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Cover Art by Kitt Lapena
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Poems for Papa on Father’s Day
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by Kitt Lapeña
thunder and lightning and papa
i was as proud as a little girl could be
at six
with my very own room
and my very own bed
and my very own closets
and a door i could close
to be alone
until the big storm
when thunder roared
and the lightning
turned the shadow of
our neighbor’s caimito tree
into grotesque arms
swaying and reaching
in the blue-white glow
of the stormy night
and the wind
lashed at the windows
and left an open one
banging
and banging
and banging
i lay awake
crouched under my blankets
trying to shut my eyes
not to see
the monster arms
reaching for me
but they did
and i forgot
how nice it was
to have my very own room
and my very own bed
and my very own closets
and a door i could close
and i screamed
until papa came
and papa stilled
the thunder and lightning
so i could sleep.
Pasig
7 July 1993
4:10 a.m.
…and papa was there
it was a dark and stormy night
and papa was there
to put me to sleep
i had always wanted to be a girl scout
and everyone’s mommy and daddy
was at the induction
to pin the tiny girl scout pin
and tie the white kerchiefs on
i thought no one would come
and just when they called my name
papa was there
mama brought me to my grade school graduation
but didn’t stay
and somewhere in the middle of it all
as i strained to see the tiny faces in the crowd
papa was there
with his camera and his big almost-smile
and when my tummy hurt
really bad in school and
i had to get an appendectomy
before the anaesthetic got to work
papa was there holding my hand
and his eyes and shining eyeglasses
were the last thing i saw
floating next to the iv bottle
and when i walked down the aisle
papa was there holding me
like a little girl again
and smiling and crying
as i was
and when bianca came into the world
i thought i saw papa at the window
in a green surgical smock and cap
and when i woke up
there was a bag of sweets and cakes
and papa
and when i die
wherever i go i’m quite sure
the first thing i see will be papa.
Pasig
7 July 1993
4:55 a.m.
Tikbalang
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*Artwork by my son Kitt Lapeña. Originally created for an online TV Feature article by my niece, Carmela Guanzon Lapeña, reporting for GMA News Live.
The creature stopped in the center of the clearing and stretched itself to its full height, as far as its bent legs would allow. Its head grazed the lower branches of the banyan tree where Lubid was hiding. Benjamin’s breath caught in his throat and he could sense Talón tensing beside him. The creature raised its head to the waning moon and whinnied, then slowly turned around in a circle and began what seemed like a very ritualistic dance, snorting and whinnying as it did.
~Excerpt from The Lost Amulets by C.P. Lapeña
From The Lost Amulets by C.P. Lapeña
0Benjamin struggled some more as the mound held him up in mid air. In the dusk, it looked like some kind of hairy giant with grass covering its body. The smell of stale tobacco rose from the earth around the hill. The giant had settled down into a crouch, with the young boy in one outstretched hand. Slowly, it brought its other hand up to reveal a smoldering fag of tobacco that was about the size of the boy’s arm. It brought the gigantic cigar to a gap in the grass and seemed to inhale, then it slowly blew out the smoke in wisps, not unlike the smoke you would find coming from the embers of a dying fire.
**Artwork by Kitt Lapeña, as originally created for Melay Guanzon Lapeña for an article reported on GMA News Live.
Cindy Lapeña: Creativity Unlimited 