“Magkikita na lang tayo diyan sa Rizal Park. Diyan mismo sa flag ni Rizal magbigti na lang ako.” – Rodrigo Roa Duterte, 6 Abril 2020
May bunganga ang basurahan. May bunganga ang imburnal, ang inidoro, ang halimaw na gabi lamang kung mag-iingay. Samantala, nais magpahinga ang mga may kaluluwa at pagod ang katawan.
Ngunit kaya nga halimaw ang tawag sa halimaw. Nanghahalina, nais mangibabaw sa paraang kanyang-kanya. Maging ang bandila ng bayani na malaon nang yumao, gagawing pambigti. Akala mo may kakawalang kaluluwa
sa kanyang kalamnang pumipintig lamang habang nagpapakahayok at nagpapasasa sa karimlang kinasalampakan. Kung maaari lang, kumilos sana
ang estatwa ni Pepe, sipain ka sa bayag. Ngunit wala ka, eh. Ay heyt drags.
-o-
Apologies for those who cannot read Filipino. I’ll try to work on a translation when I get a chance.
Jim Pascual Agustin writes and translates poetry. Sometimes he tries his hand at essays and stories.
His latest book is BLOODRED DRAGONFLIES, published by Deep South in South Africa. Check out the official blog page for Bloodred Dragonflies.
In 2011 the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House in Manila released BAHA-BAHAGDANG KARUPUKAN (poems in Filipino) and ALIEN TO ANY SKIN (poems in English). The same publisher released his most recent poetry collections SOUND BEFORE WATER and KALMOT NG PUSA SA TAGILIRAN. In 2015 a new poetry collection in English, A THOUSAND EYES was released. His first collection of short stories in Filipino, SANGA SA BASANG LUPA, was released in 2016. UK publisher The Onslaught Press launches his poetry collection, WINGS OF SMOKE, worldwide in February 2017. San Anselmo Publications released HOW TO MAKE A SALAGUBANG HELICOPTER & OTHER POEMS in 2019 followed by CROCODILES IN BELFAST & OTHER POEMS in 2020 - both books can be purchased through their Facebook page.
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