Dalit ng Paslit by: Belinda S. Santos

'Tay, sa isip ko lang 'to sinusulat Sinulat ko na 'to kahaponPero isusulat ko uli ngayon kasiTalagang-Talaga nangNahihirapan na 'koMula nung mamatay kaNang lumubog 'yungBarkong sinakyan mo At si Nanay sumama sa Traysikel drayber D'yan sa kanto Naiwan ako ke Tiyo'Di n'ya ako pinapapasok sa iskul Sa bahay na lang daw Kaya pala, Dadalhin niya ¡®Yung mga kaibigan niya dito.Sa gabi Alam mo Maingay silaAt lasingSabi nila, 'nung unang gabiBa, pwede na¡®Tong alaga mo, LazaroTiningnan nila ako, 'taySabi, laro lang ha, H'wag kang matatakotTapos tawa sila ng tawaLahat kami humigaTapos, madilim Tapos, umaga naHoy, sabi ni TiyoTayo ay pupunta Ngayon sa MaynilaMagbalot ka na Ng mga damit moPero di ako makabangon Tumingala lamang ako sa kisameNagbilang ng pakoMe kalawang ang lahatSa Maynila, Marami pang pinapasokSi Tiyong mga lalakiMalakas tumawaMaraming pera sa bulsaMe mabaho, Meron namang mabangoMerong mataba, me payat, Me malinis, me katulad ni Tiyong Sumisinga sa sahigLalu nang dumalasAng pagtingala ko Sa kisame pero ¡®di na ¡®Ko makapagbilang ng pakoKasi 'yung kisameNaging isang salaminKita ko d'un lahatAng ginagawa namin sa sahig'Tay, magsusumbong Na 'ko, talaga, Kasi dal'wang taon na At saka lumalaki ang salaminDumaraming nakikitaT'saka baka ¡®Di na ¡®ko makabangon Mabigat na mabigat na ¡®Yung puson ko, Itay Pabigat nang pabigat 'Tay, Parang buong Maynila Nasa loob ng puson ko! Alam mo? Alam mo? Alam mo? A CHILD¡¯S SONGPa, am writing this all in my head, wrote this yesterday but writing it again‘Cause am really, really having it bad since you died, since that boat you were in sank And Mama took off with that tricycle driver down the corner, been left with UncleHe didn't put me in school, kept me home, turned out, he was bringing his friends hereAt night, y‘ know, they're noisy, drunk. They said that first night, "Hey, your little girl here will do, Lazaro." They looked at me, Pa. Said "Its just play, okay? Just play, don't be scared" Then, they laughed and laughed. We all lay down, then it was dark, then it was morning "Hey," Uncle said, "We're going to Manila, okay? Pack your clothes." But I couldn't get up, I just looked up at the ceiling, counted the nails, there's rust in all of them. In Manila, Uncle let in so many more, y‘ know, who laugh loud, with lots of money in their pockets, there were smelly ones, nice-smelling ones, fat ones, thin ones and clean ones. There were those who snort their buggers down on the floor, like Uncle. More and more I'd stared at the ceiling, Pa. But I can't count the nails no more, ‘cause the ceiling became this big, big, big mirror. Can see everything that we do on the floor. More and more I can't sleep, Pa, am going to tell now. Really, really will. ‘Cause, been two years now, and that mirror's getting bigger. Am seeing more and more And, what if I can't get up no more, my belly's getting so heavy. Heavier and heavier, Pa. Like I got all of Manila in my belly, Y‘ know?