I never got to meet my father...
He died when I was nine months old,
But his presence, I always felt
While I was growing up,
Even up to this day...

He would often visit me in my dreams,
Told me not to worry or despair,
Took my hand,
Told me I could go with him..
Which I almost did...

A few times, in high school
I felt a light push on my back
When my Home Economics teacher
Almost caught me nodding...I was
Too bored, to focus on her sewing lessons...

I was always saved from falling
Each time I climbed the guava tree...
I feel some kind of force stopping me,
Standing ahead of me,
Whenever I cross the street, even now...

My late aunt said she found me
Looking up and giggling
When at three or five years old,
I played by myself beside
My father's tall and sturdy book case...

I see his face when I go through
His dwindling collection of
Edgar Allan Poe books, including his
Law books, and a few western pocketbooks left,
All, with mottled pages now...

The matrimonial bed he shared
With my late mother is still in use...
His portrait is hung on our wall...
Today, the fifteenth of June, his birthday,
I look through his eyes, and-----

In silence, I greet him,
"Happy birthday, papa,
Happy Father's Day, as well."
In my mind, my father lives,
And my own stories of him therein dwells...

Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

~

The sun of morning finds your face
a’ glowing sheen on tear swept eyes
Still lost in darkness sad to trace
beneath these azure painted skies
~
To walk alone in sorrow’s fields
with merely but a shadow’s play
This love from deep within now yields,
to hold you as you make your way
~
A simple touch, a soft caress,
upon your cheek in silent feel
Whispered words of true confess
of happiness to soon reveal  
~
Feel my arms now hold you near,
falling close around your heart
Gently to reverse your fear
and thunderclouds which now depart
~
To lift a mockingbird this day,
so she may spread her wings afar
In wondrous full of life display,
enough to touch the furthest star
~
Now standing ‘fore this weathered weave,
to break the chains of sad refrain
So that your weary eyes may see,
you’ll never walk alone again

~

When you find my heart does break
And sadness crawls my every word
So much more than I can take
Of endless streams the mind has heard
~
Never are you very far
To offer thoughts, to dry my eyes
Reminding me just who we are
So comforting within your sighs
~
And soon the sun begins to shine
Along this path of winding flow
Where sparrows sing their songs so fine
In melodies I used to know
~
A cooling breeze does touch my soul
As flowers bloom the garden sweet
Wispy clouds on skies now roll
While feathers gather at my feet
~
This is now because of you
The friendship that your heart does share
The words of happiness so true
I thank the heavens you are there
~

~

I tried to write a poem
explaining how I feel
Something very special,
emotions oh so real
~
Verses penned with love,
open hearts to sing
Dragonflies and moonbeams
and every little thing
~
But as I sit here writing,
something is amiss
I find the words I’m looking for,
it seems they don’t exist
~
So how then can I tell you
just what you mean to me
How you make me smile
and set my spirit free
~
You ignore my every fault
to only see the good
Stand by me when I am down,
when not another would
~
Always sending friendly words
to brighten up my day
Nothing ever is too much,
I don’t know how to say
~
That I adore your friendship,
I love that you are near
Without you I would fade away,
I want to make it clear
~
You are very special Sye
I hope these words have shown
If not then I’ll keep looking
or invent some of my own
~

He is the buddha in their household.

When he arrives from work,
his two elder daughters run to his sides
already holding their guitars,
wanting to start jamming with him
right there and then.

The two younger ones
stand close to his feet,
waiting to be swung with his arms
as soon as he puts down
his heavy black bag.

His third daughter just hugs him tight,
his tummy choking within her tiny arms.

Right now, he is walking on air,
smiling widely, as his five girls
give him their  gifts of homemade
loom bands and paper robots,
as they all  greet him loudly---
"happy father's day, daddy!"

He is my son, Norman,
he is the father of my five
granddaughters...

He is the buddha in their
household....


Sally

Copyright 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan

To go a viking was the call
To be answered by Norsemen blonde and tall
And so they rode the dragon boats
The powers of Thor and Odin they did invoke
Once more upon a foreign shore
Spared not the weak who did emplore
For mercy from untimely death
A viking was a raid unto death
The weak and feeble felt the axe
Even the strong had no hope to match
The power of its savage bite
And when the blow fell death came in sight
Of those yet to fall
Delivered by a norseman tall
Few were spared and taken slave
To labour for their remaining days
Then the longships turned once more for home
Few Norsemen dead no more to roam
There is a name for what they did
To Go A Viking

~

O’ distant flower, perfect bloom
Thy beauty full is shown
I stand beneath yon crescent moon
Yet, I am not alone

O’er moments saved my heart so deep
I breathe this evening air
To whisper thoughts of endless keep
With dreams that thee shall share

So bright the beams that meet my face
Of shadows long behind
If but your lips my love doth trace
In longings sent to find

I drink of sweet desire's wine
My cup doth overflow
To reach my arms as you are mine
In soft reflection's glow

O’ come to me my petals pure
My skin your touch doth need
Of only you I do adore
Emotions breath I feed

O’ silent evening dances round
This valley high above
For on this night my heart hath found
Your precious perfect love

~

Magenta was the sky this morn as I approached the day
Ominous of clouded rose in petal’d full array
Quietly it called to me o’er whispers on the wind
As if some scented power was a’ touch upon my skin

Engulfed in life’s serenity, so overwhelmed with fear
A brush of fate in simple terms as if the end were near
I stood to bare my feelings now a swirl in my mind
In hopes of some off distant dream so soon would come to find

Counting off the many tasks which brought me to this place
The reasons that did hold the time my sequence now did waste
Lost of any angered tears when captured on my brow
To cry, if it has come to be, then let it find me now

On my knees, the autumn ground is chilly to my touch
With gathered hands to here my chest, this future I do clutch
Loneliness companions me though still of wandered hope
I pray that what will come before my soul shall bear to cope

When suddenly a light appears, a magic in its sheen
A softer glow, this lightened mist of heaven’s tangerine
To touch upon the darkness in a spirit calling true
In witness to the morning sun that feeds the skies of blue

My heart beats now elated in a dance of utter bliss
As memories of long ago, I find they do exist
The rising sun to spill its charm in beacons shone above
This warmth I feel, rekindled flame, aglow within your love

The doubt did come of weakened state, a mind that was unclear
A hollow moment filtered in through thoughts of you not near
Alas the dreams of only one now obvious of two
For on this day, the rising sun, brings me the love of you

~

O’er the seas this angel wishes
Windswept dreams and blowing kisses
Breakfast tides awake the shore
Ever loving, ever pure
~
Oceans green and aqua blues
Tinted morning shimmered hues
A wisp O’ wind doth touch her hair
Of tapered breezes for to share
~
Upon her vessel pearly white
Is born the beauty of her sight
So calm at peace and rest allure
Wonders cast from sculpted shore
~
Adrift to catch a sunny day
Amongst the waters she doth play
O’ eyes of brown and skin divine
To call this perfect angel mine
~
I stand the beach in searching of
That soon my heart shall find her love
As rippled waters bide their time
Of deep expanse O’ natures wine
~
To sail these waters castaway
I fall upon my knees and pray
This angel sweet atop the sea
Shall find her way to only me
~
Find this day as it does smile
For lone she waits in precious style
Of shelled delight and smooth of wake
To bring within my heart to take
~
The song of coastal oceans main
I long to wet her kiss again
And o’er this dream it can bestow
To sail within her wings once more