Mula sa Kaniyang Humango sa Kanilang Lahat

By Jeric F. Jimenez
Poetry

Hinukay ko ang labi ng mga mamamahayag na wasak
ang bungo, tadtad ng bala
ang buong katawan at nakababa ang siper ng kababaihan.
Ginamit akong pangaykay.
Ginamit ako upang walwalin ang lupa sa Barangay Salman,
ang barangay kung saan tahimik ang umpukan ng mga babaeng Muslim.
Walang imik ang maso ng mga kalalakihan at malungkot
ang supa-supang lollipop ng mga binatilyo.
Ako ang nagsilbing saksi paanong pagpatong-patungin ang mga sira-sirang
sasakyan nang lalo silang mabaon sa lupa
at kasamang maisudsod ang kaluluwa ng pamamahayag.
Ikinahihiya ko ang pagkakaroon ng mahaba’t malalim na palad.
Ang lapad kong lalo pang lumuray sa lamanloob ng mga bangkay.
Ikinahihiya ko ang sarili ko.
Tulad ng mga nawawala’t kamag-anak nilang naghahanap
saan nga ba sila magtutulos ng kandila?
Kung tiyak ang pumpon ngunit ginutay-gutay ang nakahimlay,
saang kampusanto nila itatarak ang dalamhating sa araw-araw, buong-buo
at lalong bumabaon sa pinakaubod ng kanilang mga damdamin?
Saang bahagi ng Barangay Salman nila iaalay ang kanilang mga luha
kung isa-isang itinutumba ang nagbibigay ng simpatya
kung ibinabayubay at winawarak ang tiyan ng mga nagtatampol
sa kanila ng malumanay na iling?
Papaano nila isisigaw ang katarungan
kung dinilig na ng salapi ang prinsipyo,
kung binuhusan na ng gintong burak ang buhanging pinagkutkutan?
Makakamit bang talaga ang hustisya kung pagala-gala pa rin ang tiyanak
at ang mga aswang, saklot-kasiyahan?
Puno ng hilakbot ang nag-iisa kong kamay.
Balot pa rin ng takot ang Barangay Salman.
Ngunit nakararamdam ako ng gimbal di lamang sa Maguindanao,
di lamang sa suyok-suyok ng Kamaynilaan
kundi maging, at lalong lumalakas ang lagunlong
at galit sa pusong umiilanlang hanggang sa kanayunan
pasanib sa mga kabundukan.

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Editors and Contributors

GUEST EDITOR

Jade Mark B. Capiñanes earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Mindanao State University in General Santos City. He has been a fellow for essay at the 2016 Davao Writers Workshop and the 2017 University of Santo Tomas National Writers Workshop. His “A Portrait of a Young Man as a Banak” won third prize at the Essay Category of the 2017 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

REGULAR EDITOR

Jude Ortega is a short story writer from Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat. He has been a fellow in two regional and four national writers workshops. In 2015, he received honorable mention at the inaugural F. Sionil José Young Writers Awards. His short story collection Seekers of Spirits is forthcoming from the University of the Philippines Press.

CONTRIBUTORS

Rio Alma is the pen name of National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario. He is a poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is currently the chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Mark Angeles was a writer-in-residence of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa in the United States in 2013. He is the author of the children’s books Si Znork, Ang Kabayong Mahilig Matulog and Si Andoy, Batang Tondo, the short story collection Gagambeks at mga Kuwentong Waratpad, and the poetry books Emotero, Patikim, and Threesome. He received awards for his works from Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Foundation for Literature, and Philippine Board on Books for Young People.

Rogelio Braga is a playwright, fictionist, and essayist born and raised in Manila. Among his notable works on theater are “Ang Mga Mananahi,” “Ang Bayot, Ang Meranao, at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte,” “So Sanggibo a Ranon na Piyatay o Satiman a Tadman,” and “Mas Mabigat ang Liwanag sa Kalungkutan.” His short stories appeared in various publications such as TOMAS and Ani. He was a fellow for fiction at the UST, Ateneo, and UP national writers workshops and for Art Criticism at J. Elizalde Navarro National Writers Workshop for Criticism in the Arts and Humanities.

Reparado B. Galos III is a poet and lawyer. He was a fellow at the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo’s poetry clinic in 2006 and became a member of the group in 2007. His poetry collection in Filipino won first prize at the Maningning Miclat Poetry Awards in 2015.

Jeric F. Jimenez is a graduate of AB Filipinolohiya at Polytechnic University of the Philippines–Sta. Mesa in Manila. He has taught in elementary, junior high school, senior high school, and college. His short stories are included in the anthologies Piglas: Antolohiya ng mga Kuwentong Pambata and Saanman: Mga Kuwento sa Biyahe, Bagahe, at Balikbayan Box.

Johanna Michelle Lim is a brand strategist, creative director, and travel writer based in Cebu City. She was a fellow at the 54th Silliman University National Writers Workshop and is the author of What Distance Tells Us, a collection of travel essays.

Bernadette V. Neri writes fiction and plays and teaches creative writing at the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature, University of the Philippines–Diliman. She is the author of the children’s book Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin. She is originally from Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija.

Jose Victor Peñaranda was a poet and community development practitioner. He was the author of the poetry collections Voyage in Dry Season (Sipat Publishing), Pilgrim in Transit (Anvil Publishing), and Lucid Lightning (UST Publishing). He received awards for his poetry from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Foundation for Literature, Manila Critics Circle, Philippines Free Press Award, Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, and Philippines Graphic’s Nick Joaquin Literary Awards. He was born in Manila in 1953 and passed away in 2017.

Ralph Jake T. Wabingga is a college instructor and used to be a writer and producer for television. He was a fellow for fiction at the Davao Writers Workshop in 2017. He is from Sulop, Davao del Sur.