MAKE UP (Original Poem)

*Make-up*

You put on make-up
to enhance your beauty.
On your face
there are colors of the sky,
of wood, ocean, metal
and candy.

You put on make-up
to attract the beholder's eyes.
But you can't find a brush,
a blush and paint
for your soul and heart.
Them you cannot disguise.

SING (Original Poem)

*Sing*

sing me now a song,
afternoon.

morning
was unexpectedly mute
today.
it did not open its bud.

evening,
be ready to serenade me.

i shall save your melodies
in my ipod.

SMELLY ARMPITS (Original Poem)

*Smelly Armpits*

Your smelly armpits
oppress me.
I feel like collapsing.
But I cannot say that
straight to your face
because you look unfriendly.

If I speak against
those smelly armpits,
the Third World War
it may trigger.
You are a total stranger
among other strangers
here in this slow-moving elevator.

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

The Temple

The temple of the Holy Spirit is the entire body of the genuine believer of Jesus. The temple includes everything from the strand of hair to the hardened soles of the feet. The temple is the house of the Spirit of God, a quiet, yet quickening resident from above.

The temple has to be kept holy. Never to be corrupted by any sinful contamination. The eyes often wander and they devour what is within their range of vision. The hands are quick to touch and feel and grip. The feet, like the eyes, are prone to wander and to leave the narrow road. All body parts should be kept holy. Easier said than done. But still can be done.

The Spirit is only powerful when we believe that it is. The flesh and its appetites can only be subdued when the Spirit is allowed to rule. When the flesh rules, darkness rules. And here is death. When the Spirit of God rules, Light rules. And here is Life. The temple of the Holy Spirit lives and shines with God's glory.

My Original Facebook Quotes 1

"Going to church can't save you. Your religion can't save you.... Only JESUS, the Son of God, can!"

‎"You don't live in a big house. You don't have a car. You don't have lots of money. But you have a loving family, good health, a job, a clean conscience, and a genuine relationship with Jesus. Rejoice! You are blessed!"

"Your friends are simple, not popular, not fashionable, not rich, not powerful. But they love you and care for you. That's enough. And that's okay. Praise the Lord for them."

"God is pleased with sincerity, simplicity, humility, godliness..... Try to find these in showbiz. Try."

"So much money. So so much money... But very unhappy."

"Famous. Very famous. But very far from Jesus...."

"You know you have been doing a lot of bad things. But you admit that you feel no remorse. There is no deep sense of guilt... Uh, oh..... A big sin problem here... But in Jesus there is mercy and love and freedom. He can perform an awesome miracle in your life. Run to Jesus!"

"We go to church not to talk, not to keep whispering, not to keep looking at the watch, not to criticize the preacher, not to look at clothes, not to meet your crush.... Go to church for God!"

"Yes, I applaud you for great talent. But I applaud you even more for godly character. I praise the Lord!"

"Getting older means being wiser, godlier, calmer."

"Repentance heals. Sin sickens."

The Man and His Dragons (Original Poem)

In bed he lays
for his terribly sick body
tells him to slay
the dragons
of his flesh--
the gluttony of his gut
and the evil thirst of his throat.

His flesh is cursed
with a poisoned blood
and a sinful heart.
He cannot kneel
nor lie prostrate
to pray.
But he lies on his back
and wonder
if God is so remote.

In bed he stays
and knows that death
is just a gasp away.
Weak and delirious,
he calls out the Name
above all names.
Faced with dragons,
he then stiffens
after uttering,
"Save me, Jesus!"

INAUGURAL SPEECHES

Inaugural speeches are passionate speeches. They stir, rouse and rekindle many feelings and emotions, most especially those of hope. Such speeches are cries for positive change, social justice and economic progress. But speeches are speeches. The mouth can only do so much.

Inaugural speeches are declarations of intent. They are avowals to do this and to do that. They are pronouncements of the beginning of this and the end of that. Speeches can only do so much.

Inaugural speeches are mostly promises. Once words are said, they are heard, understood and hopefully remembered by those to whom the speeches are delivered. And promises should be held sacred.

The new president of the Republic of the Philippines is Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. He delivered his inaugural speech on June 30, 2010. What he said should be taken seriously. The nation must pray for him, work with him and hope with him.

After the inauguration and the celebration comes the real work. Work is sweat, tears and blood, even. Speeches are soundbytes or mere spit, even.

LADY GAGA

Mama Monster Madonna is tired and passe. So, music world's new generation of idolaters need a clone in the shocking shape of Fame Monster Lady Gaga. She's bloodier, wardrobe-crazier, ungodlier than the Queen of Pop. This makes her tastier to the world.

