Category: Poetry

hindi

Poetry by | January 22, 2017

hindi
ko alam kung ano
ang nasa pagitan natin
noong gabing iyon
habang ginagalugad
kung saan pahihimlayin
ang mga salita

o baka naman wala
talagang nasa pagitan
katulad ng nawalang paligid
habang naghahanap
ng mga signos
sa pagitan ng sulyap
at usap

dayap
sa sugat ng ngayon
at nakaraan
ang pamamaalam

may ngiting nais
sumulyap
sa mga mata ko
subalit sinaway ito
ng mga mata mo

kilala nila ako

kapag ganito
kakorni ang simula
trahedya ang wakas
ng hinahabing
tula at kuwento.

German V. Gervacio is a Palanca award-winning author who teaches at the Filipino Department of MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology. He is the incoming representative of Northern Mindanao in the National Committee on Literary Arts for 2017-2019.

Eh di Howl! (after Ginsberg)

Poetry by | January 1, 2017

I.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Internet memes, historical revisionist Youtube clips, dragging themselves through the darkest, amnesiac streets of remembering, Marcos apologist hipsters and bloggers burning to ashes the miserable memories of Martial Law,

who bared their image-driven brains to froth for the good-looking grandson who was London-educated but undeniably unknowledgeable about undervoting,

who Facebook-floated across virtual Wi-Fi waters and stayed on top Twitter trends, contemplating the alleged cheating in the vice-presidential race in order to pave and force the way of the unapologetic son to Malacañang,

who unwittingly sent their souls to Hell for promoting the banality of evil and saw Mephistophelian angels promising the hero’s burial and ascension of the wax-and-plastic-and-formaldehyde-long-rotten patriarch, but didn’t see the irony,

who passed through illumined universities yet spent more time in status-symbol coffee shops, discussing fashion styles and sheers, crop tops and jogger pants, ending up inadequately informed or misinformed or uninformed about the naked and obscene terrors of the autocratic rule and the detritus thereof,
Continue reading Eh di Howl! (after Ginsberg)

Panahon ang Lumay

Poetry by | December 25, 2016

Usahay ugtas
ang atoang kaagi
sa kahiubos

mga pasangil
sa pakyas nga pasaad
lugda mipisil

sa kadugay sa
oras, gaduhaduha
kun mupadayon

ang gugma nato
ma wahig ug pagbati
mawad-ag awog

apan kani ra
akoang maingon sa
imo pangga, ko

Kung igarapon
ang tui-g nga miagi
sama sa lana

mahimo kining
ang pinakakusgan sa
tanang gayuma.

Glorypearl Dy is a filmmaker based in Davao City. She was a fellow at the 2011 Davao Writers Workshop.

Where He Left

Poetry by | December 25, 2016

The room smelled like the pomade
Grandpa put on his hair
the moment
he got out of the shower.
The vines he used to trim
in the mornings
had crawled
to the grills on the windows
from the rusty gate
where he stood by
as he watched
me and my cousins
play hide-and-seek
along Almond Drive
on Sunday afternoons.
Mama was cleaning out
his medicine box
when I realized
all the containers
had not been emptied out.
Uncle carried
the plump luggage
to the top of the closet
filled with naked hangers.
Grandma could not seem to fold
the blanket on his bed
the way he used to do it-
corner to corner, edge to edge.
Tony Orlando started squeaking
when the CD player played
“Tie A Yellow Ribbon,”
but Grandma listened
and danced with the air
in the same way
she danced with Grandpa
at the wedding reception
of their golden anniversary.
I hold this scarf
that he wrapped himself in
as he sat on his wheelchair
one windy afternoon
when we drove him
to the beach.
Nobody dared to sit
on the rocking chair
in the balcony
where he used to nap
during sunny days
that reminded him, he said,
of the Panglao beaches
where he used to play
when he was young.
But now he’s rested
somewhere peaceful,
where I could no longer
massage his feet
as he rocked himself to sleep.

Marie Crestie Joie Contrata is a Creative Writing student from the University of the Philippines Mindanao.

Didto sa Route 8

Poetry by | December 11, 2016

Ang bus
parahon, palabyon
sakaan, kanaugan
lingkuran, tindogan
piyongan, kamathan
sukaan, pangugmohan
tabian, hiloman
motulin, moliko
makaligis, mabanggaan
molarga, moabot
sa terminal , sa terminal.

Jann Dainver “Deejay” Maravilla is an AB-English graduate of MSU-IIT. He is now a visiting lecturer at Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Main Campus, Dapitan City. He has recently been selected as a fellow to the 2016 Davao Writers Wokshop.

