Bahay Kubo in Calo

 Beside the river, on the farm so green,

Stands a humble home, a Bahay Kubo serene. Built with bamboo and nipa, a simple abode, With nature as its backdrop, a peaceful abode.

The gentle breeze that blows, brings a sweet scent, Of flowers and crops, so rich and abundant. The flowing river, a soothing lullaby, As the farmers work hard, beneath the bright blue sky.

Inside the Bahay Kubo, a cozy retreat, Where families gather, to rest and to eat. Simple pleasures in life, they embrace with joy, Content with the Calo farm, and its bountiful employ.

The Bahay Kubo stands as a symbol so pure, Of life that's simple, and values that endure. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the world outside, In this humble abode, there's peace to abide.

Beside the river, on the farm so green, The Bahay Kubo stands, a sight to be seen. A haven of tranquility, amidst nature's charm, A place to call home, with open arms.

Leonaga T. Larena in 1991

Sra. Acion ,San Jose ,Negros Oriental

Stranger of the Midnight Summer Mar 27,2022

 

 

It was a lovely evening

When the sound of the wave touches the ground

The cool breeze and the music play add to the ambiance

The color of the night blends the mood of the evening

 

A stranger from the shores of nearby

Develop a friendship in the summertime by

The conversation was put into place

Comfort and calm were set the night

 

Acacia Trees turn into colors

From blue to the baby pink embrace happiness

From the stars to dark skies

Separated the mood of the night

 

The rain sudden fall into the ground,

I feel abandoned in the middle of the rain

Lonely from afar, Standing in front of a structure

The smell of the falling leaves on the ground

 

I feel cool inside my mind and soul

Craving for a hot chocolate to satisfy me

A stranger of the midnight summer pass by

Who knows one day, we cross our paths once more

 

 

Baisanon Poet Penn Tulabing Larena some of his works influenced by family,relatives and friends. Some of his works include Everlasting love in 2001, Hacienda in 2013, Hometown 2015,Rizal 2016,  The space between us in 2018 ,Spanish Bread of Jose Rafael  2018  Pretty Girl  2018.Almost Love 2019 ,Lockdown 2021 and Stranger of the midnight summer 2022.

Larena is regular travel, historical and lifestyle writer of Negros now daily and Negros Weekly and New York based The Negros Times.

He is a nephew of  Literary icons in the Philippines like Fr. Rudy Villanueva aka in literature Renato Madrid, Dr. Elsa Martinez – Coscolluela,Atty .David C. Martinez, Lilius Pinili,Dr. Tichie Saycon E. Baena ,Atty Arturo Valencia Umbac,  Simon Anton Niño Diego Galera Baena and his mother Leonaga Tulabing Larena . 

 

A Mother Heart

 The strength of a mother

no words can describe she must go on she must survive. you're needed here ,they say. snap out of it , smile , don't let them see you cry.

The tears come when no one is around, let them flow, the pain doesn't go away. Silent tears roll down your face.

It gets easier you're told as time passes on. The pain never goes away! the heartache is still there.

Kathleen Villanueva Daugherty- Bonge

kbonge 3-29-21 all rights reserved

The Ocean with Me

 Come to the ocean with me ,

Down to the deep blue sea.

The corals ,the fish , and sea turtles too. They are down in the deep blue sea. Come to the ocean with me , Come play with me .

The seahorses, sea urchins are waiting patiently. Down in the deep blue sea. Come to the Ocean with me The waves are so beautiful to see.

Come to the ocean I will be waiting for you to play with me. Dedicated to my Lilybug

Who loved the ocean I Love You Lilliana my Lilybug

Lola / Katbonge 3/18/21

Kathleen Villanueva  Daugherty- Bonge 

Legend of Brgy. Sab-ahan Bais City Negros Oriental

 Base on my research and gathered information from the late Historian Josefa Villanueva Perez of Bais City about the legend and stories in sab-ahan theirs a lot of myths and different kinds of a story but I choose this kind of story because this is quite interesting and looks like, it’s true and can be possible.