Just like Madonna, Lady Gaga is but an image adored and worshiped by millions who just love infectious beats, rhythms, hooks, shocks and imagery. As long as it sounds, looks and feels shockingly good, it is good. All in the name of entertainment.

Lady Gaga's fandom has become inevitably spectacular. This is what the world wants-- Sex. Pleasure. Lust. To those who cannot have enough of Gaga, be warned. She may now be in the limelight. But she's not in the Light. Definitely not.

Education in the Philippines

They're planning to add two more years to the ten years of education before a student can proceed to college. They believe a 12-year basic education will meet global standards of education. Why only now? I'm not saying it's too late but even if they add twelve or twenty more years to basic education, this is no guarantee that our students will achieve academic excellence.

There is no excellence if teachers are not excellent, well-paid and inspired. A mediocre teacher teaching in a rotting school with flawed textbooks will only produce incompetents. The government now has to know which education problems to fiercely deal with first. I am sure corruption has been killing our already poor educational system.

While the government is trying to fix problems I say to students: LEARN AND GET EDUCATED OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.... Are parents and TV doing their part as educators? I don't think so.

I ONCE SAW YOU (An Original Poem)

I once saw you talk to a poor little girl.
I saw you give her something
that made her smile.
You played with her
and laughed so hard with her
until she let go of her balloon
that floated toward the sky.

I once saw you sit next to a lonely man
on a bench one cloudy afternoon.
I saw you hold his hand
and this made him bow his head
and wipe his eye.

I once saw you walk past my window.
You looked sad.
I knew not what was hurting you.
Where was the little girl?
Where was the lonely man?
Who was there now for you?

I will never be certain.
I let you walk and walk
away
until I drew the window curtain.

BE BORN AGAIN

In John 3:3 Jesus said to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus, the Son of God, is not a liar. He Himself said this in the Scripture. But why do most people don't get this straight? Since most people don't really get it, they don't get born again as a result. They stay where they are, facing the peril of NOT seeing and NOT being in heaven.

Born again means rebirth. It's a spiritual transformation. It is not group membership nor church transfer. To be born again is to have the mind, heart and life changed by God through genuine faith in His Son Jesus, who is God. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the believer's heart. The Spirit, who is also God, will counsel, comfort and convict the born-again of sin.

When one becomes born again, he is saved, forgiven, justified and redeemed. To this new creation in Christ titles and denominations don't matter anymore.

LOVE: Two Haikus

LOVE: Two Haikus

I
They say 'I love you'
But unalloyed with reason.
One day they'll shed tears.

II
Passion, appetite.
Oh, what is love without both?
It will be friendship.

SEX EDUCATION

I am not totally against the Department of Education's latest move to include sex education in the basic education curriculum for public elementary and high school students. My questions are: Are the educators truly equipped and qualified to educate the young on sex? Are these educators wise enough to know which questions to answer and to NOT answer? How will the DepEd gauge the success of this "experiment"?

Now, we keep claiming the Philippines is a Christian nation. But it is a shame that there is no push at all for the reading and application of the Bible. "What does God say about sex? About sexuality?" The Word of God has answers to them. Excluding God from this "experiment" would further saturate the children with "sex" in this already sexually saturated world of ours.

We always forget that God is far above our sciences, our education, our personal moralities. He has the best instructions for us. I strongly assert, "Let God and His Word take over now!"

LET THEM SMOKE!

Let smokers smoke. It's enough that they have been consistently warned of the health risks and dangers they face for puffing smoke habitually. They know that cigarettes have no real health benefits. They know that they can insist that it's their lungs they are damaging and not other people's. They know they have the stubborn right to be and to stay stubborn.

And what do I think of that You Tube video of a 2-year old boy from Indonesia who puffs like a little dragon? Well, it did not shock me. The boy was just unfortunate to have the most irresponsible father. People can start condemning the parents of the kid. People can start calling for stricter policies and regulations on cigartte smoking. But not all people care about personal health. In this world, populated by 6.8 billion people, there will always be the good, the bad and the dead.

Facebook and God

I've been Facebooking for about 16 months now. Just recently I was struck by the conviction that I should daily glorify Jesus Christ on this popular site. Facebook seems to have turned into a temple of the Self. Millions of people tell other millions of people about themselves. People stay on Facebook for hours everyday and Jesus Christ hardly gets a status mention on most FB walls. I admit I have more posts about my "Self" than about the Word of God. As a Christian I must respond to the prompting of the Spirit of God to obey His Word. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

If one is indifferent towards the things of God, one can turn Facebook into a Babel Tower. The self is glorified. Man and his many doings are magnified. Facebook is the temple of the king named Self. It's a challenge to put Jesus first on Facebook. And I am faced with this challenge in the light of my recent divine prompting. Truly I accept such challenge like a brave Christian. I will do the things that please the Lord even if it requires my permanent leaving of the Facebook temple.

