Musika I

Poetry by | February 26, 2012

Karon ania napud ko
Ilawom sa landong ni’ng dakong kahoy,
Kauban ang karaang gitara
Sa pagsakit diri ako magdanguyngoy.

Sa paggitik ko ni’ng instrumento
Hinay nga milupad ang mga tono
Puno sa kasakit padulong
Sa walay katapusang kawanangan.

Og ang gikumot kung dughan
Giabuhap sa nipis og mainitong musika
Nga miagi sa gamayng dalan sa akong dalunggan
Paingon sa paghilot sa napiang kong kasing-kasing.

Sa kada kaskas ning karaang gitara
Inubanan sa paghaplas sa kanunayng init nga sonata
Sa paglupad sa mga pino og hinayng tono niini
Hamis og humok nga mga kamot sa musika tambalan ka.

Musika II

Poetry by | February 26, 2012

Ilalom sa landong sa dakong kahoy,
kauban ang karaang gitara,
niingkod ako og niplastar
aron musika sugdan na.

hinay nga naglupad
mga lami nga tono,
nga mudakop sa mga dalunggan
sa kung kinsang makadungog.

Ako lawom nga miginhawa
ug sa pagkanta misugod,
musika og tingog ko nagsayaw
maanindot nga sonata misunod.

Nikanta ako og nikanta
musika sa ako mikatawa,
bisan ako sa tono wala na
malipayon gihapon akong nakigbayle kaniya.

—
Macky Marquez is a a third year student of University of Southeastern Philippines, taking AB Literature. He was a fellow of Davao Writers Workshop 2011.

White Roses

Fiction by | February 19, 2012

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s alright.”

Noah is busy adjusting the lens of his camera. His back is facing Karen, who has arrived fifteen minutes late. Karen is upset. It’s not usual for her to be late, especially for business appointments. And who can blame her? Her boss just asked her to drive all the way from the city to his rest house practically located in the middle of a forest.

Now, she’s standing here in her boss’ safe haven surrounded by trees approximately fifty feet tall. She watches him take pictures of leaves and flowers and insects and so much more. The trees scare her a little. But the forest is peaceful, very peaceful, and she likes it.

Continue reading White Roses

Ang akong Pebrero

Poetry by | February 19, 2012

Ang akong Pebrero
Mingaw,
mura’g nagbag-ong tuig sa syudad
nga nakabsa’g pabuto.
Minos,
Mura’g drayber sa jeep
nga walay pasahero.
Problemado,
Mura’g manlastohay
Nga perme abunado.
Pusoy,
Mura’g tindahan sa among silingan
Nga wala pa gani bulan
Hala to-a, nanirado.

Ang akong Pebrero,
Pastilan!
Ang dala kon dili
Sakit sa dughan
Sakit bulsa’g ulo.
Maayo pa’g magtoon
kos taman
kay dili madugay,
mahuman ra ko
dinhi sa Ateneo
mupaso, bitbit ang diploma
karong Marso baynti-kwatro.

—
Si Reymond usa ka Mass Comm student sa Ateneo de Davao, editor-in-chief sa Atenews, ug Fellow sa Davao Writers Workshop 2010.

DWG launches book of genre short stories

Events | February 13, 2012

The Davao Writers Guild, together with the National Commission or Culture and the Arts and the Humanities Division of Ateneo de Davao University, will hold the book launch of Dom Cimafranca’s “An Unusual Treatment and other short stories” on February 17, 2012, from 4:00PM to 5:00PM, at the Alumni Hall of Ateneo de Davao University.

“An Unusual Treatment” is a collection of Cimafranca’s short stories previously published in Philippines Graphic, Philippine Genre Stories, Philippine Speculative Fiction, and other magazines and anthologies. Edited by Dr. Ricardo M. de Ungria, the collection consists of genre stories of fantasy, horror, science fiction, and crime. This is Cimafranca’s first book of fiction.

“An Unusual Treatment” was published under the Davao Writers Guild’s Tubao Book Series, under a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The Tubao Book Series aims to promote Mindanao’s unique literature by featuring writers from the region.

Those interested to attend the book launch can sign up at the form below.

Continue reading DWG launches book of genre short stories

Hope

Poetry by | February 12, 2012

sat down
alone, here
Beneath the threads of
Silver linings, pins of stars

Hope
sought to string
these stars together
But the beads would not budge.

Hope,
frustrated,
found Fate,
bound as a knot.

—
Karen Kae Dicdican is a 2nd year BSED-English student from Ateneo de Davao University.

Swan Song

Poetry by | February 12, 2012

Deftly,
I untwisted frayed tendrils
of memories and coaxed
from their strands
remnants of longings
that no longer have names
nor shapes.

As I traced fading trails
to your world, the wind
blew, sending up
in spirals dusty crumbs
of hope.

The heavens choked –
and wept.

—
Jearvy R. Lañohan teaches Literature at the Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus. She was a fellow at the 2011 Davao Writers’ Workshop.

Night Visitor

Fiction by | February 12, 2012

Editor’s warning: What follows is a horror story; it contains some disturbing imagery.

The sun was setting. It was surrounded by an unusual reddish orange, the kind usually seen in landscape art pieces. It was visible through the clear glass windows that surrounded the office. Countering the view were photographs of the top salespeople in the company.

The clock ticked exactly five and everybody in the office prepared to log out from the company database. All except for Althea.

Every afternoon, when it was almost time to go home, her face would cloud with gloom. She did not really want to go home. Behind her back, her officemates said she was going through an emotional roller coaster, but she was careful enough to hide it.

Althea waited until the line of coworkers at the biometric scanners dwindled before she got up from her desk. Althea slowly half-stumbled half-walked. She continued in this manner until she reached home. At times she would cover her right ear, but hesitantly, as if she wanted to conceal her actions.

Continue reading Night Visitor