Jim Pascual Agustin's Blog, page 19
March 31, 2017
Date of Birth – originally posted on “days of stone”
Date of Birth
On the scorching final day of March
1969, multiple copies of a government document
were made to mark the birth of a child
just in time for afternoon siesta.
Though it bore his name,
chosen for him without asking
his consent, and the time
and date of his arrival, his weight,
the document said little else. Leaving him
to one day wonder whose hands
had pulled him out of his mother’s
flesh. Was that person careful
not to hurt him as she forced
open the child’s fists while counting
his fingers and toes? Did she listen
with her good ear as he took
his first breaths, listened as air
explored his lungs for the first time?
Was it a slow and intimate moment
or was the operating room
quickly wiped up and prepared
for the arrival of another child
before he could even test the limits
of his throat? Did she return
to see if he’d survived
his first hours? Or did she rush
home to her own?
Years later he would carry
a certified copy of that piece
of paper to prove his existence
to officials. But he himself
has no memory of being fished
out of a sea of watery darkness
to be held up in the humming
fluorescent light
and weighed.
-o-
This poem was written on 22 September 2016 (1324-1402) for the days of stone website of my good friend, Ryan Stone, who lives in Australia. One day I hope to finally meet my friend in person and thank him for reading my work and encouraging others to do the same.
If you are interested in my writing, my new book, Wings of Smoke, has just been released and available through various online retailers like Book Depository, Amazon and my publisher, The Onslaught Press. Readers in the Philippines may contact via Facebook my Manila-based publisher, UST Publishing House.
Writing starts largely as a solitary act. Any writing may as well be a leaf pressed by the elements between sand turned to stone if it is never read. Today I thank all those who have spent time with my words.
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Filed under: Filipino poetry, Filipino-South African, Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry, Uncategorized Tagged: Date of Birth, days of stone, Jim Pascual Agustin, Ryan Stone


March 30, 2017
Not my place to judge “Duterte’s dead”
One can only hope. That’s a line often uttered. Even I like it. That’s also what one says to oneself when submitting a piece of work for someone else to assess, to judge. That’s what I did when I posted “Duterte’s dead” here and when I entered it at the Goodreads.com poetry competition. It got honorable mention at least. But I was hoping it would at least be a finalist, just so more readers could read it. Well the decision’s out, now Goodreads members get to vote. And “Duterte’s dead” may live another day somewhere else, for some other reader to find.
At least it has been read here by over 500 visitors since it got posted. Thank you, dear readers.
Filed under: Uncategorized


March 29, 2017
Pretending to be an orc
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Yesterday I attended my first conference here in Cape Town. Organized by the University of the Western Cape, the event – WRITING FOR LIBERTY – had guest panelists from SA and many parts of the world. I wish I had the chance to listen to all the presentations and meet the excellent delegates.
For my part, I read six poems. In the final poem I decided to have some fun and read “To be an Orc” with a gruff voice. Made them all laugh. I wonder what they all thought of it.
I can’t promise to read that same poem that way again, but if you or anyone you know will be in or around Cape Town in the following days, I’ll try my best to make it worth your while listening to my work as I promote my new book, WINGS OF SMOKE.
30 March. 19h for 19h30 – Off the Wall Poetry at A Touch of Madness Restauant in Observatory
4 April. 18h for 18h30 – Kalk Bay Books
19 May. 14h30 – 15h30 – Franschhoek Literary Festival
Filed under: Uncategorized


