Collection
Poetry in English
Contemporary Philippine poetry in English by Filipino poets writing from the Visayas, Mindanao and the diaspora. These poems test what English can carry when it is shaped by Philippine places, histories and other mother tongues.
Read the same tradition in other languages: tula in Filipino, balak in Binisaya and poetry in Waray, or browse all poetry. For prose in English, see short stories, creative nonfiction and critical essays.
Every poem appeared in one of our journal issues. Meet the poets in our contributors, or read the submission guidelines.
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Sky Over Cairns
I wake up from my seat to a suddenblue blasting from the window.The sky looks certain as azure,if not for its scant escort of cloudsand the crepuscular raysescaping…
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Cleaning the Attic
Around two or three silverfishes dart among the pulverized lizard eggshells at the bottom of the box. Gliding into corners, hiding from view. I pull my hand away,…
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There is a boy in the island
The boy tells you what white is in his native tongue—puti, like sand, like your skin, like the cobblestoned boulevards you have back home. You tell him there’s…
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City lines
Tangled electric cables are always part of the sky’s scenes.The day looks owned by many and conquered by some, maya claws holding ontothin lines. Whether the clouds finally…
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A Brief Meeting
Two hermit crabs face each other,swift away vulnerable,trying on each other’s shells. Their bodies contour any shapeas long as it spells protection. As a huge wave foams the…
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The Underside of Healing
My love, I was at our backyard this morning.The rain was delivered fresh,sealed with silver lining and sunlightblessing us more than usual. Snails crawled on manicured grass and…
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What the Brooke’s Point Farmer Taught Me
There are things bigger than me. Like husking the coconut to sip its water, hacking the shell, and scraping the meat into strands before the third moon sets.…
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The Mermaid Speaks
I cannot remain The fairytale of the seafoam Or flicker of maiden?s Face in the pool. By your hand, I churn, fluid As my temple. And am I…