The Nineteenth of a Dozen Verses

Photo taken in January 1972, at a former residence of my mother's family, on Buendia Street near Batangas Street, Makati City: Mommy's little eLf

In ode to and honor of my native tongue, I’ve invented a form of Filipino poetry which I have called pitu-pito.

In English, the Filipino word pitu-pito literally means “unnecessarily or excessively seven”; as in the sentence: Pitu-pito ang kotse mo ah!, which may translate to “Wow, you have (excessively) seven cars!”, remarked with jest or a bit of sarcasm.

In Philippine herbology, pitu-pito refers to two different concoctions each of which is claimed to be comprised by *seven* kinds of herbs, thus the name: the first one – quack doctors and herbologists ( ‘albularyo’ or ‘herbularyo’) prescribe it usually for unwanted pregnancy for its alleged miscarriage-inducing properties; and the second – the one popularized as a cleansing-diet aid by Ernie Baron, a known Filipino herbologist.

In the Philippine-showbiz lingo, on the other hand, pitu-pito refers to a slapdash film or movies which are said to have been shot in *seven* days. Because of the popularity of this denotation, pitu-pito eventually evolved into a Filipino colloquial word which means “mediocre” or “anything haphazardly produced.”

For my poetry, however—with an attempt to adopt a new and positive meaning for the term—I have coined a literary definition which, I hope, will someday enter Philippine Literature:

Pitu-pito refers to a form of Filipino poetry which consists of seven seven-syllable lines (7-7-7-7-7-7-7) with a regular rhyme pattern (like a, b, a, b, a, b, b, as in the poems below), and expresses intense emotions and incites sympathy and consideration.

June 7, Tuesday

Sa aking pagdurusa,
’kaw lagi’ng kaagapay.
T’wing ako’y nag-iisa,
’kaw sa aki’y nagbabantay.
Balang araw, o sinta,
Di ka na maghihintay;
Di ka na malulumbay.

June 8, Wednesday

Búhay man ay ’sang sugal,
Handa na’ng aking pusò.
Panahon ma’y mabagal,
Hindi ako susukò.
Para sa aking mahal,
Aking ’pinapangakò—
Di na muling lalayô.

June 9, Thursday

Sa wakas ay humimbing
Na ang aking pagtúlog.
Dama lagi, ’yong lambing;
Sa dibdib—’la nang kabóg—
Ika’y laging kapiling.
Pag-ibig man o líbog,
Abot hanggang tugátog.

June 10, Friday

Sadyang pasíkut-síkot
Ang lahat ng direksyón,
Kaya h’wag kang matakot;
Lahat ay may solusyón.
H’wag kang paíkut-íkot;
Sundin ang destinasyón
Na animo’y orasyón.

June 11, Saturday

Ang dugo ko ay bughaw,
Kaya ako’y matapang.
Sa darating na araw,
Ating ipagdiriwang
Ang muli kong paglitáw.
Sila, na mayayabang,
Ay biglang mawiwindang.

June 12, Sunday

Mga dila’y matalas,
Ako’y inyong lubayán.
Mga dulot ay malas,
H’wag n’yo na akong sundan.
Sa bunganga bulalás
Ay panay kabuktutan.
Dasal ko’y katarungan.

June 13, Monday

Lintik la’ng walang ganti!
Puso’y galit na galit.
Ginhawa’ng tanging mithî,
Inabot ay pasakit.
Pakita ko’y mabuti,
Pero ako’y nilait!
Ba’t pangit ang kapalit?

June 14, Tuesday

Kaibigan, salamat.
Ika’y aking salamin;
’tinuturo ang dapat.
Tibay ng damdamin,
Sa iyo nagbubúhat;
Katuwáng sa pásanin,
Gabáy sa suliranín.

June 15, Wednesday

Mistula akong sanggol,
Na sa iná ay sabik;
Iyak ay walang gátol,
Antay ang pagbabalik;
Madalas nagmamaktol,
Naghihintay ng tapík
At ng dampi ng halík.

June 16, Thursday

Nagbago ang paligid.
Nahawi ang talahib.
Nawala ang balakid.
Umaliwalas—dibdib.
Aliping saguiguilíd
Na ‘tinapon sa liblib,
Ngayo’y muling sasanib.

June 17, Friday

Umiikot ang gulong;
Di laging nasa ilalim.
Kailangan ko ng tulong,
Ngunit di ng patalim.
Kakayaning sumulong,
Susuungin ang dilim,
Ibubunyag ang lihim.

June 18, Saturday

Hilíng ko sa aking diyós:
Karapatang pambagwís,
Búhay ay sumaáyos,
Panahon ay bumilís,
Lakas ay di maubos,
Kakayanang magtiis,
Kaligayahang lábis.


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