Heat, rain, breakfast free with the room, air conditioning, double bed, private bath, no visible roaches. In Manila living like the king of Ermita, but with bars on the window, makes the picture seem distant; she’s not unlike the city. Seen through cages, heat is made by man in the box, brother runs the shade racket, twins of paradox rule souls of the archipelago. Never felt such contrast between light and darkness, cats jaunt by -- sleek, thin, muscular, eyes, ears, tails, alert, relaxed -- cruise down alley. People pollute streets, a home for others. Stroll lazily through park of martyr, 1897 or '96, can’t recall. Sun pours upon crowd, dense, taste sweat from nape of his neck, constant, sway, mass, eight rifles, one bullet, aimed doctor, dioceses step away, clean conscious, God’s work, Spanish guns, ring gunfire, smell powder, intoxicate throng, Conquistador dead. Born to defeat, to over throw, to triumph, for purpose, appropriation, annexation, invasion, occupation, subjection, lit cou of feathers a fire, dying within silver shell, monarch’s screams, confirmation of fate, destination.

White, tan, patched cat brings me back to present. Mind is uneasy. Dirt fills every space not occupied by something else; noise from all things fills senses with confusion; air carries smell of oil, urine, human sweat; car horns scream through every hour; and round-eyed, brown-skinned natives pass with second look. Everywhere there is swindle, look of millionaire; "taxi, taxi, where going, cheapest taxi." Nature turns evil, veil is discarded, fraud, "fifty," rickshaw, Intermuras. Reality: thirty pesos and a stoning, leaves, look of rabid dog, eyes fire.

Bus, Batanges, port, southern shore, North Island, "last boat just left, my boat, eight hundred pesos." Harpoon, fleshly back, whale, very tanned, shorts, stomach fell, love of pork. Walking, warm, calm, night, jungles, walls stone, vacant-eyed boys, sell, steal, angle. ‘Chica’, light smoke, walk, pension house, desk, call airline, beer. Room, watch, she cleans, dusts, tan, smooth, figure. Black shadow, hazier edges, longing, turn away, yet.

Morning, dock, coffee, bread, nineteen pesos, maggots, flies are free. Ship, Philippines, into paradise. Clouds dancing, rich, lush, tropical hills, water, gray-brown, pure, green-blue, phosphorescent streaks, a sign, this is the way -- came, on her, past passed, vomited breath, freedom, imprisonment, nothing.

Raining, showered, dressed, city cleansed, street shone, reflected, deflected, refracted absorbed lights, Manila.