When I remember that fisherman
walking out of our house every morning
before breakfast, I think of
how we seemed too distant, his heart,
as usual, far from my own.
The Fisherman
Poetry by Aaron Jalalon | June 15, 2008
My Favorite Pair
Fiction by Joan Marie Yu | June 8, 2008
On my left foot, the white sock with blue stripes is paired with a plain yellow sock. I’m wearing my favorite pair again. The left sock is made of a cool thin cloth, while the other one is heavy and warm.
I can still imagine my mother’s face when she first saw me wearing this pair when I was still in elementary. She was quite hysterical when I told her I wanted to go to school wearing them. My father was very strict about being organized. A perfectionist, you might say. I remember him pointing out that a young man must dress accordingly to earn the respect and trust of his peers. His deep solid voice and few words were enough to make me agree. I never showed them the pair again.
Writer Does Not Mean Better
Nonfiction by Vanessa Arellano Doctor | June 8, 2008
Many beginning writers have this complex about them. You know the type. The ones who proudly rub their one and only published work in your face and look down on you as if they’re the ones who control the rotation of the earth on its axis. I can only scoff and force myself to shut my trap, lest I hurl obscenities at them for being too giddy and pretentious.
I admit I was something like this when I didn’t know any better. The first time I saw my name on the paper, I was pumped with so much adrenaline and pride that I forgot to be humble. And at the high times of my braggadocio, I somersaulted and fell flat. Just like that. So I had to get up again, start from scratch, wondering how I was able to write that one damned thing that propelled me to temporary fame, because, all of a sudden, I could not reproduce it. Continue reading Writer Does Not Mean Better
A Child's Stories
Poetry by Kelly Conlon | June 8, 2008
Before I nodded off to sleep at night
Mama would tell me a fairy tale —
The princess meets her dear prince…
“And then what next, Ma?’
A finger to her lips, she’d smile
“I’ll let you read the book tomorrow.”
When the sun came up
She’d point to the upstairs attic.
There, I sat on a dusty wooden floor —
The prince dances with his princess
to the sound of ten drums, violins,
trumpets, and lyres…
Downstairs, Ma and Pa danced
to the beat of angry voices, cries,
slamming doors, breaking china.
The royal couple now happily wed
Had a bonny daughter in the end…
Clambering down the stairs, I went
“They loved their princess, Ma!”
Pa slapped me very hard
“You and your fairy tales!”
Perhaps I had read the story wrong.
Many nights after,
I would tell myself another fairy tale
of a princess with a broken heart
crying silently in front of the mirror.
My story book went back in the attic, now
Covered in cobwebs, dust,
dried tears, and ghostly laughter—
Ma, you knew it would end that way,
didn’t you?
Lapis
Poetry by Arian Rey Tejano | June 8, 2008
kung ako
mabuhi pag-usab
pilion nako
ang kinabuhi
sa lapis:
kay kung naa may kapakyasan,
mapapas ra kini.
kay kung mahabol man ang akong paglantaw,
mahait ra kini.
kay kung maglisud man ko’g duyog sa kapit-us,
naa gihapoy mogunit sa akong agi.
kung maupos man ko, apan dili sama sa usa ka kandila
dili ko mamatay.
kung ang kandila mawad-an ug kahayag,
ang akong kahayag mabilin
sa papel nga puno ug balak
nga mudugay pa sa pipila
ka panuigon.
The Vengeful One
Nonfiction by Melissa Peñaflor | June 1, 2008
A baboon stole my ice cream just as I was crossing a street.
No, this is not some region in Africa I’m talking about here. I’m talking Davao here, and the incident happened on an avenue just a few meters from Gaisano Mall.
So there it was, a baboon on the road, and it was looking to have food the easiest way possible. I was about to step out of the way of a jeepney when, from behind me, I heard someone say, “Ako na lang ni ‘te.” Before the beast could even finish its sentence, and before I could gather that I was the recipient of the message, he pried the ice cream cone violently from my hand.
The Break-Up Speech
Nonfiction by Melissa Peñaflor | June 1, 2008
Tonight I was yet again presented with the opportunity to take a romantic stroll around the city. In short, it was too ma-traffic (and humid), so I figured I’d get to my destination faster if I just walked along the bridge.
While walking, I thought, I’m going to miss this city.
Haven’t really made plans for where I’ll get a job yet; all I know is that it won’t be here. Some well-meaning people ask me if I’m crazy for choosing to leave. Yes, I know; it’s a tough choice. I’m thinking: once I leave, I can never drink water straight from the tap again. I don’t think I’ll be able to have a good, filling meal with P20–even P30– any place else. And the No-Smoking ordinance–I don’t think I’ll have the benefit of that where I’m heading. I think I’ll have to forget all about getting exact change from the taxi driver and having access to wi-fi virtually anywhere.
Chicken
Poetry by Krisza Joy Kintanar | June 1, 2008
I can hear our chicken in the backyard
following me at night
when I take her egg at day
and stares at me
I can hear this chicken following me at night
when I go inside the kitchen
after emptying the trash bin
with cracked shells sticking inside it
I can really hear the chicken following me at night
up the concrete staircase
suddenly it stops
to see if I’ll turn
to look at her.