this poem was partially inspired by ninoy aquino and his wife. this i suppose, is one of my views on the role of women in the society. not the only one, surely, but perhaps the one that we've had centuries to perfect.



man and woman


hold your head up, boy.
the stars are falling, crowning your head with trapped dreams


hold your breath now, girl
the water holds you and offers you a womb of silent blue


cast your eyes away, young man
trapped between her legs, spill your wasted youth in her


bury your nails deep, young woman
take in his pain and his regret, and cover it in sweat


and she will close her eyes and swallow and feel his milky tears consume her. and she will hold him and mold him and mend him and bend him until he is whole and bursting with bleeding hope.

and he will rise and she will follow and he will change the land as she had changed his heart.

behind every great man

is an even greater woman.