ERNESTO P. SANTIAGO

 

 

ERNESTO P. SANTIAGO

 

A Heart And Its Obsession With Men

 

(an ode to heart that tried to steal me from my love)

 

There are many who are disturbed

     by the choice of relationship my heart brings,

     they criticize it with all their strength!

And they get upset when I read to them

     the words of silence and not enter a war of words.

I think of it as a very affectionate heart,

     nothing wrong with it.

You need to understand some

     people are different, some like flowers, some like trees.

I come off as a soft person.

A choice to come to what I am

     for as long as I love to is just fine.

I should enjoy being there for my heart

     without prejudices.

If I feel safe in my own mind

     I should just do what makes my heart happy.

What the heart beats for love has nothing to do with

     being a classic act of peace.

I should focus to my heart’s

     hearty presentation of loving you, O my dear self,

     not on what your neighbors wanted to know.

Please, don't get me wrong.

It's an honor being kissed by a kind man

     and I am blessed and fortunate

     enough with ‘I am who I am.’

I don't  owe anyone an explanation.

I often wonder why people feel the need to know.

Actions speak louder than words.

I’m far from being a perfect soul,

     but it is worth a story telling to my grave!

 

Light Of One's Life

 

I’ve been blessed enough

     to perform there,

     [me, pointing at the stage]

     on a stage that has been a home

     to so many creative minds over the years,

     on countless occasions before

     and every time is as memorably

     beautiful as the other!

I've been excitedly waiting, waiting

     for the moment I can

     share this gift with you.

And now I can.

So heavenly grateful

     that my body, my journey,

     has allowed me

     to be here, it's been a dream of mine

     ever since I was a young soul

     and I can't believe it's actually happening

     that I, light of one's life,

     welcome you to my heart.

I can’t wait to perform at the hall

     of love again.

See you there, O Pythian Muse,

     even when the sky is not ready,

     to turn you into my song, my sacred abode!

 

The Island

 

Have you ever read

     a poem of my loving heart? 

It is widely known

     for being a favorite opening

     ceremony for lovers.

The rhyming is like white coastline

     of a heavenly beach

     that is world-famous for its beauty,

     and the image still takes my breath away

     every time I am here,

     and my dad’s rocking chair

     by the front window

     is my treasured place in the house.

Yes, there are no buildings across from us,

     just this smoky gray to deep blue

     sea and the beautiful rolling

     hills, and for those seeking

     a more adventurous experience

     of the soul of my words,

     there's plenty of opportunity for you

     to enjoy canoeing, jet skiing,

     windsurfing, and beachcombing

     my heart scattering of light

     which is like the ikebana sun.

This is the view when I open my life

     any time of day to let you in, to take me,

     reminding me that there are always

     new beginnings, to see the future

     thrust upon us without our full consent,

     right outside my front porch door.

 

ERNESTO P. SANTIAGO

 

ERNESTO P. SANTIAGO spends all his free time between here and there, trying to learn something. He is too small for his ego. He is enough for himself. He thinks, “Poetry is a global temperature that will always surprise us.” and he has been into poetry for as far back as he can recall. He has no clear idea why, but he thinks he exposed himself to poetry unwittingly, but lately he wanted it to become his literary purpose. His first international exposure like ‘meet and greet’ with the world of poetry was in 2008 when he was invited to the Romania International Festival “Curtea de Argeş Poetry Nights” where he read his poem for the first time in front of a crowd and also here where he received his first international poetry award - the International Academy Orient-Occident Grand Prize. He authored six books of poetry, and his poetic thought has been widely published and anthologised,  in print and online. Poetry has brought him such joy and many friends, and poetry awards too - including most recently the Astroscale Prize from the EU-Japan NewSpace2060 International Illustrated Haiku Competition 2019 and the Naji Naaman Literary Prize 2021 for his complete work “Ang Tinig Ng Ligaw Na Tula / The Voice Of The Wild Verse.” Born in the Philippines, he lives in Athens, Greece, and is inspired daily by the myth of his poetic senses.