One Very Hot Afternoon (Original Poem)

*One Very Hot Afternoon*

It's one very hot afternoon
and I'm beginning to think of malling

naked;

to think of diving into a swimming pool
of ice cream

naked;

It's one very hot afternoon
and I'm beginning to think of cursing
this tilt of the earth.

There's no winter in my country;
a truth

naked.

For the Hurting Lover (Original Poem)

Your heart limps
and it limps with you.
What used to be red,
like lips and kissed lips,
is now painfully blue.

The memories
of romance past
and of passion's residue,
are for now crutches
that support you.

Walk with your wounded heart
and limp you may go.
Love is red,
bloody red,
even indigo.

Ahead perhaps
for you is something
or someone new.

WILLIE & WOWOWEE

Willie Revillame and Wowowee are two faces of a network coin. It's a bloodied currency. (Remember the 2006 PhilsSports Arena stampede?) Now we hear rumors of Willie's not returning to the show. I am not a fan. It does not affect me a tiny bit if he's not coming back. Time now to say goodbye to this cash-dispensing monolith. But without a doubt Wowowee has countless followers who believe the show is entertaining, hope-giving, even life-saving.

Willie has become an idol. And Wowowee an exploding temple of cash, sexy women and chance. But not all fans win. Not all of them get money. Not all of them get to play to win. Only a few hit the jackpot. This means not everyone wins. Not everyone gets money. But still so many people hope they would have the Wowowee money. The Word of God is forgotten in this paganistic clamor for the moolah. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

BLESSED (A Collection of Personal Quotes)

Below are personal quotes posted on my Facebook Wall on May 17, 2010.

"Blessed are they who have become born-again and new creations in Jesus Christ."

"Blessed are they who don't lead double lives."

"Blessed is he who does a good thing for someone and keeps quiet about the good deed."

"Blessed is he who has love and peace in the home."

"Blessed is he who has genuinely loving Christian friends."

"Blessed are they who don't keep up with the Joneses."

"Blessed is he whose basic needs are regularly met."

"Blessed is he who always gives thanks to the Lord God."

"Blessed is he who knows that godly wisdom is superior to human intelligence."

"Blessed is he who is not running away out of guilt from something or someone."

"Blessed is he who has no financial debts."

"Blessed is he who has contentment in the simplicity of his life."

"Blessed is he who has found the Lord God and is found by Him."

"Blessed are they who have the love and respect of their children."

"Blessed is she who has found a loving and faithful God-fearing husband."

"Blessed is he who has found a loving, faithful Christian wife."

"Blessed is he who is ready to face His Creator for the judgment."

"Blessed is he whose heart is filled with Truth and Light."

"Blessed is he who follows the Good Shepherd and not this evil world system."

"Blessed is he who fully gives up pronography for that is what the Holy God desires."

"Blessed are the prodigal sons and daughters who sincerely return in repentance to their loving and merciful Father."

"Blessed is he who walks in the Love of God."

"Blessed is he who reads and follows the Word of God."

MONEY

Money is not evil. The love of it is. I look around and I see people NOT seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) Instead, they chase money as if that is their Life. Grasping for the wind, they usually run in circles with disappointment on their heels. Money is visible to the eye. God is not. So, money is more an immediate attraction to the poor, the covetous and the greedy.

The promise of God to those who put Him and His Righteousness first will be divine additions. Things will fall into their proper places. What is empty will be filled. Lack turns to overflowing. This is not easily fathomed by people who stubbornly believe that money is their peace, their happiness, their life. They are very wrong and very deceived.

It Reminded Me of Star Trek

I was impressed to see how advanced we have become in TV news reporting. Augmented Reality or AR Technology was employed in ABS-CBN's automated election coverage this week. This technology is commonly used in other advanced TV stations in the US and China. Star Trek came to mind when someone from the "outside" virtually appeared inside the studio as if directly talking to the news anchor. Inwardly I expressed a Wow! But my appreciation was short-lived. Such high technology was to me frivolous. A reporter beamed up through highly advanced computer technology is not superior to the one who just appears on a flat screen. Did this AR technology accomplish something big in matters of style and presentation? A big YES! But it did not impact at all the essence and substance of news and information.

No matter how sophisticated technology becomes, it can never attain the dignity of Truth.

