Aso

by Allan Popa

Hindi punyal hindi krusipiho ang hawak mo

nanggigigil na kinakaskas sa ilalim ng kaldero kahit

 

walang nasisimot kundi ang ngilong tinutugon

ng ungol sakal ng kadenang-asong nakatanikala sa iyo.

 

Anong pangangailangan pa ang nagpapalubay

sa iyong kapit upang haplusin siya sa noo, malupit

 

na kamay na malugod niyang inaabot upang basain  

ng dila na minsang nahuling dumidila sa kanyang

 

ari: matalim mo siyang tinitigan upang pahiyain.

Hindi na niya makakayang harapin

 

ang iyong tingin. Sa iyo siya nakatingin.

 

 

 

Dog

by Allan Popa

Neither crucifix nor knife

what you scrape against the pot’s bottom.

 

You scrape up nothing, not

a scrap off it, only a grating screech

 

to which the dog whines, choking at

the leash chained to you. Out of what need

 

would you loosen your grip to pet

its forehead? It licked your hand.

 

Once you caught it feverishly licking its own

sex and fixed on it, staring it into shame.

 

No more, you thought, could it stare

back at you. It stares back at you.

 

 

translated from Filipino by Mabi David & Allan Popa
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