The Purple Visitor
Lavender, lilac, irises Stare up at me, sheepishly, from the garden. Timid and rooted in place, My voice a whisper I soothe, “You’ll be alright”. Out from the flowers She flutters a delicate flight with iridescent wings. A beautiful, tiny fairy, With the most marvelous purple eyes I’ve ever seen. A lost one, at that. Her voice a flowing harp, she speaks her woes, “I became separated”. From her colony, during the great migration. Out of pity and awe, I offer her a silver teaspoon of honey and sugar. She sips and she rests Until the morning light. And when I go out To the garden Once more on the dawn of the following day, I find she has gone. Passerby aside, I tend to my lavender, lilac, and irises.
Party of the Matriarch
Bright glistening balloons filled the room
My lungs deflated as I gave life to the last one.
An unfamiliar feast sat atop the table
With a few familiar foods from long ago.
Lumpia.
Adobo.
Pancit.
A momentary pause from gossip, my Tita says,
“Try this one.” and adds a pastry to my plate.
I sit back, my ears eager to listen to new sounds
Nodding my head, as if I perfectly understood.
With bellies full, smiles spread, and if you look
Close enough you could see food stuck in teeth.
But that does not matter, when you are Jolly-
Because the festivities are about to really begin.
The dusty karaoke got wheeled out from the closet.
My Tito held up the mic, and lived out his daydreams
Of a superstar in his mother-in-law’s living room.
They danced and sang along to a familiar song,
But I had to read the words from the t.v. screen.
I remembered the lyrics, “Awitin mo at isasayaw ko”
And when the party ended I discovered the meaning.
“Sing and I will dance.” “Sing and I will dance.”
I’ve since learned all of the lyrics on my own.
Sometimes I find myself in my own living room,
Humming along to that tune and fondly remember
The gathering and celebration of my Filipino family.
Isabella “Isa” Abril is an undergraduate student at Cal State San Marcos. She enjoys writing poetry and short stories. Although she does not entirely believe in the supernatural, she would like any and all spirits who happen to stumble across her to respectfully leave her alone. Unless they can do something really cool.