On Choosing a President

It is not wise to have so many candidates. Two or three would do. Having many presidential candidates is very divisive. The position of president should be contested only by the best and the most qualified candidates. Is there any place for 'filtering" in our politics here? Presidential candidates should be quizzed and pressed for practical and realistic platforms. They should not be spared from a track record scrutiny or from a morality check up.

As part of the electorate, I believe we need to be re-educated. We need to know and understand our political history. We need teachers and educators, resources and technology that can take us back to our political past and see where we went wrong. And from there we can make strong and informed decisions.

Now that we have elected a new president, we must give him the chance to prove himself with our support. Only time can tell if the nation made the right choice or a huge mistake.

MOTHER (An Original Poem)

MOTHER

I can no longer sit on your lap,
so let me sit right next to you and wrap
these large arms around your neck
and kiss your cheeks, Mother.

Place my head on your bosom,
and cradle me,
cradle me in your heart.
Kiss me, too, on the cheeks, now tear-stained.

Mother, oh Mother,
I can't have you forever.
I can't have you forever.

Are you also crying now,
Mother?

MY GOD (An Original Poem)

MY GOD

My God has a Lamb
and I have never had
any sheep
except that One
so pure and meek.

My God has a Dove
and I have never caged
any pigeon
except that One
so holy and sweet.

My God has given them
to me, a sinner.
Of His love, mercy
and power
I shall always speak.

To a Forgotten Book (An Original Poem)

TO A FORGOTTEN BOOK

You are like a forgotten lover
without legs;
but with a spine
sturdier than mine at times.
You have not run away from me.
You have stayed where I have last left you.
But others, like you,
perhaps somewhere,
are touched and leafed through.

Do you miss my eyes that used to run
from line to line,
from page to page?
Do you miss my tongue
that used to lick my lips
on occasions when you get really interesting?
Do you miss the notes and symbols
that I used to tattoo you with,
usually on your slender margins?

I used to hold you many times.
Can you remember how often?

Let me now wipe the dust off of you.
Is it ok?

Would you like us to be lovers again?

MANO-MANO

We are not ready for automated polls. The machines, which serve as vote counters, have recently proved to be unreliable during random testings. The call for the return to manual count may be a backward step but many now see this as imperative. The "mano-mano" method in vote-counting is tedious, taxing and time-consuming. But this procedure is at least comforting for it is familiar to us.

I personally prefer the familiar to the alien, especially if the new thing is prone to error. But we have not yet tried the machine. Let us give it a chance. But if the worst does happen on election day, the manual count should come to the rescue. The future of the Philippines should not be at the mercy of failing machines. Never will democracy be subordinate to technology.

The Body, When Mourning (An Original Poem)

THE BODY, WHEN MOURNING

There is a languid drooping
of the head and the neck
A slouching of shoulders
to shelter a heart, bleeding.
A sad bending
of spine, weighed
by multiple oppressions.

There is a weakening
of the knees, hurt
from the kneelings.
A slow collapsing
of limbs and legs,
lured by earth
for a moment's surrender.

There is a falling down.
A breaking down.

The body's tribute
to dust.

Original Quotes 1

The quotes below were extracted from my Facebook Wall.

"People power is a spontaneous combustion. It is not a deliberate contact of fire with flammable object. People power is not making 'da-ob'." (May 4, 2010)

"Power is not for the unprepared. Power is prepared for the prepared." (May 4, 2010)

"My advance salute goes to those who would lose in the elections and would still enthusiastically return to the people to serve them even without the seat." (May 4, 2010)

"Those who are most ready to accept defeat in the elections would be the least frustrated." (May 4, 2010)

"Any mistake or obvious blemish in the ballot can turn our vote into mere 'nothing'... Thus, what is expected of the electorate is 'perfection' or anything close to it." (May 4, 2010)

"We are not ready at this time for automated polls. And there is no turning back.... We are getting closer to the precipice. It's either we fly or plunge." (May 4, 2010)

"The failure of elections is the failure of the collective morality of the people." (May 4, 2010)

"The son is not the mother..... The son is not the father. The son is only but himself."(May 4, 2010)

"Candidates who sing and dance and try hard to entertain can succeed in making me smile or feel amused.... but hanggang diyan lang. Utak pa rin ang gagamitin." (May 4, 2010)

CHEATING

Many people think that there will be a failure of elections on May 10, 2010. This is such a dark forecast. This may just be true. The failure of elections is but the result of the general failure of this country’s morality. Our present day morality hardly reflects the righteousness of God. Moral corruption, oftentimes imputed on politicians, is actually an across-the-board moral infection. Most of us are guilty.

