Five Ways to Say This

Here are the first three ways 
to say this in Ilocano when 
referring to a visible object:

Daytoy—

                        This is a picture of us
taken over thirty years ago at a small 
photo studio owned by a friend, right 
across from the gate of a university 
(nice location, I told her). She had us 
pose with various accessories from 
her studio stash: purple scarves, 
purple drape; royal purple, the color 
of a bruise partway healed.

Dagitoy—

             These are among
the only articles that remain
from that time. I wrap them
in plastic and lay them in boxes.
I keep them though I know 
they would probably not 
survive a fire or a flood 
or our common, 
certain end.

Dayta—

           In the credenza 
is a box of smoky jade  
tea mugs: an artist mixed 
clay with ashes she gathered 
in the aftermath of Mount
Pinatubo's explosion.  
 
There is a fourth 
form, referring to something 
not in view or off at some distance:

Daydiay—

                    Those are the same  
ashes into which whole towns 
and churches sank. You could tell 
which ones by their belfries, by
the halos still on the sculpted
heads of saints. In the distance,
scudding clouds.

The fifth refers to something
or to one that no longer exists: 

Daydi—

                  (The absent, gone) —