Myth of Andibaing°

the sea was her demesne
this sweet & cruel goddess
accursed by Apolaki°
for not setting
her crimson feet
on the sacred ground
of Caboloan°

& now she lingers
where her first blood
dropped like fire pearls

sighs before a touch
folds before a kiss of the rain
& sun

green serpentine
but a flowering wildgrass
that grows in boondocks
in the backwoods or brae

waiting for a poet
or a fool to pluck her
like a rose

° Andibaing - Makahiya plant (Mimosa pudica)
° Apolaki - Supreme deity in Pangasinan mythology
° Caboloan - ancient name of Pangasinan (interior area)

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