Dead End

I cannot pass through you
but I can make a way around you.

You deter my progress
but you cannot stop me.

You are the slow-down sign,
the check-your-way reminder
in disguise.

You are the detour arrow
That makes me try another road.

Like a hump,
you stand on my way
so that I may not go too fast.

So I step on the brakes
To check my road map.

And I halt a moment
For a well-deserved rest.

You are a dead end.
But my trek does not end with you
nor am I dead because of you.

‘Coz I’ll find another way.
And I’ll walk on.


//Sherma E. Benosa
August 29, 2007; 11:45pm

As I Sleep

You are the night
that envelops me with peace.

Under your watchful moon
you make me feel safe.

In the company of your stars
you fill my heart with gladness.

Upon your request, the crickets
hum me a melody.

And on your order, the breeze
caresses my face.

All these, as I sleep.


//Sherma E. Benosa
13 July 2007; 3:46pm

Ngamin ta Sika

(SEB, sikat’ gapuna)



Tunggal kadi lapgisek pinanid dagiti aldaw
Ni panagtuok; saning-i ni ar-araraw
Nga itden ti saem ni tuok ni panaguray
Kararuak a mapirpisay, maidalit ken liday?

Saan.
Ngamin sikat’ aldaw ni ganaygay.


Innak kadi samiren dagiti nasamek a babaet
Ni alla-alla a nabeltak; nasipnget a ginget
Ken burubor mangliwengliweng a panagdudua,
Malmesak ken liday, kawaw kadi a sirmata?

Saan.
Ngamin sikat’ rangtay unnoy ni namnama.



//Clifton Pascua
12 April 2008

Lamina ni Ayat

Wen, addada latta a sumangbay
Dagiti di matmaturog a namnama
Lumtuadda kadagiti sagumaymay
Ni ragsak, agtaud kaunggan rikna;
Ta addada latta marikna a kinadarisay
Kadagiti ipagpaganetget dagita ikikita.
Ala, addaak latta ngarud nga aguray
Idadateng naisangsangayan nga agsapa.

Idayyengko ngarud dagiti aweng ni iliw
Ta isuda man mangiyarakup liwliwa
Kumpasak allangogan ni sagawisiw
Dagiti makabang-ar rikna a sonata;
Bareng ‘di agbayag sumungadton ni ayat
Mamagungar natuokan a kararua.
Koma, ket isangbayton’ baro nga agsapa
Laminan’ ayat, pinagkaysa ni namnama.


For cP. Happy 23rd month tomorrow, Buddy. yy10ka. :-)


//Sherma E. Benosa
11 April 2008; 2:35 pm

Kenka, Pagayam

.
Aglangoy, agkuy-atka, pagayam
Ket batukem taaw a pagtaptapawam
Bareng naidulin a gameng iti lansad
Di masasaan nga inka mabirokan.

Agtayab, agampayagka, pagayam
Wanawanam law-ang a nakaikariam.
Bareng nasusudi a tagtagaimpem
Maragpatmo, inka maikutan.

Magnaka, itarengtengmo, gayyem
Ket surotem desdes a namayengmeng
Bareng naibudi a kaipapanan
Naan-anaymonton a maawatan.

Ngem sapay koma, pagayam
Ta inton nakadanonkan iti papanam
Ket mapanunotmonto a taliawen ni kalman,
Maysaakto kadagiti mailangaam.

Bay-am a siak ti segden ti parola
Kadagiti taaw a pagdaliasatam
Ket siakto ti inka pagpatawan
Kenni atab a mangyaw-awan.

Kadagiti law-ang a daliasatem
Makipagtayabak, saan nga aleng-aleng;
Ta siakto ti anginmo,
Mangbagkat natibker a payakmo.

Ket kadagiti desdes a surotem,
Addaakto latta, awan dudua
Ta siakto’t mangkibin kenka
Iti tiempo’t samuyeng, pannakaikawa.

Ala, agtuloyka, ‘di ka agsarimadeng
Ta agkurnoak kenka, gayyem;
Dagiti luluak, ladawan ti ragsak
Panangtun-oymo nabalitokan nga arapaap.


//A poem for my good friends who have left: Chie and Jing Fallarna and Celestine Bersabal. God bless you. I am so glad God put you in my life. You are among the treasures I cherish in my heart. I love you. Good luck.

When the nudge for me to write came, I had thought of writing in English, so that my non-Ilokano friends for whom this piece was written would understand it and they would know how I feel for and about them. But when I finished writing it, I realized it was written in a language they do not speak. I tried to translate it, but somehow, I was inadequate; the right words just wouldn’t come. It was after several hours that I realized that maybe there’s no need for me to translate this; that it was written exactly as it should, because they already know how much they mean to me.

.
//Sherma E. Benosa
02 April 2008; 11:10am

Manto ni Aligagaw

Dukotka ni ulpit, saligemgem ni buteng
Kuspag ti pasamak, kari nga aleng-aleng
Maysaka a bambanti, taguob ni allilaw
Anniniwan ni pangta, manto ni Aligagaw.

Langebka a simmangbay, nagmanto a lawag
Ulaw ti kararua, mangyaw-awan a dalagadag
Sumyagka a sumangpet kasigud mo’t tabbaaw
Maysaka a bambanti, manto ni Aligagaw.

Panagpagem nalamiis a tawa a pagtaptapayaak
Layusem ti paladpad, lugar pagar-arapaapak
Lemmesem karayo, aramidem a parparawpaw
Maysaka a bambanti, manto ni Aligagaw.

Iwasawasmo, purosem ni namnama, tinnagem
Lukaisam kurtinak a pinaglumenen ti panawen
Unnoyko ken pakaasi, impatom a salawasaw
Maysaka a bambanti, manto ni Aligagaw.

Linibasmo daydi impategko a puso a bagnos
Inuyusmo’t alintataok, turedko’t naigusugos
Dati a kanta iti kaltaang, nagbalindan a kawaw
Maysaka a bambanti, manto ni Aligagaw.

Ibaludnak kadagiti diding a pinapusiaw ni saem
Nangisit nga anniniwan ti inka pinagtaeng
Dati a talingen-ngen ni tured, siakon ti alawaaw
Maysaka a bambanti, manto ni Aligagaw.


(*written at the middle of the night while sitting in my living room watching the rain whipping my window panes.)

//Clifton P. Pascua
17 December 2007

The Pursuit of Love

..
I sought to understand love
Through my misty spectacles.
I tried to observe its different facets
In my muddied existence.

Though I knew it was supposed to be great
I saw only glimpses;
And though I tried to analyze it
I couldn’t begin to fathom it.

Until I closed my eyes
And learned to listen to my heartbeat.
I opened my heart
And love came and possessed it.


Inspired by a post. Read it HERE.

//Sherma E. Benosa
31 March 2008
.

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