A Poem After Reading Ladlad (July 24, 1998)

( For Peter Lyle )



Your reflection, my friend,
Is beyond mere eyes and mirrors.


Refrain from staring at yourself on a mirror,
You'll only find him,
Tall, dark and loathsome,
His ego as even as his skin
And his ambiguous smile.
Or her,
Full breasted and dressed,
Her make-up complementing her listless soul.
And her high-heeled shoes
That don't make her any taller.
Or yourself perhaps,
Throwing back a cold stare,
Frowning,
Because you're not one of them.


Close your eyes and see
How not being one of them,
Make you most fascinating.



( a decade old poem written for me from a friend Mr. John Paul Aguilar; UST Literature Batch 1999. )