Sugar City

i remembered his dark   

laughing eyes as we raced under 

white shelled crusted Spanish windows    

nestled close in tropical

summer, we played hide and seek 

Plaza's ground all lazy afternoon 
whilst old folks snored, siesta (nap) time


colourful days, drums dancing   
we screamed chaos for every fiesta 
banners waving, MassKara Festival

dirty ice cream, sweet rice cakes, caramel custard

candied yams, fried bananas, sugar cane sticks
Dulce Gatas, mango tarts; all delighted our palate  

Cathedral's bells pealing at 6:00 pm
reminded us to tarry home
prayers, processions long   

one night, underneath the guava tree,

he held me in his skinny arms and 

kissed me tenderly.  i kissed him back,

not knowing what it really meant.  

i left the tiny city for bigger places

brighter dreams, but I couldn't forget 

his sugary taste in my mouth  

someday, i will go back 

kiss him with all the fervor,
sweet longing
in me.

Author's note:   Reposted for The Gooseberry Garden - Longing, Loss, and Failure.

This post is for D'Verse Poets Pub hosted by Claudia.    The prompt is going urban:    Today we want you to take us on a trip around the world, to the city where you lost your heart, were born, fell in love, spent the most beautiful or most ugly time in your life…no matter if it’s a small or a mega city.     

I wrote about the small city known for its sugar cane products, Bacolod City, Philippines. It is also known as the City of Smiles, and host of MassKara Festival (every October).  It has been years since we visited the city, but my tongue still remembers its sweet treats.