a note from the other side of the world

got henna on my hand and my granpop on my mind
on two lane streets heading straight on into a jeepney
the ink has been a little silent but not lifeless
never without life
heat comes to visit daily here in the philippines
from manila to baguio, stop over in iba for some local perspective
become a ninang, that is a "godmother" in tagalog

see my mother laugh laugh laughing
loud smiles fill the air of palinkis and swimming pools
my father at ease, curious-
curiousity is possible at any age

auntie nita, same old auntie nita
she's got a hug for every tear you cry in life
grandma got a prayer for each one of those tears
tita elsie got a purse for all my pretty
and miles got all the kisses for my thoughts that float around my head

no words really come when experience takes over
trying too hard to speak their language or my language the blah blah blah
where is the bathroom?
salamat po.
then it all becomes tagalish
one language
one smile, that's for sure

grandma wants more great grand children
uncle chet reaches for his new son jonathon
ma keeps laughing at pops
and pops keeps laughing at ma
and we listen for where those kost 103.5 hits are coming from
on a beach in my ma's home province
singing red red wine, drinking red red wine

we keep taking shortcuts that don't seem like shortcuts
just roads lined with little girls like me with no shoes
grown men with missing teeth
women missing toes sometimes
and little boys pissing on the street
and the dogs keep coming out, one looking worst then the last
is there a humane society around these parts?
our driver doesn't quite understand the question

the craziest part so far was staying at the penninsula
four star hotel
let's pretend for awhile there is no such thing as cold showers or dirt
pollotion and poverty
maybe we can stay here long enough that it will all dissappear
and the philippines will just be a great vacation getaway
we won't have to go outside and look into the loca'ls eyes and see ourselves

more to come, come another internet cafe
they're not as common here, slow connections
slowing everything down to just enjoy the living, mourn the dead,
respect your elders and eat some pancit
while listening to those soft hits the whole world knows