Writing a poetry collection is arduous

The culmination of bits and pieces, months and years, make you cantankerous

For me, writing poems began in sixth grade

Got the highest marks in my Filo class though I did not pen a dirge

She became my mentor, asking me why I didn’t join the school paper

I wasn’t as confident then needed a revamp

In high school, I wrote a few and a couple were published in our school organ

Beyond this, I was never a prolific poet, until now

My verses and output piled up, time to give them a new home

To dream bigger, pen more, and mow

In this book, I’ve utilised five rhyming schemes

The best way to navigate the rough seas

Couplets, alternate rhyme, haiku, free verse, and reverse consonance

I owe Doveglion for introducing me to the amphisbaenic rhyme it clicked

I also authored two verseless pieces, a nod to his minimalism

He’s an iconoclast, from his poetic genius to his life in the States, exiled from mainstream

Like me, he adapted to the West and assimilated to its culture

A pioneer in English poetry for Pinoys, a keystone, and rock

I also thank Jose Rizal, whose work inspired me to pen Mi Primer Adios

His life was remarkable though his demise, sad

Was wise beyond his years, penned a poem as an idealistic schoolboy

Rizal made the most of his opportunities yes

My poems fill the entire page

Brevity has never been my getup

Being multilingual, there are Spanish, Filipino, and Chinese phrases

All the better for my readers it’s a sweep

Collating, writing, and editing your book require a great deal of dedication and patience

Like any milestone, you must work for the crop

If you’re smart enough, your poems will be considered literature

You have to accept, scribble, and play your role

Some entries may be personal or tributes, others are a bit short

The quality of words are what matter, you’ve aced the test

I’ve drawn from my heroes, wandered into their worlds

Taken the plane, stole their thunder, and balanced on the see-saw

My work is never superficial, ‘There’s more than meets the eye’.