Transplant

TRANSPLANT

 

They call me Americano

     "Puti"   means White boy

and there are two kinds of Vinegar here

dark and "puti" (white)

Hey Americano!

Oy Puti!

or they call me "Bo-ssing"

Translation: "Boss"

Still, I feel like a foreign

exchange student

still oblivious to the language

nodding at every "ay nako"

   An Alien and stranger to a strange land

which is my country

born on this equatorial line

"It's always hot in the Philippines, baby!"

(should be the slogan)

Here I am

The American -- Oy Americano!

Over there I am the unemployed

The fired guy

gots no money

A No-One

Nameless

nothing, over there...

I don't have golden hair 

blue eyes

I'm ethnic

Mocha Mix coconut

Mango

Rice boy

Brown 

Complexion

a perplexion??

No problem

I know who I am

not what I am 

or what color I am

I'm wide awake...

But here / I am

in Your arms

Loving me

And in loving me

I know who I am

Not just "Puti"

"white"

but Mango marvelous

mixtures of paradise

thousand islands

mistiso

Pogi Na?

Sa Hero mo...

 In your kiss : passion of suns

 A star gives birth

               your mouth : nuclear fissions

Perfection is almost malleable

art : knowing 

You...

Here I am

removed from there

no name needed

soaking in the brilliance

of your love...

Reviews

[Tinasha LaRayé]

wow - simply brilliant, poignant and eloquent. I love it. Heart-tugging and thought provoking. Congrats on a great write. I love your style.

[Everett DeValle]

This is spectacular...I say this because this is the Filipino American experience...caught in two worlds yet never belonging to either...it's raw and poignant with the mixture of tagalog words and it's meaning, to subtlety educate the non native speakers...the flow is pure spoken words that made your poem endearing and heart felt...an experience I felt when I visited there...but to live there I'm sure has its share of beauty and pain. Magnificent.

[Butch Decatoria]

Wow thanks for such a awesome review.

[Everett DeValle]

You are very welcome...this should be published for the Filipino Americans...a really thought provoking write.

[N!LoC]

i know about a thing or two about feeling out of place not feeling at home even in your homeland... ppl here just snark at me because im a chinese who cant really speak chinese! and they say to my face that " you are chinese not a white guy!"

[Butch Decatoria]

For reals... I wish could speak the language of the country and it makes it even more difficult to live here...

[s y e]

Woweeee! Excellent. Lovely poem.

[Butch Decatoria]

thanks noodle.

[s y e]

Welcome!

[Adam Whitworth]

well done

[Butch Decatoria]

Thank you so much... just posted and you're the first review... thanks again...