Saturday 13 August 2011

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.



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.  
  

32 comments:

  1. Beautiful imagery. So sincere.

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  2. And he'll be a lucky man when you return, lovely colours and tastes throughout, thanks !! Steve

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  3. This transported me to such a nice place. I like the romance in it too. Thanks for this.

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  4. This is wonderful. Your words took me right to the very spot of which you wrote....brilliant.

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  5. Lovely poem, rich with the sights, sounds, yearnings of the city-- an exotic city at that. xj

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  6. A romantic episode and a longing to meet again. Beautiful piece!

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  7. it is a hot time in the old town tonight...smiles. nice on all the confections available as it built up well to that kiss...very nice...

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  8. Set the scene wonderfully, taking the reader right there. Sounds like a nice city, if there is such a thing..haha

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  10. My fingers must have been sticky, running through the sugary goodness here--too many typos, so let me say again, this is sweet and rich but leaves a hunger for more, Heaven.

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  11. sweet with a tinge of spice. i love it Heaven. the Philippines is in our neck of the woods! :)

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  12. Beautiful sense of your chosen city. I felt like I was in Spain at first.

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  13. Sugary sweet, sensuous and summertime good. I loved it - Thanks you took me to your ---- heaven!

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  14. Heaven, this is quite lovely!
    Bravo on the writing!
    You are good, very good!

    Margie :)

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  15. Very sweet!!!!!! Very nice. I really enjoyed this piece. Extremely well written. Great discriptions and a story in the city to boot. Excellente.

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  16. Reminds me of my first love - at least,k I think she was! Charming poem, delightful.

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  17. hmmm...nice and sweet with all the sugar treats...up to that tender kiss and the hunger for more...sounds like you had a delightful time there...

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  18. You have really told a wonderful story here. I was captured right within your poem.

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  19. Sweet, delicious memory!

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  20. You did a really nice job here. I never thought of the Philippines in this way before. never been there either. Really make it sound wonderful. Thanks for the share, opened my eyes a bit, thanks:)

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  21. Sticky sweet tale of youth, of love, of innocence and naive desire...loved the tale and the images.

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  22. What a lovely memory, filled with exotic sweetness. Swept me away to the tropics. Very nice.

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  23. Sweet write... great reflection.

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  24. Sounds -er - heavenly! The list of sweet things made my mouth water too. I woud never have known about this city, which sounds enchanting, if not for your post here.

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  25. A delectable journey. Nice write ~ Rose

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  26. dirty ice-cream is a poem in itself..well done

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  27. such brilliant metaphor.

    well penned entry.

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  28. how sweet.

    love the beautiful memories in your words.

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  29. how sweet.

    love the beautiful memories in your words.

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  30. I just had a melty moment reading this...

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  31. so sweet and delicious and wonderful tasting can really taste the sugar on this one great image
    http://gatelesspassage.com/2011/10/18/mirror-of-truth/

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