Cheating happens inside the home. It happens outside the home. There is cheating in the classroom, in the workplace, in the offices, in the government and in the church. And cheating in the elections is nothing new at all. Such crookedness does not exalt our nation. If massive cheating does take place next week, we would never know who truly won. The nation gets cheated…again. The cheaters themselves also get cheated. “Weather weather lang ‘yan…. Kawawa ang Pilipinas.”

To the Atheist

define love
and tell me where
the definition comes from.

the meaning of love
is from somewhere,
something or even someone.

you deny God
and yet you know love.
now, you define contradiction.

TOO MANY POSTERS

Campaign posters are everywhere! I see them on walls, posts, tree trunks and flat vertical surfaces. Campaigns go for the overkill. Image overkill! And the repetitive images and faces and names are way too much. To be ubiquitous is deemed an effective campaign strategy. But dozens of the same person's face plastered on just one big wall is just too assaulting and even desperate.

Would I forget a candidate if I see only about five of his smiling face on every wall in the city? Is power of recall truly insured when the same politician's face is multiplied innumerably in every legal campaign space available? I don't think so. Personally, I don't need to see the same politician's face a hundred or even a thousand times so that I can surely remember him/her. Remembering the candidates is actually different from voting for the candidates.

Political campaigns here in our country is dirty figuratively and literally. After the elections all campaign posters turn into litter.

Just way too much garbage! Yuck!

To The Supermodel (An Original Poem)

I go beyond your outrageous clothes.
Allow me to check instead
your bony knees,
funny moving patellas,
Thighs as slim as your chances
of acquiring
believability.

I go beyond your flagrant adornments.
Allow me to locate instead
your slender throat,
clavicles apparent,
smoothened integuments,
your broken-looking ligaments.
You look remote.

Yes, that hair of yours.
Blown by the winds of caprice.
That painted face,
veiled with stony expressions,
Those measured strides,
steppings on line invisible.

You are another animal.

Dirty, dirty campaign!

The present political campaign has turned terribly vicious. And the viciousness is disgustingly apparent in the actuations of candidates and their supporters. Casting stones and finger-pointing reveal how desperate people have become just to win the elections. The campaign has turned into a shameless display of power-lust.

Issues and platforms have virtually become non-exixtent. What's making headlines is the passionate exchange between the accusers and the accused, the chargers and the charged. And most of them have unclean hands.

If candidates and their supporters prefer dirty tactics to humane approaches, they're actually planting bad seeds. If they win, those seeds will eventually turn into bad fruits. If we start dirty we always end up dirty still. And the nation suffers in the filth.

If I Were a Political Candidate

If I were a candidate who would run for a position in government, I would also wisely consider the possibility of my defeat. Success is not predictably assured to those with money, image, clout and even experience. The present mental health of our nation is not at all excellent. Government seats may have random occupants after a not so trusted electoral process.

If I would lose in the elections, I would continue to serve the people. Not getting the seat I most wanted to have should not deter me from being a public servant. Defeated politicians have no real excuse to turn their back on society if they sincerely had no selfish interests in running for office. In their own unique capacities they can still serve the poor, the disenfranchised and the less fortunate among us.

Losing the election is not a reason to end one's altruism.

NO TO KIDS BOXING

Punch me and call me Wimp. I just don't approve of Kids Boxing. Though the sport has the required protective gear for the young boxers, I remain unconvinced that it is a healthy sport to encourage. Boxing is punching, jabbing and hitting. It's a contact sport that teaches kids to attack, yes, with kid gloves. But what goes on in the mind and spirit of the child as he is trained to do well in the sport?

Picture your grade schooler hitting and being hit by another young pugilist. There will be blood. I don't believe there is pure pleasure to be derived from watching your precious child getting hurt. It's all about aggression. And defense is never primary in boxing.

Leave the sport to the big boys. The kids should be spared from the possibility of getting a brain damage or dying early.

PAPER (An Original Poem)

PAPER

You were a tree,
a tree.

A tree was felled
for me,
for me.

A tree died
for you, paper,
for me, poet,
for this poetry.

I Cannot Hate Marcos and His Family.

I was only a grade schooler in the '70s when Ferdinand Marcos was still the country's president. His political sway was much felt by my parents from the 60s to the 80s. But I did not know about it nor feel it then. It was only when I was in UP High School that I knew something about the "dictator" and what they called was his "tyrrany".

Ferdinand Marcos to me is history. Not having experienced or even suffered from his "dictatorship" as a child is enough reason for me to be incapable of truly hating him. If I cannot hate him, I cannot hate his living wife and their children. Their "corruptions" and "evils" were and are still beyond me. Undoubtedly they are told about in many books.

