The Witness
The Witness by April Pagaling (in reply to “Wala Nang Tao sa Sta. Filomena”) You stand in the stubbled field,a scarecrow stripped of purpose,shirt faded to the hue of stillborn harvests. January light knifes sideways,spilling shadows longer than your body,stretching beyond the momentof its making. I have witnessed this scene before.Escalante’s fencepost scarecrowdraped in a […]
Lesson on Flowers
The flower openswithout violence.This is what I learned in elementary,how resistance lives in softness.I stand in the kitchen, watchingpetals drift into my teacup,thinking of my mother’s handsfolding white sheets,how they will yellow with time.Everything palebecomes something else.In dreams, I am notthis daughter who changeswithout permission.I am the space betweenwhat she savedand what she lost.She told […]
Night Inventory
The absence of connection burns differently than the absence of touch. A poem about loneliness and how two bodies can share a bed while their hearts inhabit separate countries.
The Spider’s Gospel
Walking around in Sagada and finding this beautiful spider web. A meditation on grief and finding comfort in unexpected places and a reflection on rebuilding and survival.
Hamog ng Enero
The chill of January mornings in Marinduque and navigating the cold, thinking of unspoken young love. Discover how the Sea of Clouds intertwines with the warmth of a fleeting smile in this introspective poem.
Your Name
Your Name is a poem written by April Pagaling about memory and the inadequacy of language to capture the depth of human emotion. It invites readers to reflect on the universal experience of love and loss, and the way we all, in our own way, are “cataloguing departures.”
Poem – A Mother’s Vigil
A deeply personal exploration of mothering a child with bipolar disorder. This poem captures the quiet moments of nighttime vigilance, exploring themes of maternal love, anxiety, and hope. Part of the “Modern Motherhood” poetry series.
Monochrome
On August 16, 2017, 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was accosted by police during a drug raid, and later shot. Investigations revealed he was unarmed despite police claims. CCTV footage cleared him of the accusations. Kian was one of thousands killed in Duterte’s drug war. —GMA News, Philippines The boy in mid-step,feet barely touching pavement.Once, he […]
As I Go I Wear You | Contemporary Poem About Loss and Memory
A haunting exploration of how we carry those we’ve lost in our daily habits and routines. This poem looks into the ways grief transforms our everyday actions into memorials of love and loss.
Anak
Anak I Sinasamba kita, paulit ulit at walang patid Habang iniaanak ng bawat ina ang mga suwail Mga sanggol na pipitas sa kanyang pasensya Ika’y pinatawad ko na. Pinagpipitaganan ko ang bawat sambit, palatak Ang matining mong tinig na sisidlan Ng kalahating ako at kawalan. Iniibig kita ng walang habag. Ipinagdarasal ko […]