Thursday, February 14, 2008

Seven Years Later, Driving Home

By Justine U. Camacho

It is impossible to fall in love again
for the first time.
the first blush, the heart quickening,
racing madly with a secret:
these things happen only once.
Yesterday, in the car,
only half-listening to a song,
I remembered.
And in my mind, I turned around.
If I had known that I would never
see you again.

If I had known that afternoon in August,
I would have stayed rooted there.
Watching you.
Nineteen yet and dreamy.
I felt the years deaden me, one by one.
And all the headlamps around me
blurred.
It was so sweet,
even to feel
that wound again.






*This poem was lifted from the book One Hundred Love Poems: Philippine Love Poetry Since 1905, edited by Gemino Abad and Alfred Yuson. What can I say? fuck love. Hate love. Love love. There's no way out. Might as well find that "perfect peace." Maligaya, makabuluhan at payak na araw ng mga puso sa lahat.