Kamakalawa (kay Cirilo F. Bautista) ni Santiago Villafania

Alma Anonas-Carpio
By Alma Anonas-Carpio

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1.

 

kagabi ay hinimayhimay ko

ang bawat taludtud ng aking tula

binaybay ang mga malalalim na kataga

hanggang sa dumugo ang pahina

 

noon ko lang unang natikman

ang tamis at pait ng salita

na naging ostiya na isinubo

sa alaala ng aking pagkatao

 

ganito pala ang isang makata

kung hihiga sa kandungan ni Bathala

kinakailangan mong mamatay

nakaupo na parang si Buddha

 

o nakadipa sa kalbaryo

ng salita at pilosopiya

 

2.

 

mataas ang kaalaman ng isa

na lanta na ang kaluluwa

siya ang tanging aristos ng diwa

na may pang-unawa sa logos

 

ang karamihan ay walang pang-unawa

kahit may angking karunungan

mula sa apoy ni Prometheus

na ninakaw niya sa Olympus

 

alam ng aristos kung paano mamatay

at kung kailan niya tatayuan

ang kamatayan at katahimikan

ng lumikha at ang kawalaan

 

ang karamihan ay mabubuhay

sapagkay ito ang batas ng logos

 

_________________________

Santiago Villafania is a commissioner at the Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission. He is a bilingual poet who writes in English and his mother tongue, Pangasinan, and the author of five collections of poetry: Ghazalia: Maralus ya Ayat (CreateSpace, 2013), Bonsaic Verses (CreateSpace, 2012), Pinabili & Other Poems (C&E Publishing/ De La Salle University, 2012), Malagilion: Sonneta tan Villanelles (Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, 2007), and Balikas na Caboloan (Voices from Caboloan, 2005), published by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts under its UBOD New Authors Series. He is a member of the Philippine PEN.

 

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