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FOREWORD
I met a new friend through a group of thinking people. Some of them give out a horde
of comments I prefer to take in cursory fashion. Some in more detail worth for scrutiny.
Many entitled to the bin. But one deviates from them all…one that triggers more neural
interactions for a thinker.

This is the guy who does poetry too. Expect to be mentally tinkered by his poems far
different from the sultriness of an Emily Dickinson or the forbidden pieces of Walt
Whitman.

Find out. Figure out. Fiddle with its bits and pieces and end up tinkered. Open the
pages…

His name is Dex. He is not good in math.

Al Galang
INTRODUCTION
This edition includes the poems completed by non-poet Dex Amoroso, together with a few
unfinished poems which Dex preserved in his cluttered files and folders. His poems mostly
written in a free verse as he finds it hard to rhyme words. They are just pieces of a larger story
or memory or experience that rattle around his head. It focuses on everything and anything
making this poems collection as diverse as life itself. He chose not to include some poems he has
thought too nakedly personal, or too raw, others simply not good enough. After all he is not a
real poet.

If his words convey thought, make you laugh, give you a better understanding or inspire you to
write your own, he has contributed something of value. That makes him happy.

P.S. Plus, a bonus poem from Bennet at the end.

(Andra and unknow picture-owners, I am still searching for you to give you credit.. yuhoo where
are you?)
CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT 1
FOREWORD by Al Galang 1
INTRODUCTION 2

Tree 4
Sorrowful Mystery 5
Meditate 6
Woe. Covid? 7
Teacher’s Day 8
Not Running For Senate 9
Secret Ingredient 10
The Lost Tools of Learning 11
Law of Classroom 12
In Praise of “Booked” And Digitized Thoughts by Bennet 13
TREE
Written By Dexter Amoroso
Illustration by Jerry de la Rosa

Trees will all be tall,

the branches starting high,
Hard to climb
but at the top
new sight.

She will not shade you from the light

but offer
Innumerable mirrors.

She knows peace

is hard for you.
You must find it
not by pruning her,
but by moving
in her strangeness.
SORROWFUL MYSTERY
Written by Dex Amoroso and Feliz Dominguez

Illustration by Rene Alster Oliva

Sorrowful! How painful this can be?

Over Jesus Christ’s Mother and friends,
That overwhelms you and me, today,
Will we change what tomorrow brings?
Where, O death is thy sting,
Where, O death is thy victory,
Praise and thanks the Lord God,
Through Jesus Christ our saviour, Amen!
MEDITATE
Written by Dex Amoroso
Illustration by Unknown Author

Meditate and change your frame rate

Slow time and refine, perspective
Get introspective

Redesign, realign.. a life that’s most

divine.
Rise and shine
There is no line

Wake up and make up

a world-wide shake up
Don’t hesitate to participate
In the game to elevate

Let’s co-create
A heaven with no end-date
WOE. COVID?
Written by Dex Amoroso
Edited by Al Galang
Illustration by Rene Alster Oliva

Whose cell is that? I think I know.

Its possessor quite unhappy though.
It really is a tale of woe,
He looks sullen. I cry hello.
He gives his immune system a shake,
And weeps the tears make.
The only other sound's the break,
Of distant waves and birds awake.
The immune system deemed biologic,
defense system and deep,
But he has promises to keep,
Until then he shall not sleep.
He lies in bed with ducts that weep.
He rises from his bitter bed,
With thoughts of sadness in his head,
He idolises being dead. Facing the day (With thanks to the poet, Robert Frost,
with never ending dread. for the underlying structure.)
TEACHER’S DAY
Written by Dex Amoroso
Photo by Unknown

Ma'am Ghie Alvina

is an extraordinary creature
She teaches us that effective teaching
requires creativity and innovation
therefore adopting various teaching
strategies

She teaches us
about making lesson plans
And what Bloom's Taxonomy is for
She teaches us
Classroom management
that made me realize the difference
between procedure and discipline

Ma'am Ghie made us dream-chasers

Star-reachers

Yes, ma'am Ghie

is an extra ordinary creature

But Engr. Ayen is more extraordinary

than any other creatures
'cos he teaches us to utilize the teaching
methods in a digital form that time
when electricity in Naga City turned Off
and On
NOT RUNNING FOR SENATE
Written by Dex Amoroso
Photo by Kate Trygstad

I am sorry but I cannot run for

senate
I lack the qualifications, I cannot
legislate

With a history of empathy and

compassion:
All qualities unsuited for position

My education is wrong: not one of

the top school,
No UP or Princeton. I've no licensure
at all.

Yes, my character is flawed

It pains me to say, "I've lied."

When a plan fails, I've been known

to find resolution
I shifted from computer science to
education
I love teaching more than
grandstanding
And so, for these reasons, I will not
be running
SECRET INGREDIENT
Written by Dex Amoroso
Illustration by Ann Wallace

Last year I wrote a poem copied from

Neo's nursery rhymes collection. My
cousin Bennet commented asking if it was
my orig lines. I said no and he replied
back telling me that i can write much
better than it. He encouraged me to write
poems while babysitting Toby. I asked a
friend to make a suggestion for what I
could add to improve it. Since he
currently read SciFi, he suggested, aliens.
I took that as a challenge. Here is the
resulting short little verse. Enjoy my
Stir in the bok choy
secret ingredient for tinolang manok!
In my mind, I see the beach,
---- I hear the rustling of palm leaves,
And I can almost smell the salty ocean
Spicy yet yummy Chicken Chayote when I get a whiff of its aroma
It's got chicken breasts or any part of the But It'll be out of this world
chicken you like, If I take friend's advice
Chicken broth, To "Throw in some aliens"
Chopped ginger, We'll see cousin's sure to want my poetry,
Chopped garlic, if not my recipe.
Chayotes peeled and cut into 1 inch
cubes
Salt, accent seasoning, chopped bok choy
A few leaves used for garnish
And a bagoong made spicier
Things are always better
When you add a secret ingredient
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 -
50 minutes
Add the chayote and continue to cook for
another 10-15 minutes
Until the chayote is tender but not too
mushy
THE LOST TOOLS OF LEARNING
Written by Dex Amoroso
Photo by Unknown

No, I haven't read

The Lost Tools of Learning

Dorothy Sayers is highly

recommended
as an authority on learning

The ones recommending

are the ones who love The Lord
of the Rings

Well, I like The Lord of the

Rings by Tolkien
So this Dorothy Sayers must be
talking with sense

For now, it's on

my reading list

like 'is it the "best"

or is it the "finest"?

And where on earth

is my kindle?

*according to your rhyming

preference for stanza seven,
the last stanza can be
substituted with:

And where on earth

has my kindle wretched?
LAW OF CLASSROOM
Written by Dex Amoroso
Photo by ZenGarden Club

Kim Chiu,
He loves you
so much
that he can't pass a poet
without asking for a poem
about you.

He says
that he has no skill with words
and your gentleness might be torn
by words as rough as his.

He asks me
for a way of speaking
And I tell him
to give you this
IN PRAISE OF “BOOKED” AND DIGITIZED
THOUGHTS!
Written by Bennet L. Amoroso
Photo by Andra

These paper-books surround me now,

they contain the thoughts of men.
Some are dead, some are living on paper-
trees long dead.

Oh the sacrifice of living trees laying

down their lives!
to contain our human thoughts
as I praise them ... and weep.

Now these PDFs of PhDs I love them too.

They're all in here digitized. On this
Tablet, on this Cellphone,
they reign as if they're kings.

Long live these kings! No!

For when NoBat they're dead
and they are unread.