So thin, so silly happy
amber eyes stared at three pairs
of black eyes, one of my sisters
observed he looks like a sardine
A gift from my uncle to my father
for my birthday,

Except he arrived months too early
So happy to be there with us
and so silly with joy, his butt lifts
more than an inch to the ground
whenever he wagged his tail,
he followed the bus to school,
me and my sisters point
look, look it’s Charlie

The day came my sisters met me
at the gate like dark old women
ululating, long black hairs askew with tears
he did not even cry!
uhulu lu lu lu lu uhulu lu lu lu lu
as they led him to the axe!
uhulu lu lu lu lu uhulu lu lu lu lu

Mourning for this undigestable
messiah whose gospel taught us
of a far nobler friendship
that made us judases
at the supper table.

01/06/2013

Author's Note: The poem above is about my birthday as a kid back home in my country, Philippines, about a pet, a friend, true ‘till the end. “I still gag Charlie every single time, I remember."

Posted on 01/06/2013
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