The story of Sab-ahan is very true to life where in, long before sab-ahan is known for a lot of BANANA called Sab-a and most of the people there Sab-a (Banana) is one of their livelihood and source of income before, everywhere in that place you can see Banana all around that area.OurBrgy. Before is famous in terms of Sab-a because this kind of banana is very tasteful and unique among the other bananas. And a lot of people say that theirs a fairy behind that tasteful banana called Sab-a, the fairy of Banana where she is the one who protects and gives more harvest to the people in our Brgy. Before.

When the Japanese invader comes in our Brgy. before they abuse the banana that we have and they cut all the banana plants and the body of it used to feed a pig and other animals before. In that case, the Banana fairy got angry and all the banana fruit have a lot of seeds inside of it and we called it Pakol, no one can eat it because of its too many seeds inside.

That’s why our ancestors before they pray and offer some foods, etc. to the Banana fairy to bring back the good kind of banana-like Sab-a and many years to come to the sab-a is back and the pakol is the one that only cut and feed to their pigs, cows, and other animals that can eat it.

One early ritual to plant the banana in the place is a young married man all naked bring clean water from the river and start to plant a new banana with sugar drop around. This tradition was passed on from generation and generation as a result of a good harvest 

And one day theirs a visitors comes in our brgy. and ask what is the name of the place because they want to come back there anytime they want because of the banana, they love to eat a banana called sab-abe cause of its amazing taste.

But suddenly the people who lived there don’t know what is the name of their place, one of the visitors suggest that “what if we called it the place of Sab-a?” and the people here are against it because it is too long if they will call it “the place of Sab-a”. Until they come up with the name Sab-ahan which means kasagikan nga Sab-a.

So that Day they called it Sab-ahan until this generation.-

Legend of Bais Collection from Baisanon late Historian Josefa Baena Villanueva-Perez - 1978

Fall

                              Simon Anton Diego Galera Baena
 

THAT FOR WHICH WE THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE

A Short Poem by

Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina

The bud opened. Slowly-

Even the thorns below could not prevent her -

from blooming

It awaited. Patiently-

For the bees to sip its nectar,

and the butterflies to flirt,

Amidst the discomfort,

of the blowing wind-

Amihan

She knew her time

would come. She didn't rush.

She waited. For so long-

And now,

it has already bloomed-

beautifully

And without warning,

she was nipped,

from the stem

She knew, by then,

her time is fast coming-

to die, wither and be gone

No roots to cling on to,

she was

a virgin

No more bees, no butterflies,

her life was destined to be short-

she, only to be adored - only for a while

Literary Development of Negros Oriental in Bais and Tanjay

 Women in Literature in Negros Oriental  

Men  in Literature in Negros Oriental  

Everlasting love 2001- by Penn T. Larena

When a son was born

The family was happy

Every afternoon we walked to shell beach sand

Togetherness is like Everlasting love 

 

The water was so green and cool

The firefly light  in the nipa palm such a beautiful evening

But when God gave us sadness

The struggle in life with a broken heart

A memory of sad and loneliness appear in my shadow

 

When you saw everybody was wearing black and sadness on their face

You feel the smell of the floral scent scratch everywhere

A tear drops with a sense of sadness and feeling the darkness

When the sound of the roaster and the dawn came the morning light

The morning glory appear gracefully with majesty

 

The aroma of green grass spread the surrounding,

feeling the sadness of losing someone at your Tender age

The woman stands in silence holding the two boys and promise to care for them 

 

Growing up I feel the loneliness of a love

I was waiting for a long time

My heart moves from cold to fire

Would that I could walk with you,

Along some distant seashore,

Leaving only footprints,

 

When my time comes in the future

I want  to see your  sweet smile

I want you to wait for me in the old railway

I will hold your hand to the white light

To meet my creator received my everlasting love

Holding you forever and the love I want for eternity

 

 

 By Penn Tulabing Larena,MPA,KCR

Educator,Civic Leader, Rover Scout ,Poet and Historian

Bais City Philippines

 

 

                   Photo by : AMAROMA

The Louisville Review for including my poem "The Funeral" in your Fall 2020 issue!

