Falling Stars

Do you remember still the falling stars
that like swift horses through the heavens raced
and suddenly leaped across the hurdles
of our wishes--do you recall? And we
did make so many! For there were countless numbers
of stars: each time we looked above we were
astounded by the swiftness of their daring play,
while in our hearts we felt safe and secure
watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate,
knowing somehow we had survived their fall.

-R.M. Rilke

Tula

                                                             "The task of poetry

                                                is to never run out of words"

                                                 - The Doomed, Mikael Co

Hindi sa pangungulila nagmumula ang tula.
Kaya ngayon, aking hinahanap

Ang mga tulang bigo, hindi ko matandaan
Kung saan naisuksok o naitapon;

Saan ako nagkamali? Naitanong mo na rin ito
Noong napag-usapan natin ang hangganan

Ng mga pangako, naaalala ko kung paano mo
Inilahad sa akin ang iyong puso

na bigong-bigo; kung paano ako nahirapan
Na umapuhap ng salita sa alangaang.

Paano ka mauubusan ng salita?
Paulit-ulit kong naririnig ang iyong tinig

Habang isinusulat itong kabiguan nating dalawa.
Alam mo, gusto kong magtagumpay

Itong tula. Liparin sa hangin ang bawat linya
Hakutin lahat ng mabibigat na bagahe nitong naninikip

Na dibdib, tangayin ang bawat hinanakit sa lungsod
Patungo sa kalawakang hindi natin maaabot.

Gusto kong mabasa mo ito at isumpa
Ang lahat ng salitang nakalatag dito sa papel,

Iyong sunugin hanggang sa tuluyang maglaho,
Tulad ng isang bituing unti-unting nagiging abo.

Nang sa gayon wala kang mabalikan,
Nang sa gayon manatili akong naghahanap.

matatapos din to


kung kilala mo ako talaga, alam mong motto ko to sa buhay. medyo kakarampot na salita para sa mabigat na kahulugan. pero kung sakaling nagtataka ka kung saang lupalop ko to nakuha, eto ipapabasa ko sa yo:

gam zeh yaavor.

"This too shall pass" (Hebrew: גם זה יעבור‎, gam zeh yaavor) is a phrase occurring in a Jewish wisdom folktale involving King Solomon. 

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah. He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel, zayin, yud, which began the words "Gam zeh ya'avor" -- "This too shall pass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

The event has been cancelled due to cloudy skies and the sudden unavailability of the speaker. Maybe next time. It’ll be rescheduled so please wait for further announcements. Sorry guys.

Hi everyone! Here’s another opportunity to write. As in previous exercises, submit a 1-page poem to me by Friday, 7 December.


Here's the exercise: Describe a celestial body in such a way that a reader will think of death. Do not mention death in the poem.

Please take note that the talk will be given in Filipino, and talks about astronomy's contribution to the art of poetry. I highly encourage you to attend. Bring a friend.

***

WIKAlawakan

Stargazing

National Observatory Field

December 1 (Saturday)

7:30 pm onwards

Free poetry lecture and stargazing from the LITSENSE Movement with the special participation of the Astronomical Association of the Philippines.

Nakakatakot yun


hindi ko na maalala kung tuesday o thursday ba yun, pero ngayong week lang nangyari. kakatapos lang ng philosophy class ko sa bellarmine, papunta ako sa xavier hall. tapos nakita kita, papunta naman sa bellarmine. napatigil ako sandali. ang sweet ninyo, may h.h.w.w. pa kayong nalalaman. pero teka teka, sa isip ko: ano tong nakikita ko, may boyfriend ka na pala? bakit ngayon ko lang nalaman. ang loser ko. tonight i can write the saddest lines. ngayong gabi kaya kong magbitiw ng bitter words. tulang naisulat matapos ayain ang isang kaibigang lumabas at mabigong muli. tulang naisulat matapos itapon ang isa na namang tula ng paglimot. tulang naisulat matapos itapon ang isa na namang tula ng pangungulila. pakiramdam ko kaya kong tumula ng pagkadami-raming tula tungkol sa pangungulila at kamatayan. ito na yun. may quota ang pag-ibig. hindi ako kasama. ganito siguro yung pakiramdam ng mga emo pag sinasabi nila na hindi sila maintindihan ng mundo, na mas masakit yung inner pain na nararamdaman nila kaysa sa physical pain kaya nila gustong maglaslas convention. naisip ko, kinabukasan magsusuot ako ng black shirt at magiging die hard fan ako ng chicosci dahil sila lang ang makakaintindi sa nararanasan kong suffering ngayon. tapos idedelete ko lahat ng text messages mo, dahil i have to move on and start a new life. a new, emo, low habitus life. sana panaginip lang to, pero nakikita ko kayo ng boyfriend mong kalbo. magkakasalubong pa tayo. palapit kayo ng palapit sa akin. 5 seconds, 4, 3, 2... tapos, pagkatapos nun, saka ko lang narealize. hindi ikaw yun. kamukha mo lang pala sa malayo. kasi malabo ang mata ko, parang pag-ibig.

Disyembre

Minumulto ng hangin ang mga dahon

sa labas at ako sa loob ng kuwarto

habang nag-aaral. Kung bakit ako napatingin

sa kisame kung saan makikita ang mga bituin

na istiker, hindi ko alam. Marahil tinatawag mo ako

kaya ko naisipang dumungaw sa bintana. Tumingala

kayo, sabi sa balita, ika-10:30 ng gabi, makakakita

ng mga bulalakaw.  Pagkalipas ng isang oras,

sumuko ako at kumuha ng isang basong tubig

para sa nanunuyong lalamunan. Nakatingala ka

rin ba kanina? -ang mga salitang nasa isip ko

habang naglalakad pabalik sa kuwarto.

Naririnig ko ang sariling sinasabi ito,

at sinasabi ng sarili kong naririnig ko ito.

Nang itanong ko ito sa aking ama, walang imik

lamang siyang nanonood –magiging maulan

bukas kaya magdala ng payong ang payo ng

PAGASA. Hindi na ako umaasang

totoo palagi ang mga sinasabi sa balita.

Nang lapitan ko ang alagang aso,

lumuhod ako at ibinulong sa kanya:

Nakatingala ka rin ba kanina? Marahil totoo,

nakaaamoy ang aso ng takot, pati ng lungkot.

Papatayin ko na ang ilaw.

Ngunit muli akong bumangon.

Itatanong ko muna ito

sa  larawan mo

bago ako matulog.