Poetry by Mary Lou Caharian | April 12, 2009
Here’s to
weaving girl dreams and woman fantasies
dancing unrehearsed to one another’s beat
sharing heart stories, health teas and therapies
savouring fleeting joys in both cold and heat.
Here’s to
crying lonely then bursting into laughter
laughing uncontrolled till eyes brim with tears
looking exotic in floor-length silky wear
feeling as pretty in mix-match garbs at ukay sale.
Poetry by Agnes Miclat-Cacayan | April 12, 2009
We are women of the
underworld
eating death to reproduce life induce life feed life
we are women of the
First Womb
weaving our own body and spirit seeds
into beads of birthings known only to the First Mystery
the First Nursery
designing new eggs within new shells
mining the minerals of unconscious caverns
we are women of the dark
our wombs partially blinded by the white light
from atomic bombs of human delusion
we are women of Earth and Wind and Ocean
daily dressed like Moon with Sun’s divine patina
on special occasions our aural gowns are of the Stars
and maybe some distant undiscovered Planet’s
But sometimes we forget.
Poetry by Rosalie Zerrudo | April 12, 2009
in the intricate
magnificent web of circumstances
the blooming flower
stays in the center
as the great experiencer
to learn and relearn
the art of
purifying oneself.
my life
is a
sacred ritual.
Events by Dominique Gerald Cimafranca | April 8, 2009
The following fellows have been selected for the Davao Writers Workshop 2009.
Fellows for Fiction
Alpha Fortun (UP Mindanao)
Aaron Jalalon (UP Mindanao)
Edmund Julian de la Cerna (San Pedro College)
Eric John Villena (Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan)
Jeffrey Javier (UP Mindanao)
Fellows for Creative Nonfiction
Mary Ann Tarusan (Ateneo de Davao)
Migs Bassig (Ateneo de Manila)
Karen Quinones (University of Southeastern Philippines)
Rowena Rose Lee (UP Mindanao)
Fellows for Poetry
Allen Samsuya (UP Mindanao)
Jobelle Obguia (Ateneo de Davao)
Hannah Enanoria (Ateneo de Davao)
Henrietta Diana de Guzman (UP Mindanao)
Paul Randy Palua-Gumanao (Ateneo de Davao)
Vanessa Almeria (UP Mindanao)
The workshop takes place at La Storta Retreat House, Shrine Hills, Matina, from May 4 to May 8. Panelists are Marjorie Evasco, Tim Montes, Macario Tiu, and Don Pagusara.
Opening ceremonies for the workshop will be on May 4, 9:00 am, at Ateneo de Davao University.
The workshop will be open to a limited number of observers. Stay tuned to this web site for announcement on the sign-up details.
Editor's Note by Maria Virginia Yap Morales | April 5, 2009
Her attributes have been labelled as “feminine,” which are right-brained priorities of receptivity, intuition, feeling, artistic pursuit. In the last four decades she is said to have developed “masculine” priorities in left brain assertiveness, intellectual pursuit, science, organization, mathematics. Living through discontinuities in her life, global statistics affirm – she is living a longer life than him. Because of all these, it has been said the 21st century is the woman’s century. Two issues of Dagmay harvests the promise of March and new beginnings in the poetry and prose of Agnes Miclat Cacayan, Rosalie Zerrudo, Lourdes Birondo Caharian, and painting by Anna Rhieza Rallos.
MARIA VIRGINIA YAP MORALES
Editor
Nonfiction by Rosalie Zerrudo | April 5, 2009
Travel is the trendsetting lifestyle in the planet. The Venusian backpack is now virtually galloping from
one island to the next for many reasons: some maybe looking for men, some looking for love, some wanting to see places, and some maybe for work. Why do women travel? How are they different from the way men travel? Women may bring extra clothes all the time, for they are privileged to decorate themselves. An extra scarf will make a difference.
One of my most beautiful travel experiences are my journeys with women. It is travel by intuition rather than linear guide book driven. Women always carry candid open secrets, real meaty stories for they pay attention to details and listen to their hearts. They can hear the wind, touch the clouds and dance in water. These are the magic in women.
Continue reading Endangered Pink Road and Sunflower Streets of Mindanao
Poetry by Agnes Miclat-Cacayan | April 5, 2009
(A rap-song still waiting for its music)
Narration:
Tila buong buhay ko na ay inialay ko
sa pagakyat ng bundok na ito…
Kapayapaan…ang kanyang pangalan….
Start of rap /song:
Unti-unti ang mga kasama ko ay
Napipikon na, nawawalan ng pag-asa
Unti-unti ang mga kasama ko ay
Napapaslang ng mga halimaw sa daan
Unti-unti ang mga kasama ko ay
Nadadapa, napipinsala
Ang iba sa kanilay humina na ang kalooban
Sa kaniya-kaniyang dunong ay nagpasiklaban
At sumilakbo sa pag-aalitan
Mga halimaw sa daan ay naghiyawan
Ahahahahaha
Continue reading Ang Tanong ng Babaylan ng Bundok Kapayapaan
Nonfiction by Louie Marcelo, Zer Cabatuan | March 29, 2009
I am better than you. We are better than you. They are better than you. You are better than me.
What made you say that? Why did you say that? How can you say that?
Our senses are fixed only on what we perceive. Black and white. Short and tall. Fat and thin. Male and female. The list goes on and on and on. The question remains: are we really all that different from each other?