Poems

Black Is Never Quiet
Black blocks out1 everything

Even shadows, even dreams
It is as if you closed your eyes
You are not dead, not asleep
But restless;
Something stirs2 in the dark
You see nothing but black
Something bubbles, something breathes
Something is getting ready to pounce3.
Black may shut everything out4
But it is never quiet
Not in the abyss5
Not in the cave
Not in the shadows.
from The Rainbow Collection (2015) by Peter Solis Nery
QUESTIONS:
1. For the speaker in the poem, what does black symbolize?
2. What type of emotion does black produce?
3. What do these lines mean?
Black blocks out everything
Even shadows, even dreams
1 block out: to hide or cover something so that it cannot

be seen
2 stir: begin or cause to begin to be active or to develop;
gumalaw or kumilos (Tagalog)
3 pounce: (of an animal or bird of prey) spring or swoop
suddenly so as to catch prey; sumagpang (Tagalog)
4 shut [everything] out: to exclude; to refuse entrance
to someone or something; prevent from being a part of
something
5 abyss: a deep or bottomless crack or opening;
kailaliman (Tagalog)
Teleportation
Whenever we come home really late
And I fall asleep in the car,
I get surprised to see Im safely tucked in1
And Id wonder how Id gotten that far.
It even works when I nap on the sofa,
Especially when I do so at night,
The way I always end up in my bed
Gives me a sense of delight2.
I guess Im a superhero with my eyes closed
And I can teleport only when asleep,
But I cannot confirm if it is the truth
I suppose3 my sleeps just that deep.
And I suppose it only works on children,
Because when my dad falls asleep on his chair,
When I come to see him again hours later,
For some reason, hes still sleeping there!
from Ordinary Adventures (2015) by Patricia Celina A. Ngo
QUESTIONS:
1. In truth, the speaker of the poem cannot teleport. What
really happens when he/she thinks she just teleported?
2. What is the age of the speaker? How can you tell?
3. Read the lines. Do you think the child knows what is really
happening when he/she teleports? Why?
I guess Im a superhero with my eyes closed
And I can teleport only when asleep,
But I cannot confirm if it is the truth
I suppose my sleeps just that deep.
1 tuck in: put a child into bed and make sure they are
warm and comfortable by covering them well
2 delight: a feeling of great happiness and pleasure
3 suppose: to believe that something is probably true
Butiki
Butiki was talking to a fellow
Who asked: What time is it?
Upon checking his watch,
Butiki lost his balance,
And started to fall.
When he reached the floor
Butiki said, My friend, its already six in the
evening.
from Punny Poems (2014) by Elyrah Salanga-Torralba
QUESTIONS:
1. The poem is like a riddle? How is this?
2. Why do you think the lizard asked what time it was? And
why do you think the lizard lost his balance?
3. Describe the behavior of small lizards (or butiki). How was
this shown in the poem?
Hot Dog
He is a hot dog
With a cool attitude.
He wears shades like a star,
Dresses like a pro,
Barks with finesse1
And everyone says hello.
He is THE hot dog in the streets
Until a COOL BUKO shakes the town.
from Punny Poems (2014) by Elyrah Salanga-Torralba
QUESTIONS:
1. Do you think that the hot dog really wears shades and
dresses like a pro? Why? What do these lines mean?
2. What is a COOL BUKO? What do you think did the dog do
when a COOL BUKO arrived?
3. Do you think the hot dog is really an animal? Why?
1 finesse: skillfulness
Kuya
Tinutukso namin si kuyang kabayo.
Ang gupit niya kasiy sunod sa uso.
Mohawk ang nagustuhan niyang hairstyle.
Gayunpaman, sa kanya ito ay bagay.
Hard core yatang rakista ang aming kuya.
Tumutugtog siya kahit sa kalsada,
Ilalim ng tulay, overpass, o school.
Makamasa raw siya, hindi ba ang cool?
Pero ang nanay at tatay, naiinis.
Wala kasi syang inaral kundi music.
Mabuti pa raw kung aakyat ng barko
Si kuyat doon tutugtog ng piano.
Kasintigas ng gel sa buhok ang ulo.
Dito raw sa bansa sya magtatrabaho.
Kaya, ulo ni tatay ay sumasakit.
At si nanay ay di na lang umiimik.
from Family Tree na Tumubo sa Anit (2013) by April Jade I.
Biglaen
QUESTIONS:
1. Describe the speakers diction. What information about the
speaker can we get from listening to his/her diction?
2. What is the speakers attitude towards his kuya? Does he
like him? Hate him? Explain your answer.
3. In the Philippines, families are more patriarchal. How is this
shown/described in the following stanza (especially in the
last two lines)?
Kasintigas ng gel sa buhok ang ulo.
Dito raw sa bansa sya magtatrabaho.
Kaya, ulo ni tatay ay sumasakit.
At si nanay ay di na lang umiimik.
Diko
Balakubak ni diko ay tumutulo.
Isang banlaw lamang kasi kung maligo.
Si diko ay palaging nagmamadali.
Kasi, sa computer game sya nakatali.
Noong minsang tingnan ko ang kanyang anit.
Merong mapa ng Pinas na nakaguhit.
Nang kutkutin ko to at kunin nang buo.
Aba, balakubak palang namumuo!
Sinusundo pa siya sa computer shop,
Pero madalas, di sya mahanap-hanap,
Kaya kulang sya sa tulog at pagkain.
Di na magtataka kung maging sakitin.
Sa DOTA niya inuubos ang baon
Kaya siya ay laging nasisinturon.
Pero sige ang laro, para bang adik.
Sa Ragnarok online ay sabik na sabik.
from Family Tree na Tumubo sa Anit (2013) by April Jade I.
Biglaen
QUESTIONS:
1. What does the speakers diction reveal to us about his age
and intellect? What about diko? Is he the same age as the
speaker? How can you tell?
2. What can we tell about the parenting style of dikos mother
and father?
3. What do you think is the poems purpose? Why was it
written? Was it written to teach a lesson? Justify your
answer.

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Black Is Never Quiet

Black blocks out1 everything

1 block out: to hide or cover something so that it cannot

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