Thomas Abalahin

foreign bodies

Thomas Abalahin

every so often your heart your lungs your blood and bones forget they are themselves and you move through space like an intruder strange in movement cautiously sneaking across paths you should know

and every so often your tongue your nose your eyes and ears catch sight of home in another person’s piping hot meal and your stomach knows ache like spoons know soup

and thus you sit down at a little lunch counter and the steam of the bowl reminds your body how to be warm again

kain na, anak

heart of palm

Thomas Abalahin

kin of my blood bone of my heart do you know you are still alive? the flesh beneath your ribs may have given way to a red May but you still speak three generations hence sa awa ng Diyos with God’s mercy your heart embalmed your heart of palm borne of a far off province where rivers and arms both bent and broke ground this was your aim your thoughts embodied beyond the hardships of the mortal coil freedom from want do you know you are still alive? that you were as dust in the attic? and suddenly you walked again? do you know you are still alive? your naivety repeated a thousand times? and someone clutches you to their chest? do you know? there are roots that ache for earth far and away? that there is still a waxing lust for home yet not home? that there are still those who yearn yet do not know? what did you see in the ginkgo leaves? that fan out onto your wide American earth?

all american

Thomas Abalahin

“were you born here?” “no I was born in _______” |||||||| a rehearsal of lines repeated |||||||| “you don’t seem like you were born there though” “how so?” <O) / ) ) ==#=== in the distance a single crow (O> / ) ) ==#=== “I don’t know, just the vibe you give off” “yeah, I get that a lot” ~~~~~~~~ but do you get that? I want to get that ~~~~~~~~

Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Thomas Abalahin (he/they) is a recent graduate of the UW. A 1.5th generation Filipino-American, they are currently looking to work in youth counseling, though in the future they hope to go to grad school for Filipino American studies or clinical social work practice. You can find them on Instagram @tomasito_d or on Twitter @tomasino_d.