Tag Archives: Rio Alma

Medyasyon sa Matutum

By Rio Alma
Poetry

Bahagi ang akdang ito ng librong Hulíng Hudhud ng Sanlibong Pagbabalik at Paglimot para sa Filipinas Kong Mahal, na inilathala ng C&E Publishing, Inc. noong 2009.

Isang proposisyon ang bawat taluktok túngo sa paglilimayon—
Walang-hanggan at walang-hanggahan—ng bagwis at simoy;

Isang pagsamba sa maharlikang pag-iisa ng gagamba;
Isang pagtamasa sa hamog at alige ng pihikang asoge’t asupre

Sa ibabaw ng mga tunggalian at alingawngaw ng bayan,
Sa lilim ng laging-lungting ligaya’t mga eternal na kariktan.

Hindi maimamatwid ang mga ngipin ng bangin sa paligid
O gilagid ito ng matalahib na lalamunan ng bulkan.

Walang-kapalit ang sansaglit na silakbo ng tilin at utong.
Maganap man ito sa Mayon, Apo, Banahaw, Isarog, Kanlaon,

Sa tag-ulan o tag-araw, sa umaga, tanghali, o takipsilim,
At dumatal na pagkakataon pagkatapos makipagmook,

Tiyak na ikasisiyá ng hininga ang haplos sa pilikmata,
Ang kandungang sintarik ng mga una’t sinaunang pithaya.

Ito ang lunggati ng korales paghawi sa buhok ng dagat.
Ang mithi ng tore. Ang pangarap na puntod sa bahay ng pagong.

Inihahandog ngayon ang bítag sa kilay ng zigzag at ziggurat.
Ang langaw sa tangos ng ilong. Ang túlog ng tutubi sa duklay.

Laging nása tugatong ang trono. Nagpapataasan ang piramide,
Palasyo’t gusali upang ipagmalaki ang pangalan ng tagumpay.

Upang tingalain. Upang maibukod ang iilang anak ng diyos
Sa maraming maralita’t may karaniwang rabaw ng pakiramdam.

Inihahandog din ngayon ang laya sa pakpak ng paruparo,
Nakatirik sa tilos ng samyo’t talulot, tiwalig sa buhawi ng mundo.

Ritwal ito ng pagkitil sa sirena at regular na repertory ng relo,
Ng payapang pagpuksa sa kaliit-liitang butil ng alabok sa litid at atay.

Ngunit iba ba ang kidlat ng liwanag sa Bundok ng Bungo
Kaysa bahaghari ng pitóng silahis sa ilalim ng Piedras Platas?

Bakit kailangang sundan ang bakás ng umakyat na ulap?
Paimbulog din ang landas ng maitim na usok.

Higit bang banal ang pag-ilanglang sa halimuyak ng ilang-ilang
Kaysa putikang pag-aabang sa dukhang mutya ng saging?

Bawal mag-usisa. Malimit nililingon ang sinulid ng kasaysayan
Sa loob ng laberintong tigib sa sampung libong pusang itim.

Ang tugatog, estasyon din ito ng isang pulgasin at ulyaning áso—
Matapat na tanod sa pintong ipinid-ibukás ng halay ng hangin.

Tingnan, sumusupling ang disyerto sa anino ng bawat piramide;
Ngunit sinisilaw ng sariling ningning ang nása taluktok.

At tingnan pa, bumababâ mula sa langit at bundok ang tubig
Upang magdulot ng katarungan sa lahat:

Sa lahat ng hikahos na sulok at makirot na himagsik ng bukid,
At kahit sa lawas ng mga mangmang at ilahas na damdamin.

Advertisement

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.