~ There is apparently no Philippine law for protection of elders from abuse.
The time between one stage of life and the next
seems to shrink most rapidly in the evening.
Here are the dishes that pile up
and no one to clean them.
Here are colonies of discarded clothes
that create an interior topography lined with mold.
When was the last time anyone heard
a leisurely sound under this roof?
When was the last time a room
was a chlorinated vacuum, museum of objects-as-wishes?
Who kept and ate your last grocery rations
then belatedly remembered to leave you a small bowl of rice?
Who took your phone then claimed you lost it?
Who holds your keys and passbooks?
Who asks for your signature on withdrawal
slips, knowing you won’t remember?