebrate as if they’ve won
And the villain is cheered like a hero
In a story that venerated deceit.


//Sherma E. Benosa
22 November 2007; 4:55pm

Linnaaw

Sumilap-silap natarnaw a linnaaw
Nangpalangto manen apagbukar
A petalo ti baro nga agsapa;
Mangipaspasimudaag ngata
Nalangto nga agmalem
Wenno mangmangted kired
Tapno masaranget puor ti init
Ti kararua; bareng laeng saan a kumriit
Ti pakinakem iti pannakibakalna
Narungsot nga agmalem.

Lua ti nagpakadan a rabii,
Pagbiagan sumangbay nga agsapa;
Namnama agpangadua a nakem
Nangugas dudukot indateng
Dagito kanito a naglabas.
Tapno adda kired a mangpasangbay
Isisingising manen dagiti pannubok;
Tapno madaeran dagiti dumteng a mamaglaylay
Nasudi a tartarigagay.
Ket agtalinaed koma a sitatakder
Puon a maibilag nadawel a panawen.


//Sherma E. Benosa
21 December 2007; 12:21am
.

Words

Elegantly written words
Encrusting a love
That’s spelled to perfection;
Emotion craftily cupped,
Overflowing with devotion.

But between your lines
Are but empty promises;
The music that they impart
Is but a kindness that chills
Coming from a heart
That’s been frozen for years.


//Sherma E. Benosa
08 February 2008

.

DUATAs

.

WIND'S WHISPERINGS

The sweet melody of the gentle wind’s whisperings
They make my heart flutter with silly reminiscings.
The memory of your eyes brimming with promises
They still linger, the feel of your soft, gentle kisses.

They still linger the feel of your soft, gentle kisses
The memory of your eyes brimming with promises.
They make my heart flutter with silly reminiscings
The sweet melody of the gentle wind’s whisperings.

For MCP… Missing you…

//Sherma E. Benosa
08 November 2007; 11:20pm


ISEM

Isemmo makapabang-ar rikna
Kas palayupoy agmurmuray nga agsapa;
Petalo agbukar a darikmat
Mangidateng naruay a ragsak.

Mangidateng naruay a ragsak
Petalo agbukar a darikmat;
Kas palayupoy agmurmuray nga agsapa
Isemmo makapabang-ar rikna.

//Sherma Benosa
11 November 2007

Lansad ti Barukong

Batukek naitalimeng a gameng
Lansad ti pangadaywen a barukong.
Bagnosko ti ‘di agsarday a bitek
Dagiti aglabas a kanito; arimpadek
Dagiti ‘di makaidna nga agsapa
Kaduak nga agpaspasungad isasangbay
Managladladaw a namnama.

Mapukpukaw man ngatan simbeng
Dagiti ‘di mapangnamnamaan a kired
Dagiti narasi, nalupoy a nakem.
Wenno naiwagatda man ket ngatan
Ti naiyawat kadakuada a talisman
Naisangrat a panggatang paspasungadan
Nakanginngina a masakbayan.

Lumned-tumpaw a kaunggan
Agkalkallautang iti nalawa a taaw
A naiyaplag iti nagbaetan;
Malisianna ngata’t umay a dawel
Agipangpangta iti pannakatalimpungaw?
Wenno malasatanna ngata’t kinadangkok
Dagiti allon ti awanan asi a taaw?

A, bay-am kad’ man dagiti panagdudua
Umayda man ket ngatan a mangal-alia.
Bay-am kad’ latta dagiti ubbaw a pangta
Aggandat a mangburibor sin-aw ti nakem.
Basta kaduak nga agkuy-at ayatmo
Ken ‘di agsarday pammateg nga itdem
Lumung-awakto lukong barukongmo; nakaisem.


//Sherma E. Benosa
9 January 2008; 1:57am

Tawa ti Panunot

Tawa ti panunot ilukatka ta kayatko nga imatangan
Nadumaduma a buya naipinta iti law-ang, nakaibugasan
Agsasabali a maris, agsasallupang a kaipapanan.

Babassit unay dagiti regkang kadagiti tinidtid a diding
A pagsiripsiripak; di makaanay dagiti abut tapno makitak
Pakabuklan, panagsisinninggalot nagkaadu a ladawan.

Ilukatko nakarikep a bulongmo ta kayatko’t sumagrap
Nalangto a kapanunotan, agsasabat iti nalawa a paraangan
Tapno pumariir, lumawag nanumo a siled nga ayan.

Iwalinko dagiti kurtinam ta kayatko’t makiminnatmat
Kadagiti adal nga aglabas-labas; ta bareng laeng kunak
Addanto met sumagmamano a mangtaliaw, umisem kaniak.