I am not a hypocrite to raise a fist and say down with the Marcoses. I have not lived to greatly suffer from the Marcos despotism. In fact I like Imee and Bongbong. Though children of a "dictator", they cannot be automatically regarded as "undesirable fruits". I cannot hate the Marcoses. I can only hate the present "evildoers".

"Third World Pa Rin."

Almost everything we want to know about everything can be accessed now via the Intenet. Students certainly have no excuse nowadays to claim they cannot know enough about their courses and subjects. But still I have yet to meet anyone with astonishing brilliance.

Entertainers we have awfully a lot here. And the obvious dearth of excellent scientists, experts, field specialists, creative writers and thinkers is the result of something corrupt in our educational system or perhaps, our present culture as a whole.

We heavily prefer singing, dancing, entertaining and playing money games to studying, learning, writing, appreciating and mastering the arts, humanities, history, literature, science and other disciplines. We somehow look quick towards where the moolah is. This is shamelessly shallow. (A tongue twister there.) And look where we have remained. In the dumps. Overtaken by other Asian nations. Third world pa rin.

DEATH (Original Poem)

*Death*

your weapon is hidden
from us
and
it is for us

not a sting,
not a bullet,
not a scythe,
but
it is something
just for us

your mouth is shut
you never will tell

you just give it to us
and we take it
eventually

until we give up
the ghost

you do your job
pretty well

a round of applause

To tell or not to tell

There are people who don't have the need to know certain things about us. We have private stuff in our lives' classified drawers. If people ask us personal questions, we are not obliged to give full answers. Certain disclosures are for a few who can respectfully handle things about who we are and who we once were, what we do and what we did in the past.

We must know when to be quiet. We know which things deserve to be hushed. What spills out of our mouths may eventually be used as daggers for the stabbing of our backs. So-called friends, acquaintances or just plain curious strangers may just turn evil and malicious. It takes wise discernment to know who deserves an honest answer or a 'No comment.' Zipped lips can be at times the best lips.

The Unqualified Candidate

The fears of an unqualified candidate are many. He fears he would be eventually proved unqualified when he is already in office. He fears his incompetence would lead to his downfall. He fears his corrupt motives will be exposed. He fears what people say of his past, his skeletons in the closet. He fears his personal demons will un-seat him.

I am for early exposure of the true person running for a government seat. When something is exposed, there should be reliable and concrete evidence. If a charge verges on the malicious and scandalous, I will not totally dismiss it. It may just be true.

I still think that there are unqualified candidates out there who have no fears at all. They know that they can get away with many things. They believe they will be elected. And they do get elected. The politics of politics makes our politics here dirty and rotten. The Philippines continues to suffer and crawl.

Running for Office (Original Poem)

They are running for office.
Their mouths are dripping
with promises,
rhetoric and honey.

We are applauding.
They are moving us
with their moving tongues
and moving hands
in conventions
and rallies.

They are running for office.
Their lips are moving.
And we are listening.
We are cheering,
clapping and voting.

Then they are in office.
We keep waiting
for the fulfillment.

Then we sing the same sad songs
while we are crawling.

On Beauty Pageants

Many people will hate me for this. Well, I’ll take the risk. Beauty queens nowadays have descended to the level of trivia. Year after year people look forward to who’s going to win the beauty title? To the crown noble assignments are attached so as not to regard the beauty search “shallow” or “irrelevant.”

The surface beauty (face, shape, proportion, gait, etc.) are highlights. The obligatory interview is a pretentious gauge of a woman’s substance. The “pageantish” manner of speech is almost always studied and forced. In pageants the candidate’s need to impress and to show off somehow reveals the pride of peacocks.

True beauty is quiet and humble. It does not seek approval nor judges’ scores. The truly beautiful women do noble tasks for other people even without a scepter or crown. I believe even in the absence of beauty contests the world will still be a beautiful place to live in.

WORDS (original poem)

When words are spoken,
they fly,
float,
fall,
are suspended
and caught,
complete
or misshapen.

Words can explode
into countless versions.

Then, there's calm
or tension.
Peace
or mayhem.

Or at once
all of them.

Sex Offenders in Church

There are pedophile priests in the Roman Catholic Church. This is a scandalous charge which the church has to face and deal with without cover-ups. And I believe there are also pedophiles and sex abusers in other religious groups and churches.

Secret sex offenders in the church should be rebuked and chastised for their immoralities. But who can dare come out and admit? Who can confess to the crimes and sins? No one can. So, the church is only left with offenders still in hiding.

For those who truly fear the wrath of God, they can still run to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. They can still repent. Jesus forgives and saves. If in the future these priests or religious leaders are exposed for their wicked ways, they have to face the music.

