Santos Panganiban
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
My father's name is black and blue spiders
Crawling under comforters
Stealing sleep,
Sleepless stalkers bearing fire
Knowing joy and pain
Knowing joy is pain.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
My mother's name is a lace and satin scarf
Soft and simple as a sunrise
Dipped in boiling blood
Bleaching not staining
Till a sweeter white is born
Till a nobler head adorned.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
My people's tongue tastes bitter,
I choke and gag on it.
I am lost on their streets,
My skin undarkened,
My nose too sharp,
Only these two flags flying my origins,
If not my allegiance
Or my essence.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
I am a boy in my fathers' suit
My mothers' shoes
Followed by children giggling and pointing
At my ill-fitting attire,
Wondering where I am from.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
rikpanganiban
april 1992
1 Santos is Spanish for "saint". Panganiban is derived from the Tagalog word "danger".
My father's name is black and blue spiders
Crawling under comforters
Stealing sleep,
Sleepless stalkers bearing fire
Knowing joy and pain
Knowing joy is pain.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
My mother's name is a lace and satin scarf
Soft and simple as a sunrise
Dipped in boiling blood
Bleaching not staining
Till a sweeter white is born
Till a nobler head adorned.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
My people's tongue tastes bitter,
I choke and gag on it.
I am lost on their streets,
My skin undarkened,
My nose too sharp,
Only these two flags flying my origins,
If not my allegiance
Or my essence.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
I am a boy in my fathers' suit
My mothers' shoes
Followed by children giggling and pointing
At my ill-fitting attire,
Wondering where I am from.
I am Rik Santos Panganiban.
rikpanganiban
april 1992
1 Santos is Spanish for "saint". Panganiban is derived from the Tagalog word "danger".
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