Poetry by Rory Ian Bualan | April 26, 2015
alibangbang
nitugpa sa bulak
gikulbaan
pako di mabuklat
alibangbang
nawagtang ang kiat
ginapugngan
sa hangin mukalat
apan…
alindanaw
nilupad kapaspas
gilamian
nikirig ang lawas
alindanaw
gibitbit ang hawak
nitugsaw
sa tubig gilamat
apan,
ang apan niambak.
—
Rory Ian Bualan usa ka OFW sa Indonesia.
Poetry by Simon Anton Nino Diego Baena | April 26, 2015
Under the shade
of these cumulus clouds
here the earth greets you
with blinding light, but
the rain is always in
your somnolent eyes.
And you gather something
out of the viridian sea:
a handful of shells
for your dead loved ones
a fistful of sand
for your city of rust.
You hear flatlines
in the distance
as the horizon blooms
with a procession of waves—
beneath the fire rainbow
a sailboat drifts
towards carabao island
like a slow
moving funeral.
—
Simon Anton Nino Diego Baena, originally from Bais City, Negros Oriental, is now based in Iligan. Some of his works have already been published in Mascara Literary Review, Philippines Free Press, The James Franco Review, The Blue Hour Magazine, among others.
Poetry by Jessrel Gilbuena | April 26, 2015
They also¹ call it “lamppost.” It is a raised² spring of light commonly on the edge of a walkway or a road. Technically, it only lights up when needed³. However, sometimes they are lit in the brightness of the day, but it doesn’t matter anyway. No one cares about it, as long as it won’t bother the light people needed as they cross the street.
The early street lights were used by the Greek and the Romans. Predominantly, it was oil lamps that gave light to the street as they provide moderate and enduring flame. Interestingly, the Romans have laternarius ̶ a slave⁴ assigned to light the lamps in front of villas⁵. Until the Middle Age, the task⁶ remained but passed to a person tagged in different⁷ name: link boy.
Candlelight was engaged in cities before incandescent. A lamplighter was made in-charge of touring the city to light up the lamps until an automatic ignition⁸ device was employed to strike the flame once the gas supply become activated. Then in 1417, Sir Henry Barton, a mayor of London, mandated a public⁹ illumination*.
—
Jessrel E. Gilbuena is an islander who longs for more islands.
Poetry by Angelito Nambatac Jr. | April 12, 2015
Sa Iyang kamot nalalang
Ang nag-inusarang pormula
Nga nagpabutho sa kalibotan
Lakip ang kawanangan
Sulod sa unom ka adlaw.
Gikan sa mga puyang dahong
Migitib sa inahang-liso
Padulong sa mga bituong
Nagkatibulaag diha sa kahalapad
Sa langit-kagabhion. Kining tanan
Mituo, misunod, sama
Sa usa ka saad, usa ka mando.
Sa ikapitong adlaw,
Siyang,naglalang, nagpahulay
Samtang naglantaw
Sa iyang mga ginama, apan
Basin gipamaolan ba kay hangtod
Karon wala pa man nakabakod.
—
Si Angelito “Gil” Gomos-Nambatac, Jr migradwar sa MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology sa kursong AB English. Siya nakatampo nag balak alang sa Kabisdak ug Dagmay ug artikulog komiks sa Bisaya Magasin. Siya ang nagdumala sa bag-ong gitukod nga “Ang Lantay” (http://salantay.blogspot.com/), usa ka attempted project nga mahimong usa ka literary journal ug reference site para sa literaturang Binisayang Sinugboanon. Siya kasamtangang nagtrabaho sa City Mayor’s Office- Office of Youth Affairs sa Dakbayan sa Iligan.
Poetry by Cyrell J. Alingasa | April 12, 2015
Gihidlaw ko sa mga lakaw nga way kapadulngan,
Ang atong mga tiil ug biste sa abog mapuno,
Tong adlaw nga niuban ko nimo–ikaw nga way ngalan–
Nangawagtang tanan nakong mga kasubo.
Gimingaw ko sa mga adlaw nga mapanganoron,
Aduna diay kalipay nga mahitabo ra kon magpiyong,
Samtang ako naminaw sa imong mga sugilanon.
Ang imong kamatuoran, sa mga atik mo ra mahuloganon.
Gapangandoy ko nga subayon ta sa ikaduhang higayon
Tong dalan nga gilakwan sa atong mga kalag.
Matag-gabii gahidlaw ako nga unta muanhi ka dayon,
Ug ilupad ko nimo ngadto sa mainitun mong salag.
Ikaw ang nawala nga nota niining hinanaling tukar
Unta mabatian nimo ning akong panghupaw.
Kon akong mga panaghoy imong mamatikdan
Anhia ko dinhi, manayaw ta sa tugtug sa kamingaw.
—
Cyrell is a psychosocial worker in a local NGO that helps young adolescent children in vulnerable situations. She is taking her Masters in Applied Social Research at Ateneo de Davao University. She paints and sketches, aside from writing fiction and poetry.
Poetry by Nonoy Narciso | April 5, 2015
Tag-init napud
Ang makasugakod
Mao ra ang poste
Gilansag ang mga kable
Nga naghawid sa atong mga atup
o liog sa balay
Dili makalingkawas
Daghan mokuyog
Bisan sa katagning sa init
Nabinat ang wire
Ang uban naloslos na
Hapdos og sakit
Tagbalay napugos mukuyog sa prosesyon
Kay walay katugwayan
Ang panimalay
—
Noy is an artist and an educator.
Poetry by Reil Benedict Obinque | April 5, 2015
(for him, who breaks my heart without knowing it)
i press you–
like a leaf–
between the pages
of the book
i know
i will never
again
open.
—
Reil is a second year BSED-MATH student from Ateneo de Davao, and is ultimately in love with the Fibonacci Sequence.
Poetry by Genevieve Mae Aquino | March 15, 2015
(for Myke)
It pains me to see
you wound up
over
your own existence
Your soul is a snail
twisting its viscera
to progress
from embryo
to adulthood
Foot
over
mouth
heels
under
Head
Deliberately
experiencing
the atrophy
before the unbearable pain
of bearing
the shell
of your sanctuary and prison
You must survive
this rite of passage
What is important is never easy
—
Genevieve Mae Aquino was born in Manila but calls Davao her home. She has a clutch of diplomas in molecular biology and genetics. She was fellow for Poetry in English at several national creative writing workshops.