The church of God is called to be pure and righteous. The sinning has to stop! The sodomy has to stop! The sexual offenses and abuse have to stop! The hypocrisy and wickedness have to stop! Now! In the powerful Name of Jesus!

THE NIGHT ON GOOD FRIDAY (An Original Poem)

*The Night on Good Friday*

Few stars I see
this Good Friday night.
So few they are.
The moon is nowhere
to be seen.
But a spill of silver light
I discern from afar.

Maybe there is drama
in the heavens now.
Angels and God,
reenacting a tragic scene.

Die
die must the Superstar.


WILLIAM SIENES III

REPENTANCE

Repentance is one true sacrifice we can offer God. Repentance is superior to tears. It is not mere lamentation. It is not a public display of self-flagellation nor crucifixion. Repentance is private. Repentance is quiet. It is the 180-degree turning away from sin. And the turning to God for good.

The repentant heart is cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for the remission of sins of those who truly believe in Him as Savior and Lord. To repent is to glorify God. And to glorify God is to end the glorification of the Self.

Repentance brings about a delight to please God and a disgust toward sin and sinning. Repentance is an evidence of a person's new life. Anyone who repents is free, joyful, and at peace with himself and God. He is saved.

Stop the Howling

I don't completely believe in violent protests and mass actions. But I totally believe in the power of fervent prayer.

God is a just God. He has solutions to problems of injustice and evil. At His feet we must lay down our grievances and indignations.

Protests turn violent when protesters themselves are propelled by their own volatile tempers. Disgust and discontent go through a slow burn until rage explodes. Eventually both the protester and his cause get hurt. And other people as well are not spared from the wounding.

Peaceful channels like prayer and diplomacy are never dispensable. I would strongly tell protesters to stop their howling and be quiet, instead. This is not to curtail their freedom of expression, but to allow God to direct their steps.

To all protesters and rallyists given to anger, pray and wait on the Lord. Before you take to the streets, make sure you have God on your side.

BORACAY

My recent three-day Boracay trip was splendid! How could it not be? All expenses for air, water and land fares, room accommodations, use of swimming pool and other facilities, breakfast, lunch and dinner were fully paid. That alone made the whole Boracay experience memorable. There’s nothing like traveling without the burden of recalling and recounting huge travel expenditures. A free trip is the best trip for an unenthusiastic traveler like me.

So much have been said of Boracay’s beaches. But I would have to bemoan the presence of green algae in some beachfronts in Station 1. Not only green the algae but the marketplace atmosphere. To me it was like you’re in a mall semi-naked window-shopping with the sea just several feet away from you. And the crowd of people invading the island was both exhilarating and vulgar.

But there were still glorious spots and beaches and places that made me stop and appreciate. The Puka Beach at the northern tip looked like a white and blue paradise to me. The Mount Luho, a refreshing incline that afforded some panoramic views of the island, was also a habitation for caged exotic animals and birds. The Bulabog Beach Boracay had us leaving our van for some time just to excitedly check out people kiteboarding and windsurfing. And the awarded Mandala Spa and Villas proved to me that wellness and peace are twins.

I encourage those who have never been to Boracay to go there. And make it soon. Enjoy what’s left of its diminishing beauty. And to me the only spectacular constant in this much-praised island are the sunsets.

The Singing of the Anthem

The law is the law. And there's a law on the proper way of singing the Philippine National Anthem. "The rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe." Whether sung in the country or abroad, the Lupang Hinirang has to be given due respect. It is the song and not the singer. It is the law and artistic freedom
cannot cancel such law.

I personally want the anthem sung the way it should be sung. According to Ambeth Ocampo, 2002 chair of the National Historical Institute (NHI), the anthem, when played, “must carry a brisk martial tone and tempo.” Celebrity singers may defend their stylized singing by invoking their "artistic freedom". (I just hate it when the last lines are shrieked with almost a vein-popping passion.) But their personal renditions only brought attention to themselves and not to the flag and country as a whole.

The many vocal versions of our National Anthem may have somehow revealed that we don't yet have a true national identity as a people. We're not united and therefore, divided, or worse, broken.

My Advice to Kris Aquino

Who am I to advise Kris Aquino, who yet again cried on The Buzz on March 14, 2010? She does not know me. I am sure she has already received a lot of advice from her own family and loved ones. What she does with all that counsel and advice I really don’t know.

If she would allow me to tell her what I want her to hear without her interrupting me, I would say the following: “It’s not wrong to defend yourself and your loved ones especially if there’s much criticism hurled at you. But your tearful confession on TV still revealed pride. Never broadcast your goodness and virtues in the name of defense. You confess that you’re not a liar. That’s good. But only God sees completely your heart. You may have revealed many truths but what about those things you have not revealed? You are a big star in show business and showbiz is ‘show’. You admitted in one TV interview that you are a tattler. And a ‘tattler’ is one given to tattling or idle talking. Your tongue has cost you and even other people so much pain. It’s about time you need to offer your tongue to the Lord. Praise Him instead with your lips. But that would be hard. You cannot serve both God and the showbiz mammon.”

