Jim Pascual Agustin's Blog, page 14
September 19, 2018
Hindi Dahil Babae – a response to Rebecca T. Añonuevo’s post on Facebook regarding Duterte as dictator
Hindi Dahil Babae
“If this man is a dictator, he is one dictator who upholds the rule of law.”
– Rebecca T. Añonuevo
Itong si Ate B, dalawang taon nang
hindi naghihilamos sa umaga.
Ayaw niyang magwakas ang mga panaginip
na ipinangako mula sa bituka ng magdamag.
Kaya hamog ng muta ang kanyang mga mata
kahit tanghaling tapat na. At kung magbuka
ng bibig, tila binabangungot. Buo man
ang mga pangungusap na ipinupukol,
lasag-lasag naman ang kahulugan.
Lantad-litid sa panginginig,
kay hirap nang maaninag
ang dating makata.
-o-
My apologies for not having a translation of this. One day, perhaps.
September 18, 2018
August 7, 2018
July 18, 2018
Botsotso 18 launches on the 19th
I finally got a foot in the door, so to speak, of Botsotso, one of the longest running literary journals in South Africa! Three poems have been included in Botsotso 18 which will be launched on 19 July 2018 at the Book Lounge in Cape Town.
If you’re in the area, please do join us!
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July 17, 2018
Welcome to SA, Obama
Thanks for telling us how to spread peace. Can we remind you what you did with armed drones?
July 12, 2018
Fire Station Torched
In my country of birth I read a news article about a factory that made fire extinguishers had been gutted. Here in Cape Town today I heard a radio news report of how firemen/women had to flee the Gugulethu fire station as it was torched by protesters.
The irony is not bitter but tragic-comic.
Not unlike being stranded in the middle of the ocean.
Check out @ewnupdates’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/ewnupdates/status/1017273360961564672?s=09
June 19, 2018
What is now may be something else tomorrow
So close together, for warmth or security, who knows? Will they be left alone or taken by predator or weather, or pressed by the accidental hand of a climbing child? Will they reach the next stage or end up too soon like twisted leaves on the damp ground?
I don’t know what those who are familiar with these creatures decided to name them. But for now they are here on the side of the tree near the bedroom, gathering the last heat from the sun that sets early this time of year.
June 18, 2018
The Wind is Not Strong Enough to Slam the Windows Shut
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Almost, but not quite. My set of poems “The Twisting of the Knife” came fifth out of over 300 entries in the recently concluded Sixfold voting round. Maybe next time. Or maybe another lifetime.
The poem was originally my “response” to a collaborative effort with poet friend Raphael d’Abdon. We may still one day finish the chain of poems and release it in another form.
For now I wish to share via SoundCloud my scratchy recording of this poem which you will see in text form when the Sixfold issue comes out in August. It will be free to read online or to download.
June 12, 2018
The shrinking…
Hot cross buns were introduced to me upon my arrival in Cape Town. Through the years they’ve gotten more expensive and smaller, sometimes sooner than packaging designers can manage to adjust to the new budget sizes. This hot cross bun packaging clearly shows how much consumers have been duped.
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The same goes with many items like chocolate bars and breakfast cereal boxes.
Aside from this old trick that many businesses play on us, there’s also the environment to consider.
Woolworths is notorious for excessive packaging, often in hard, single-use plastics. Do they really know or care about what is happening around us? Just wondering.
