Category: poetry

poetry at the ayala triangle gardens

So on March 21, World Poetry Day, I read a couple of my poems at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

That’s the stage. I wasn’t able to bring a decent camera, so sorry for the lack of event photos. I’ll snag some from other people once the photos are posted.

Photo credit: Frankie Torres http://heykeytorres.blogspot.com/

I read two poems, both called “Maps”, which both appeared in Metro Serye and in my collection which won in last year’s Palanca Awards.

Photo credit: National Book Development Board

Of all the poets who read at the event, J and I were most taken by Ramon Sunico. Beautiful poems read in a heartfelt manner. You should have been there. The crowd went “oh” and applauded after the last line. I really really really wanted to approach him and tell him this in person but shyness took over.

Anyway, I found a copy online of one of the poems he read (“Huwag Ka Sanang Magagalit”). Beautiful.

Thank you Mookie and Anina and Filipinas Heritage Library for inviting me. And thank you for the Bonchon dinner and these gifts!

Issue 2 of Metro Serye
An umbrella from FHL
Featuring sketches by Jose Rizal.

J and I headed to Wee Nam Kee for a dinner date. Two ladies recognized me from the event and congratulated me. Thank you!

First time to eat here! Try their chicken rice, and have some lime juice with your meal. Yum.

2010 reads

First off, good news in the writing department: after a minor rewrite, Expanded Horizons has accepted my story, “Intersections”. Sci-fi, this one. The editor’s looking at a February run date. What a way to start the year!

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Anyway, I just want to share

The books and stories and poems I read (and loved) in 2010

in no particular order

  1. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint
  2. “Jumper Cable: The Crossing” in the PGS: Christmas issue
  3. We Are All Welcome Here
  4. 20th Century Ghosts
  5. A Storm of Swords
  6. Lucky
  7. The Killing Joke
  8. Twisted 8 1/2
  9. Philippine Speculative Fiction V
  10. Hunger Games trilogy
  11. Scott Pilgrim
  12. The Unnamed
  13. Tales of Beedle the Bard
  14. The Society of Others
  15. All Over But the Shoutin’
  16. Video
  17. The River King
  18. A Clash of Kings
  19. Dot.bomb
  20. House of Leaves
  21. The Likeness
  22. Ender’s Game
  23. The Beauty Myth
  24. “We Heart Vampires!!!” from Strange Horizons
  25. “The Six Skills of Madame Lumiere” from Beneath Ceaseless Skies
  26. “The Cassandra Project” in Lightspeed
  27. “Beach Blanket Spaceship” in Clarkesworld
  28. “No Two Stones” in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly
  29. “What Sieglinde Serpentslayer Said to the King”in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (poetry)
  30. “Kali Yuga” in Innsmouth Free Press
  31. December Lights
  32. “New York City as Temporal Measurement” in The Collagist (poetry)
  33. “Let Me Explain” (poetry)
  34. “Colosseum” (poetry)
  35. “Why You Should Never Marry a Poet” (poetry)
  36. Usok # 2
  37. “The Facts of the Case” in High Chair (poetry)

I’m sure I’ve read certain stories/poems that I just forgot to take note of, but this is more or less my list.

I should read more online pieces. Everyone should. There are some gems there.

‘variations’ now live on elimae

My poem, “Variations on the Expulsion from Eden”, is now up on the elimae website (August issue). Click here, if you are so inclined.

one for high chair

I’m a big big fan of High Chair, so I was ecstatic when Issue 12 editors Adam David and Conchitina Cruz picked up “Day: Notes” for the issue’s third installment. Thanks Adam and Chingbee for the comments on my piece and the editing.

It is hard to articulate outrage and fear and grief, but one must try.

one for sim

My poem, “Night: Notes”, will appear in this week’s (Feb. 21 issue) Sunday Inquirer Magazine. I just received my compli copy, and since I was eating glorious hideous fast food French fries when it came I smeared ketchup on it! Huzzah! :D

Do buy a copy. I personally like this poem.

uncovered

From a response paper I wrote for some CW course:

It is a mercy, then, that no two poets have the same inner life. As readers this allows us to see the world transform and transform again; as writers this allows us to offer something that no other person can offer. Every vision becomes not only true, but necessary, shedding light on the things the others have missed, or simply chose to ignore. This is Rothenberg’s “life-giving vision”, Kelly’s step beyond the “epiphany”, beyond the “flakes of mica embedded in” the pavement, seen for the first time. It is not enough that we see; it is necessary for us to let/make others see, to turn that hum in our head when we walk in the cold at night, that sudden inexplicable flash, that sudden shapeless dream, into the worst thing it can possibly be: a poem, made up of words. If only poems do not have to go through language, if only poems can be given to the world the way they come to us, elusive and formless and pure. But as Kelly says, “We are given: 1 world to transform, 1 language to transform it with.” So be it. We write, no matter how much is sieved and lost in the process, because every vision is legitimate, and needed.


So who’s Rothenberg and who’s Kelly? I seem to know so much about them.

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In retrospect though – I think I still believe in whatever shiz I’ve written years ago. :)

Now, if only I can make myself write again with the same ferocity. *Sigh*