CORRUPT POLITICS

Corrupt politicians make politics corrupt. Now, if I were asked to try politics, I would right away say No! As a born-again Christian, I must seek first the approval of God and not that of men. A born-again Christian will never be popular and will never succeed in politics in a nation like the Philippines in these current corrupt times. This nation is suffering from a spiritual gangrene which only God can heal. No man and no well-meaning politician can heal this land.

So I would just leave politics to those who can afford to lie, to conceal, to deceive, to flatter, to hoard or even to steal. Others may claim that they are not into dirty politics. Well, I congratulate them. But unfortunately, they are a minority. And speaking of corruption, the Church is not spared from the contagion. And here lies the challenge for all truly God-fearing and God-honoring Christians-- the preaching of the Gospel of Christ and walking the talk.

On Showbiz Gossip

Everything has to be loud. News headlines have to explode. Hosts should be consistently emphatic. There is no point anymore of being subtle. Everything should grab everyone's attention. Even the most trivial info attains a certain degree of relevance by the way it is aired.

But I must not complain. This is what today's showbiz gossip is all about. It must boom. It must create excitement. Gossip has ceased to be hushed. Idle talk, hearsays and rumors do entertain but hardly spirit-lifting. Some showbiz talk show hosts suffer from a diarrhea of the mouth.

On Talent Competitions

If I would have my way, I would like to put an end to online voting especially for talent competitions. I want qualified judges to make the final decisions and not the people. This was the case when cellular phones were not yet ubiquitous. The verdict should be left to the judges and not the texters. Talent contests are not popularity contests. The majority is not always right. (Consider the public officials we have elected.)

Also, talent contests should not be made platforms for one’s sad history and circumstance. I want a talent competition to be drama-free. I’m sure I have just expressed here a very unpopular sentiment. But I must stress that ‘popular’ sounds like ‘mediocre’.

Our Youth Today

I have been witness to a couple of reality TV auditions here in Cebu City. I remember being both astonished and disgusted by the sight of countless young men and women all craving for fame. I said to myself, "Money is Fame's twin. No wonder."

What disgusted me was what has become of our youth's desires. They just love to become instant celebrities. They just love getting the money. Personally I deplore the youth's lack of interest in culture, arts, history, science, literature, languages, theology, humanities and other disciplines, which to me are essential in equipping the youth in bettering our condition as a nation.

Many people say the Philippines has a lot of excellent talent, especially in the field of entertainment. That is true. But entertainment does not and cannot strengthen a nation.

Apollo Quiboloy

This morning I and a friend rode a taxi. We were on our way to a Christian Sunday morning service. The taxi driver was listening to a religious sermon. When the name Pastor Apollo Quiboloy was mentioned I could not resist the urge to ask the driver questions. He is a member of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I boldly, yet respectfully asked him the following:

“Is Quiboloy really the Appointed Son of God? Does he not sin anymore? Is he perfect now?” The answer: “Yes, he is the appointed son of God. He does not sin anymore in thoughts, speech and actions. Therefore, perfect.” To them Jesus is the Father God. He also revealed that Quiboloy has no spouse. But his wife is the New Jerusalem. And his children are the people of the New Jerusalem

“What will happen to the group if Quiboloy dies?” The response: “He will die but God will give him glorified body which will be taken to heaven. Quiboloy’s body will not decompose. The group will survive because God will have someone else to take Quiboloy’s place.”

“How do I go to heaven? Should I be a member of your group?” The quick answer: The new heaven is already here on Earth. The new Jerusalem. One should receive the spirit of God to be part of the kingdom. You must be baptized in the group.”

My BIG QUESTION was, “Which verse in the Bible states that Quiboloy is the appointed son of God?” The answer was not given immediately. The driver stated, “I don’t know but please read Psalm 25:14….If you ask the father, he will reveal to you that Quiboloy is his appointed son.”

I did search for the verse while I was waiting for the service to start. The verse was not at all proof. I praised and worshiped God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit this morning.

The TRUTH! I have it. I have Him.

MY GOD (an original poem)

MY GOD

My God has a Lamb
and I have never had
any sheep
except that One
so pure and meek.

My God has a Dove
and I have never caged
any pigeon
except that One
so holy and sweet.

My God has given them
to me, a sinner.
Of His love, mercy
and power
I shall always speak.