War Zone tanka sequence

dancing boys
of Afghanistan
lift the air--
on my notebook
watercolors splash like tears

 the first time
I went hungry
father tossed my food--
I carved the stone
of starvation with water

 I was twelve
when father sold me
to a warlord …
you cannot read loss
only feel it*

 a broken heart
never fully heals 
yet my universe
will not turn 
into a mighty stranger*

 *from Memoirs of a Geisha
*from  Wuthering Heights 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lucecita Benitez - Cabalgata

Image
Letra de Roberto Carlos Cabalgaré toda la noche Por una senda colorida Mis besos te daré en derroche De una manera algo atrevida Me aferraré de tus cabellos Por no caer de ese galope Voy a atender a mis anhelos Antes que el día nos sofoque Me perderé de madrugada Para encontrarte en mi abrazo Después de nuestra cabalgata Me acostaré en tu regazo Sin importarme si en ese instante Soy dominado o si domino Me sentiré como un gigante O tan pequeño como un niño Y las estrellas del lugar Se nos acercan para ver Y aún conservan su brillar Después de nuestro amanecer Y en la grandeza de ese instante Mi amor cabalga sin saber Que en la belleza de esa hora El sol espera por nacer Y las estrellas del lugar Se nos acercan para ver Y aún conservan su brillar Después de nuestro amanecer Y en la grandeza de ese instante Mi amor cabalga sin saber Que en la belleza de esa hora
Read more

Undertow Poetry Review, La Resaca First Issue

Image
  Karlo Sevilla Dear Aesthete,  This Could Turn Deadly   You whisper to me that the lonely firefly that blinks and dives down the undergrowth is a teardrop of a broken star.   And this same night amidst the chaos, the infant’s soft laughter is the chimes of a miniature carillon — the last music her mother shall ever hear now that the martial knocks tremble the wooden door.   And you yourself have long realized that you will stand up against injustice no matter the cost, because the most beautiful thing in this life is to do what is right even at supreme sacrifice. © Karlo Sevilla Philippines  Karlo Sevilla of Quezon City, P nohilippines is the author of the full-length poetry collection “Metro Manila Mammal” (Soma Publishing, 2018) and the chapbook “You” (Origami Poems Project, 2017). Recognized among The Best of Kitaab 2018 and nominated twice for the Best of the Net, his poems appear in Philippines Graphic, Revolt Magazine, Radius, Ramingo's Porch, Unlikely Stories Mark V, Collec
Read more