Downpour

Poetry by | December 11, 2016

Sway the leaves while you breathe
And your mind rests after long days
Keeping watch from your marbled walls
Are memories, stolen as polaroids
You wait for the night storm to pass
But realize the magic in the air

Like a wave, rain crashes
As angels’ wings beat for drumline
A musical surge on your roof
Transmitted straight towards your apex beat
And as you lay there, wondering
Will this beautiful downpour ever end?

Yes, if you wanted to
But tears of heaven have calmed you
Never was any soothing sound
That your own ears enjoyed and learned to love
Your own pleasure of symphony
While you drown yourself in rain’s
Orchestrated confessions

Monique graduated from UP Mindanao.

Iyang Agik-ik ug Pahiyom

Poetry by | November 27, 2016

Ang agik-ik aning bataa
maka-buak niining samin
diin ko ginahanduraw
ang akong mga kaagi.

Sa matag tan-aw ko
sa akong kaugalingon
niining samina,

Iyang matag pahiyom
makahanap sa akong panglantaw;
akong nawong nagkaguol,
nagkatiguwang.

Krishna Mie graduated with a Masters Degree in Applied Social Research and a Bachelors Degree on Secondary Education Major in Social Studies. She is currently working as a faculty of the Humanities Division at Philippine Science High School – Southern Mindanao Campus where she teaches Social Science Courses.

Hindi Muna Ako Tutula Hangga’t Mahal Pa Kita

Poetry by | November 27, 2016

Kaya kong magkuwento tungkol sa simula
Noong manipis na foam lang ang pumapagitan sa sahig at mga likod natin
Dahil minimum wage lang ang kinikita mo bilang
Saleslady sa isa sa libo libong tindahan ni Henry Sy
At pa-raket-raket lang ako bilang tutor ng mga anak-mayaman sa Iloilo.
Kaya kong punuin ang magdamag ng mga sugilanon ng pagtitiis mo
Sa pagkain ng sardinas dahil ito ang paborito ko,
At ng paggising mo sa madaling araw upang ipag-igib ako ng tubig
Mula sa poso, ipag-init ng pampaligo’t pang-kape,
Ipagluto ng baon at ipagplantsa ng palda at blusa noong, sa wakas,
Ay natanggap ako bilang guro sa pribadong eskwelahang laging sanhi
Ng trapik sa General Luna. Marami tayong mga kuwentong
Kagaya nito, at pwedeng parisan ng metapora ang bawat alaala, ngunit
Hindi muna ako tutula hangga’t mahal pa kita.

Maaari kong awitin ang mga napagkasunduan nating
Maging theme song noong mga panahong ginagabi tayo
Sa pagtatrabaho nang parehong walang overtime pay:
Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas dahil Sharonian ako, at Head Over Feet
Dahil adik ka kay Alanis kahit hindi mo makabisa ang spelling ng apelyido niya,
Kagaya ng palagi mong paglimot sa petsa ng birthday ko.
Maaari kong awitin ang mga naka-loop sa playlist ko
Noong paulit-ulit mo akong sinuyo para lamang muling iwanan,
Na para bang paulit-ulit mo akong ini-endo para pag-aplayin
Sa parehong posisyon. Iba’t ibang himig at titik
Ang kaya kong ilapat sa aking pag-iyak, hagulgol, at pag-ngawa
Sa tuwing pinili mo akong saktan. Aking sasabayan ang ritmo
Ng bawat isa hanggang marindi ka sa sintunado kong pagkanta; ngunit
Hindi muna ako tutula hangga’t mahal pa kita.

Papayag akong sumayaw kahit pa nga walang tugtog
Basta’t maiyugyog ko lang ang katawan kong pagod na pagod na
Sa pagluhod at pagsusumamo sa mga novena ko kay St. Jude
Dahil ayoko nang umasang titino ka pa, kagaya ng
Hindi ko na pag-asang mare-regular pa ako o tataas ang sweldo.
Papayag akong sumayaw, umindak, at maglupasay
Bilang tanda ng pagbitaw sa nag-uumapaw na poot at galit
Na dala ng panghihinayang sa labintatlong taong sinayang
Nating dalawa. Hahataw sa galaw ang aking mga paa ngunit
Hindi muna ako tutula hangga’t mahal pa kita.
Dahil hangga’t may natitira pang katiting na pag-ibig sa kasingkasing
Ay hindi magiging sapat ang ritmo o tugma; walang saysay
Ang mga metapora. Ang bawat salita ay mananatiling kabalintunaan
Ng kabiguan nitong aking akda kaya’t ipagpaumanhin mo sana kung
Hindi muna ako tutula hangga’t mahal pa kita.

Early Sol won second place in the Hiligaynon Short Story Category of the 2016 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. She has been a fellow in several National Writers Workshop. She currently teaches Mathematics, Education, and Statistics courses at the University of the Philippines Visayas.