by Nic Masangkay
Masakit ang puso ko:
ang bangungot
na wala ka.
My heart hurts:
the nightmare
of you without me.
There are beautiful dreams
without you, but
I do not want them.
Hay hermosos sueos
sin ti, pero
no los quiero.
Even the politicians
know what it is like to lose someone, but they play
for the people
who can afford to.
Here, we are
all we have.
I was a world
to someone once.
Ikaw parin ang mundo
ko. You were once my
world. Sigues siendo
todo. You are everything.
Now that I know love,
they want to take
it from me.
Now that I know
you, they want you
gone.
Mahal kita,
kaya inaalis ka nila.
I love you,
so they take you from me.
Te quiero.
Ellos te llevan.
I love you.
They take you.
When left with nothing,
I will not blame
another virus;
I will not fault
careless government,
numb CDC.
Kung iniwan sa
wala, mahal ko
pa rin.
Si se queda sin nada,
mi amor persiste.
When left with nothing,
My love goes on.
Nic Masangkay is a Filipinx, sick and disabled, queer and trans survivor. They are an artist of music, poetry, and multimedia. More atwww.nicmasangkay.com.
Featured image by Shutterstock.com/Olga Ikhelis; editing by Emerald team.
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Before you move on to the next story …
The South Seattle Emerald™ is brought to you by Rainmakers. Rainmakers give recurring gifts at any amount. With around 1,000 Rainmakers, the Emerald™ is truly community-driven local media. Help us keep BIPOC-led media free and accessible.
If just half of our readers signed up to give $6 a month, we wouldn’t have to fundraise for the rest of the year. Small amounts make a difference.
We cannot do this work without you. Become a Rainmaker today!