Kalinga

a long, long road
carpeted with golden
rice grains




rain clouds thicken
over the mango orchard--
a windmill squeaks




about to fall
on the mango blossoms
first rain




leaping, leaping
at the prayer concert
a frog




courtship dance--
at the sound of gongs
a shooting star



NOTE: These set of haiku pertains to my trip to Kalinga on May 23-25, 2006. I was invited as guest speaker in the town of Rizal during the launching of a new inter-religious peace movement in said area. Kalinga is a multi-ethnic province where tribal conflicts often occur. Most, if not all, of the people there, however, has been christianized.

the euphorbia
in this month of flowers
remains flowerless




Oblation--
someone offered rice
to the sparrows

so, is this
just temporary?
I have no
bedroom of my own,
only a narrow doorway

so quickly
and leaving no trace,
the grasshopper
leaped to and from
a fallen leaf