Sunday Afternoon @ UP Sunken Gardens
by Ana Karylle Tatlonghari Yuzon
I haven’t been writing in a while
So, I took to the grass,
sat on my yoga towel
for some me time.
I hear footsteps behind me,
oh it’s 2 little girls
A boy in an old sports event jersey’s
throwing his slipper up a tree
hoping to get a mango
A little boy is swinging from the same tree.
He marches off to his mom & boy in jersey
now both seated on a drift wood
2 girls, perhaps his sisters join them
One lady remains under the tree
She is powdering her nose,
looking at herself in the mirror
“4…3…2 alis doon” one of the little girls shout
The taho man aka mantataho
creeps up from behind me
& marches back to the sunken garden…
more sales await
People are hungry at 6:07
A mom with her white supot &
blue umbrella cross my spot.
It’s getting dark & she must take her girls
in matching neon backpacks home
before the sun fades completely
Bikes, frisbees, an airplane,
picnic blankets…
People start to gather their things
as the sun disappears
Kids exhaust whatever energy they have left
in the remaining minutes
of free playtime
A mom & 2 girls climb the sunken garden steps
2 girls play badminton
A gang of 3 young boys in blue, red & green tops plus basketball shorts
cross the field to oblations
walking past the corny games they probably don’t play anymore.
A bell of a bike tings
A family poses with their tripod in place
for a final group picture to post on their Facebook page
A guy runs back for pic #2
and a little girl in pink wants to check her face as kids do
Guy with taho has circled back.
He needs more sales
Hmmm, maybe I buy and he gives away free taho?
Man leaves a bamboo stick for mangga.
Turns out, he looked for a longer stick.
Earlier today, we saw a big bunch of mangoes, maybe 10
up a tree in that place in Maginhawa where the foodies abound.
I bought 200 pesos worth of taho
and find a new spot near the road
where there are only joggers, walkers (not from The Walking Dead) and bikers
A man with a banana-Q stick
& water bottle walks with the crowd
with his half sugar, half healthy merienda
A group of 3 presumably teachers discuss a case study
That’s all I got
They had clear and modulated voices
Their stride is commanding but casual
in their campus
People are giggling now.
Two students with badminton rackets ask for a picture
A couple runs fast but I hear tired & heavy feet
It is a hot summer day after all
I didn’t even have the will to run myself
I hear music--
“Magkakaroon ng rebolusyon”
over a booming speaker.
Taho guy says there’s a concert at the FC,
there had just been a fire there.
Faulty electrical wiring is said to be the cause
according to the guard who tried to catch the man picking mangoes
but let him go because he works in the campus
“Artsy ba siya?” asks one girl from a bike to her
ka-chika on the other bike
A boy cries.
He runs to his dad seated on a rock under a lamp post
The taho guy reports to me that he has an inch of taho left
It’s cold, he adds
I asked him if he’s going to FC, he said yes.
I said go home and refill
An elder man sings aloud on the road
while his wife punches the air as she walks
much like Mother Lily on a regular day
Some people brisk walk in jeans
Big mistake of the day
A man clears the way with crazy running,
arms flailing and all
reminiscent of Phoebe Buffet in Central Park
A bucket of biscuits is set on the grass
Lady walks towards me and sells mangga, chicharon & yakult.
I said “kumpleto na po”
& she looks to my taho in disbelief
I proceed to show her my green mango from the outer pocket of my gym bag
She laughs & leaves me alone
“Ang lamok eh, nilalamok na tayo!”
a lady exclaims.
It is true.
I have maybe 2 bites
& failed attempts of killing mosquitos in the dark
No citronella in my bag to protect me!
A bimpo on a runner’s face.
“Pasko na naman muli” is the song of choice on this hot summer day
of 3 colegialas
A family remains near me seated on the grass
The tuko alarm sounds
Crowd at FC is getting bigger, 6:45
Guard in red motor counterflows
A counterflow runner has blinking lights
I’m starting to itch
The good running batch is back for another round
Sila Yael, Ysab & Juls should be here soon..oh there!