Agtakderak iti abaymo a tumammidaw, bareng selnagannak
Nalailo a bulan wenno kiddayannak naisem nga init; maluktan
Panunot a nakullaapan ken kidem-a-mata; ket lawag agsaknap.


//Sherma E. Benosa
2 November 2007; 4:02am

Sunset After the Storm

I watch in awe as you slowly walk to the horizon’s end
Amber and gold flashing; I imagine that is you winking.
I feel the calm of your peace, taste the truth in your promise
I know you’ll be back to hold me tight in your embrace.

You pause a little and wave to me one last time
Before disappearing to give way to the impatient night.
I linger a moment longer, caressing the mist of your scent
Then slowly walk back home for a well-deserved rest.


//Sherma E. Benosa
19 November 2007; 10:35pm

The Pawn

I am the pawn you could have easily sacrificed
An unworthy soldier next to the dashing knight
But you guided me instead, you stayed by my side
Now I am a queen; my King, together we’ll fight!

You and I, we will vanquish our opponent’s might
Their army is strong, but we will give it a good try
Let me go conquer their queen, I will leave your side,
But I’ll come back, my King; I am your loyal ally.


A chess-inspired poem


//Sherma E. Benosa
09 November 2007; 4:15pm

Senses

Listen to the tapping of the falling rain
And you’d hear the beating of my heart
Whispering nothing but your name —
A love so true, a music that won’t stop.

Caress the soft rays of the beaming sun
And you’d feel the warmth of my embrace
Soothing your spirit, clasping your hand —
A balm that takes the worry off your face.

Savor the dampness of the morning breeze
And you’d taste the flavor of my love
As sweet as those saccharine toffees —
A special treat for you from up above.

See Mother Nature’s painting before you
And you’d notice the bareness of my soul
Resilient yet gentle, trusting and true —
A simple abode of things that are humble.

Smell the freshness of the morning dew
And you’d sniff the scent of my bliss
My regrets and worries, they are very few —
A simple life I live, your kiss is all I miss.


//Sherma E. Benosa
09 November 2007; 3:09am

Nalailo Ti Umar-arubayan nga Agsapa

Nalamuyot angin-parbangon ken angep
Nangbalkot nakaturog a tagainep
Nangdalepdep salemsemen a rikna:
Nalailo ti umar-arubayan nga agsapa.

Naragsak samiweng dagiti taraken
Mangpaspasungad aranaar a dumteng
Marikna, yik-ikkisda a sangapada:
Nalailo ti umar-arubayan nga agsapa.

Naisem ti sumirsirip a raya ti init;
In-inut, naparmek agkapsuten a sipnget;
Makikinkinnumusta nalalangto a mula:
Nalailo ti umar-arubayan nga agsapa.

‘Di makaidna agpaspasangbay a rikna
Dagiti mata, sangkataliawda't daya
A sumungadan ti baro a namnama:
Nalailo ti umar-arubayan nga agsapa.


For my "Nalailo nga Agsapa.” Hope you’ll be home soon, Buddy.


//Sherma E. Benosa
28 October 2007; 9:41 pm

A Love Letter for MCP

I sing hymns of hope
At the top of my lungs
And beg the wings
Of the wind to carry
My songs and lay them
Neatly upon your heart;

I ask the eagles to fly
Across the horizons
To bring you my love —
Gentle as the breeze,
Lovely as a dove,
Unending and profound.

I bare the contents
Of my heart to the
Sympathetic moon and
Pray that she would
Show them to you
And you’d know

That as you swim the oceans
To capture my smile;
As you move the mountains
To reach for my hand;
I am trudging winding paths
Towards you, my love!


//Sherma Benosa
06 NOvember 2007; 11:57pm

To My Buddy, My Destiny

[from the Traveller]

I’ll take your hand and I won’t get lost
For the voice in you is the guide I sought.
The travels of longing shall soon be gone
For your smile, Buddy, is my morning sun.

I’ve travelled a long and tortuous path
Of low clouds and their ominous wrath;
The elusive light is now a buried past
For my destiny is the bottom of your heart.

I thank you, Buddy, for guiding my way
Those gentle whispers when I go astray;
The strength I feel every time you pray
And fight for life when the day is grey.

There’ll be no more dark lanes to wander
Nor false stars to get lost and meander;
My treacherous path has now gone asunder
For you built a flowered trail for us together.

Together, we walk this path hand in hand
And follow your torch, never minding a bend;
Should this road become thorny again
Together we'll travel it out; hand in hand.


Clifton Pascua; 12 September 2007