POETRY BY JUSTIN ANDREW CRUZANA

Ode to the Houses One Signature Away From Demolition

Dear Manila / be honest with me / this thing of ours / what have we done for you / to take it /

away? / I want you / to be honest / I never lacked / candor / but recently / I’ve been lacking /

home. I do not know / these strangers / working the demolition / machines / but I know what it

feels like to have a mouth / overflow / with the anxiety / to ask / when are we leaving / this

house. My grandfather / asked God for forgiveness / in 1972 / for borrowing His land / before

setting it / to camphor / is this why / Manila? / Because we asked old scripture / before you? At

seven / I slipped / fell down / the stairs / lost my crown / bust a lip / knee scraped / forgot a

dream / oh, what / a dream it is / to love the house / that hurts you / what a dream it is / to live /

in a house / and not fear / abandonment. / Manila / when did it become / like this / I have seen it /

all / from the makeshift houses / to the megamalls / to the gifts / you give / of sudden / fire /

swallow / electric poles / soft cry / sinking skin / the construction crane / swallowing / the moon /

at night / obscuring it / from view. / When they send more men / up to the moon / and they steal /

because men who can go up / to the moon / all they know / is steal / a view / of you / and think /

we have seen countries / set aflame / we turn / other countries / to fireflies / but when / did this

city learn / to burn / itself / but of course, / Manila / master / of razing / and recovery / when the

promise / of the hotel / that will rise / from the debris / of my house / is fulfilled / remember / the

gravel / are the words / I let fall / from my lips / aching / with the dreams / of the people / born /

from the land / of the morning.

Justin Andrew Cruzana is a literature student at the University of Santo Tomas. He currently lives in Metro Manila.