An Active World, Alive And Happy... Poem by RIC BASTASA

between
katipunan and
dipolog another bridge
is repaired,
cars are detoured
on the right side of the
river,
the asphalted roads
are thickened,
it is the wear and tear
thinning them out,
vehicles line up
to create order.
in punta we pass by
a checkpoint,
motorcab drivers wait
for their cue,
along the way vendors
sell lanzones and
durian,
when i arrive home
the black dogs wag
their tails
dance and meet me
with all
their happy barkings,
oh if they could only
talk,
we could have heard
that this world after
all, like those bridges
and roads and fruit vendors
is filled with
activities, all telling
us that there is
happiness, uniqueness
of each moment,
that this is not
the place for the dead
but for the living.

then dinner, and music
and peace,
with the family,
as the dogs
lie outside, waiting
for their
share.