I wish I had a garden or park to perform in
The concert goes on…
I hear a girl and her band.
by Ana Karylle Tatlonghari Yuzon
I haven’t been writing in a while
So, I took to the grass,
sat on my yoga towel
for some me time.
I hear footsteps behind me,
oh it’s 2 little girls
A boy in an old sports event jersey’s
throwing his slipper up a tree
hoping to get a mango
A little boy is swinging from the same tree.
He marches off to his mom & boy in jersey
now both seated on a drift wood
2 girls, perhaps his sisters join them
One lady remains under the tree
She is powdering her nose,
looking at herself in the mirror
“4…3…2 alis doon” one of the little girls shout
The taho man aka mantataho
creeps up from behind me
& marches back to the sunken garden…
more sales await
People are hungry at 6:07
A mom with her white supot &
blue umbrella cross my spot.
It’s getting dark & she must take her girls
in matching neon backpacks home
before the sun fades completely
Bikes, frisbees, an airplane,
picnic blankets…
People start to gather their things
as the sun disappears
Kids exhaust whatever energy they have left
in the remaining minutes
of free playtime
A mom & 2 girls climb the sunken garden steps
2 girls play badminton
A gang of 3 young boys in blue, red & green tops plus basketball shorts
cross the field to oblations
walking past the corny games they probably don’t play anymore.
A bell of a bike tings
A family poses with their tripod in place
for a final group picture to post on their Facebook page
A guy runs back for pic #2
and a little girl in pink wants to check her face as kids do
Guy with taho has circled back.
He needs more sales
Hmmm, maybe I buy and he gives away free taho?
Man leaves a bamboo stick for mangga.
Turns out, he looked for a longer stick.
Earlier today, we saw a big bunch of mangoes, maybe 10
up a tree in that place in Maginhawa where the foodies abound.
I bought 200 pesos worth of taho
and find a new spot near the road
where there are only joggers, walkers (not from The Walking Dead) and bikers
A man with a banana-Q stick
& water bottle walks with the crowd
with his half sugar, half healthy merienda
A group of 3 presumably teachers discuss a case study
That’s all I got
They had clear and modulated voices
Their stride is commanding but casual
in their campus
People are giggling now.
Two students with badminton rackets ask for a picture
A couple runs fast but I hear tired & heavy feet
It is a hot summer day after all
I didn’t even have the will to run myself
I hear music--
“Magkakaroon ng rebolusyon”
over a booming speaker.
Taho guy says there’s a concert at the FC,
there had just been a fire there.
Faulty electrical wiring is said to be the cause
according to the guard who tried to catch the man picking mangoes
but let him go because he works in the campus
“Artsy ba siya?” asks one girl from a bike to her
ka-chika on the other bike
A boy cries.
He runs to his dad seated on a rock under a lamp post
The taho guy reports to me that he has an inch of taho left
It’s cold, he adds
I asked him if he’s going to FC, he said yes.
I said go home and refill
An elder man sings aloud on the road
while his wife punches the air as she walks
much like Mother Lily on a regular day
Some people brisk walk in jeans
Big mistake of the day
A man clears the way with crazy running,
arms flailing and all
reminiscent of Phoebe Buffet in Central Park
A bucket of biscuits is set on the grass
Lady walks towards me and sells mangga, chicharon & yakult.
I said “kumpleto na po”
& she looks to my taho in disbelief
I proceed to show her my green mango from the outer pocket of my gym bag
She laughs & leaves me alone
“Ang lamok eh, nilalamok na tayo!”
a lady exclaims.
It is true.
I have maybe 2 bites
& failed attempts of killing mosquitos in the dark
No citronella in my bag to protect me!
A bimpo on a runner’s face.
“Pasko na naman muli” is the song of choice on this hot summer day
of 3 colegialas
A family remains near me seated on the grass
The tuko alarm sounds
Crowd at FC is getting bigger, 6:45
Guard in red motor counterflows
A counterflow runner has blinking lights
I’m starting to itch
The good running batch is back for another round
Sila Yael, Ysab & Juls should be here soon..oh there!
I wish I had a garden or park to perform in
The concert goes on…
I hear a girl and her band.
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