Caravaggio

Pipes Clavano

Pipes is a lover expletives, sarcasm, and eye- candies. He’s insatiable when it comes to vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate, pizza, and fries. He's not a fan of reptiles. And he loves Brown- outs.
The poem below was written for a man he was with during a time in his life when he allowed people to undermine his principles in exchange for acceptance. He was also into Caravaggio’s paintings during this period.

Michelangelo Caravaggio, “San Giovanni Battista”, 1603-04 ca., Olio su tela, 94 x 131 cm, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica a Palazzo Corsini, Roma (http://caravaggismo.wordpress.com)

You swept me on my knees
Had my mouth drooling for
Peach
In your dark room was a lamp
Which glows neon
Once the fairies start to dance
I don’t move unless
You shake me
I don’t drink unless
It’s your poison

You dip me into the wine
Tangy like your blood
Take off your shirt
Untie your faith
Paint my wall with sin and
A little more of what girls cannot offer
When you raise your brush
My insides scream
“Let it be as dark as cream!”

And, yes, chiaroscuro
Bends itself for you
It bends so well I am afraid
I might want to bend
That way too
Do your feet truly fit my shoes
Or do you just pretend so I’d remain
Stashed in your drawer with brushes and pens?

When you dart your tip on my canvas
What does it say about colors?
Palettes, shades, tones, hues  
Do they make you cringe?
But you do dull so well
I cannot complain, so I shut my mouth
And let your ignorant colors stain

Lost

Juya Moreno

Photo from www.cigarettesdelights.blog.com

For all the untold stories,
Or the never ending rhymes.
For all the moans I gave,
And the kisses I broke,
And the hearts that were never mine.
For the one love that seems surreal,
And the one night that never lasted,
As much as I wanted.
For all the tears that I wept,
And the smiles I wasted,
Or the laughters I faked.
For all the good things in life,
Beer, sex, cigars,
And the bad things,
Friends, lovers, jobs.
For the guys I have met,
I have laid,
I have killed.
And to the bars,
That I stumbled,
And grappled young men.
For all what is now left within me,
And what keeps me alive.
The one love,
And the one night,
That never was forgotten,
Even the taste of his sweat,
Or the contours of his manly figure.
This is for the man I never told,
How much my soul yearned,
For the lost love,
And the passion we made,
On my old rickety bed.
For until this day,
And every midnight,
I wait,
Naked.

Forgive and Forget

Pamela Rose Toyugan

Pam was one of the founders of The United Literary Advocates (2004- 2005,) a group formed by Literature Majors at Holy Name University which unfortunately died almost as soon as it's founders graduated. She used to carry post its at school and had a tongue piercing which was not very common at that time. 

Below is Pam's first contribution to The Mamangahagay.

We've been through this.

Do you remember how hard it was?

We got hurt.

I thought it was over.

But every time I pick on the scars

They still bleed.

I try to heal.

Do you know how I do it?

Well, I try not to think about it.

Forget that it even happened.

I put it behind me.

That's where it should be.

I try to focus on what's good now.

Do you know why I try?

It is the only way I can hope.

I hope that we'll be closer.

I hope that we'll be better.

I hope that we'll be stronger.

But I won't deny that I still cry.

Do you know why I still do?

I cry because you are unhappy.

You got hurt and you don't have scars.

The wounds are still open.

They're still bleeding. They still hurt you.

I know why they still hurt you.

Do you want to know why?

I'll tell you even if you don't want me to.

It's because you allow them.

You let them consume all the goodness in you.

You let the past catch up.

But we've been through this.

Do you remember how hurt we were?

The pain changed us completely.

But it didn't change the fact 

That there is an invisible chain

Connecting us. Saving us.

We'll get through this.

Do you want to get through this?

I know I want to.

I want to do it with you.

We just have to get through this together.

Just forgive me, please.

June 17- July 16

Theme: Frustrations