International Poet 

Simon Anton Diego Baena

 

 

VALENTINE'S DAY IN 2014

The light was dim

The table was set

The candle was the witness

Mushroom/Arugula Salad

Pasta in thick tomato sauce

Herbed chicken

Blueberry cheese cake

Bottle of red wine

The music was great

Reminiscent of years gone by

The laughter was pure

Un-choreographed

And true

The dance

It was perfect

Everything was bliss

The movie after dinner

Oh love, it said

It always has room for mistakes

But one who's loving shouldn't fear

Then slowly everything faded

Everything gone

What's left were memories of a wonderful evening

And the hope that one day, love will be forever

(This poem was written on February 14, 2014)

Poet Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina

Simon Anton Diego Baena Literary International Journal

 Another great issue of Osiris! I'm honored to be in this issue with Rob Cook , Eugenio de Andrade, Andrea Moorhead, George Moore, Salgado Maranhao, Ray Kefeitz, Simon Perchik, and other amazing poets!

Osiris

is home! https://osirispoetry.com/

I'm stoked and honored to be in the 10th anniversary issue of Phantom Drift! Can't wait for my copies. With Ray Keifetz, Derek Anis, Cindy Veach,

Peter Grandbois

, and other stunning poets.

https://www.phantomdrift.org/

THE 2021 FULL-LENGTH AND CHAPBOOK CONTESTS ARE OPEN JANUARY 1 – APRIL 30, 2021.

Past judges - Marilyn Nelson, Afaa Michael Weaver, Chana Bloch, Dorianne Laux, Toi Derricotte, Denise Duhamel, Hélène Cardona, Lola Haskins, Stuart Dischell, Betty Adcock, Jamaal May, Rickey Laurentiis, Joseph Millar, Cynthia Huntington, John Hoppenthaler, Zeina Hashem Beck, Mary O’Donnell, Ely Shipley and Julie Suk. Judges announced after the contest.

Affordable entry fees. Be a part of a Community Active press.

http://jacarpress.com/submissions/#contests

Thank you again,

Osiris

for including my prose poem, "Black and White Reels" in your forthcoming 91st issue! Thank you so much for supporting my work! Happy New Year!

https://osirispoetry.com/

Almost Love 2021

 

When I saw violent Calla lilies 

 There's so much tenderness in my eyes

When I saw u in the digital world it lighted my life

 So raise my hands to heaven and pray

A new friend came into my life

 

The flowers blooms and morning calm

Ending the day without you would be a savage one

The moon and sun unity in a good surprise 

 

I enjoy your company even I did not see you in person,

When I saw your good soul appear in my memories

I felt the night you calm and I am restless 

Hold me in the darkness and I feel safe

Every day I need your sweet caress

 You relieve my sadness in this boring life

 

On the third day, I fell in love and 

waiting for your call

As we move to embrace, tears run down my face

Recalling the red stick that lingers in my mind

I whisper words of love, to a person gone for the moment

 I can't believe this pain, it's driving me insane

 Without you in my life will be lonely

That we'll be back together someday 

Penn Tulabing Larena, MPA- Poet, Heritage & Cultural Advocate and Professor in Social Sciences

 

Writers and Poets from Bais City Negros Oriental

Simon Anton Diego G. Baena

Penn Tulabing Larena

Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina

Fr. Rudy E. Villanueva

The Room

The COVID -19 Poem of Prof. Penn T. Larena March 2020


A dirty white covers the whole space
Feeling so sad, lonely, and broken-hearted
It feels my mind  of  things to do
The sound of the drama, dancing night and day

People are dying of the virus
Here we are praying day and night
Always thinking about money
and life within the day
How would you spend it and the world will stop for nothing
Thinking of our loved one
and Frontlines saving lives every day

Naked in the room
That feel the heart and soul
Looking at the calendar every day
For the days wasted
Your minds were savage

Touching your body with desire in mind
Looking the time to kill
Praying for everyone to stay healthy
Thinking about the next month's things to do

Only God will help
In a tiny room, you are so afraid
Thankful for the blessing you received
Just in the corner bare naked
Holding to yourself, what world the future brings