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LAMAT, BY JOSE LUIS PABLO


​There is no exact English word for it:
The fissure so shallow

                                                              it does not break 

the glass.

In mother tongue, 
it is lamat. A slight

                                                              word and crack,

a hairline fracture, 

                                                              a graze gasping shatter. 

When we separate,
there will be no explosion like the death of a star.

The warning will assume the form of a lost bird 
seeking 

                                                              the fleeing shape of its flock. 

I profess faith in the power
of these small omens,

                                                              dark seeds and their tendrils  

curling around the soil, splitting
and choking the future 

                                                              with a snare of thorns. 

Even sins called venial  
are betrayals of love, 

                                                              fractions of courage

to commit to any master.   

Understand my fear when you turn
away silent or blow 

                                                              on that spark of anger. 

I smell the burning air. 
The lightning bolt coming

                                                              to rip space between us. 

Beware our cracks, 
I try to cover you with hands like a potter’s.  

Beware, this is how continents 

                                                              ​drift apart.



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Jose Luis ("Nico") Pablo is a queer Filipino poet and a communications manager for a non-profit. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. His work has been published or is forthcoming from Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, Cordite Poetry Review, Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, The Queer Movement Anthology of Literatures (Seagull Books), Busilak: New LGBTQ+ poetry from the Philippines (UP Press), and Breakwater Review. He has won awards from the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Literary Contest and Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and was a finalist for the 2020 Peseroff Poetry Prize. Read his work at joseluisbpablo.wordpress.com 
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