The Wonderer

 by Luis Dato Rose in her hand, and moist eyes young with weeping, She stands upon the threshold of her house, Fragrant with scent that wakens love from sleeping, She looks far down to where her husband plows. Her hair dishevelled in the night of passion, Her warm limbs humid with the sacred strife, What may she know but man and woman fashion Out of the clay of wrath and sorrow—Life? She holds no joys beyond the day’s tomorrow, She finds no worlds beyond her love’s embrace; She looks upon the Form behind the furrow, Who is her Mind, her Motion, Time and Space. O somber mystery of eyes unspeaking, O dark enigma of Life’s love forlorn; The Sphinx beside the river smiles with seeking The secret answer since the world was born.

 by William Blake O Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.

  José Garcia Villa  - 1908-1997 First, a poem must be magical, Then musical as a sea-gull. It must be a brightness moving And hold secret a bird’s flowering. It must be slender as a bell, And it must hold fire as well. It must have the wisdom of bows And it must kneel like a rose. It must be able to hear The luminance of dove and deer. It must be able to hide What it seeks, like a bride. And over all I would like to hover God, smiling from the poem’s cover.

 by Fernando M. Maramag (1893 – 1936) A light, serene, ethereal glory rests Its beams effulgent on each crestling wave; The silver touches of the moonlight wave The deep bare bosom that the breeze molests; While lingering whispers deepen as the wavy crests Roll with weird rhythm, now gay, now gently grave; And floods of lambent light appear the sea to pave- All cast a spell that heeds not time‘s behests. Not always such the scene; the din of fight Has swelled the murmur of the peaceful air; Here East and West have oft displayed their might; Dark battle clouds have dimmed this scene so fair; Here bold Olympia, one historic night, Presaging freedom, claimed a people‘s care.