is my poetic space. In 2001, I wrote a poem, "Pag-aabang sa Kundiman," that began my fascination with crossroads and necessary departures. I read it upon receiving the Dean's Award for the Arts a year after. That same year, the poem opened the collection that gave me my first Palanca. This year, ORP will publish my first poetry book of the same title. Here is what comes after the waiting.