March 26, 2017
Duterte’s dead
photo by Erik de Castro found on Yahoo News
Duterte’s dead
are squirming with worms
that take the place
of forensic investigators.
They seek the shortest
and most efficient way
of exposing bone.
To those unacquainted
with the language
of final repose,
the worms render
each body
nearly identical.
Duterte’s dead
have lost the need
for food and water,
for the rare solace
of undisturbed moments
at the toilet.
Hope leaves no trace
in their hollowed skulls.
Only the living carry
that weight as they navigate
the mute streets, the dark
alleys, the witnesses
to the carnage.
Is there really
no memory in heaven?
-o-
The world seems to be on a tailspin – so-called leaders are intent on taking entire countries into variations of hell on earth. In my country of birth, it has been reported that over 8,000 people have been killed under the reign of President Rodrigo Duterte. Among the victims are children, innocent bystanders, and relatives who could not point to the whereabouts of a supposed target.
I entered this poem in the current Goodreads.com poetry competition. I don’t know if the good judges will choose it as a finalist, but I just wanted to put it out for as many readers as possible.
In the Philippines, there is a practice of not wiping the tears that fall on the coffin. It is also believed that if one places a young chick on the glass of the coffin with some seeds to peck at, those responsible for the death will never find peace.
The photo is credited to Erik de Castro, image found on Yahoo News.
Filed under: Creatures, Filipino poetry, Filipino-South African, Jim Pascual Agustin, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, politics, Uncategorized Tagged: #DuterteTutaeNgMgaMarcos, chick on top of coffin, Duterte, EJK, Erik de Castro, human rights violations, Jim Pascual Agustin


March 9, 2017
PROMOTIONAL SAMPLER selected poems from Wings of Smoke
PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL for Wings of Smoke [image error]
Please send me a request if you wish to read this sampler.
Wings of Smoke is available worldwide through The Onslaught Press website, on Amazon and, for South African readers, through me (leave a message here).
I also put up an audio recording of the set on Soundcloud.com.
Filed under: Africa, Asia, Creatures, environment, Filipino poetry, Filipino-South African, Jim Pascual Agustin, Life in a different world, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, Uncategorized, Wings of Smoke Tagged: Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry collections, poetry sampler from Wings of Smoke, sampler, Soundcloud, The Onslaught Press, Wings of Smoke


March 8, 2017
WINGS OF SMOKE copies now available for South African readers
Check out @OnslaughtPress’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/OnslaughtPress/status/839565921622556672?s=09
Filed under: Uncategorized


March 7, 2017
Using what’s free to fight what’s wrong
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I posted on Soundcloud.com audio recordings of both the original Filipino and English translation of my poem “Danica Mae” which won the Gabo Prize from Lunch Ticket. The texts were published here on Matangmanok as well as on Lunch Ticket.
I’m using Soundcloud as I have over 160 minutes of free time to fill. I thought I might as well use it as another platform to spread not just my poetry but to also express my disgust at the continuing murderous war on drugs policy of the Duterte regime in my country of birth.
I can’t say “Enjoy it!” as that is not the intention. Be bothered would be more apt.
Filed under: Asia, Filipino poetry, Filipino-South African, Fragments and Moments, Jim Pascual Agustin, KaLaman at DayuHan, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, politics, Uncategorized Tagged: #DuterteTutaeNgMgaMarcos, Antioch University, Danica Mae Garcia, Duterte, EJK, Jim Pascual Agustin, Lunch Ticket, war on drugs


March 1, 2017
Sixfold Winter 2016 publishes my poems
I was surprised when readers voted my work much higher than ever at Sixfold. I had told myself early on that I’m not joining again after entering this time. Sometimes the road forks when you wish there was only one path to follow. Click the image to get to the free PDF version of the latest Sixfold issue. Click THIS if you just want to read my poems.
Filed under: Jim Pascual Agustin, Uncategorized Tagged: Jim Pascual Agustin, Sixfold


February 22, 2017
Aerodrome reviews WINGS OF SMOKE
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Some people have little care for words. Some learn a few that stick to them like bubblegum to orange hair, they end up using the same words over and over on television or Twitter. Surprisingly, one such person apparently managed to convince millions, mesmerised by his words, to vote him into power.
I don’t pretend to know more words than the average writer, but I try to care for the words that I let go, the words I allow to land on a page. In a world that seems to be increasingly overtaken by the loud and forceful, rather than those who seek truth and a common humanity, one has to be thankful for being read at all.
I previously posted links to the first review of WINGS OF SMOKE. I am delighted and deeply humbled by another review that has just been published at Aerodrome. Endless thanks to South African poet Christine Coates for her very kind words toward my latest paper child.
-o-
ABOUT THE BOOK
Wings of Smoke (The Onslaught Press, UK, 2017) is Agustin’s latest poetry collection, launched in the UK and worldwide in February 2017. The book may be ordered via the publisher’s website – www.onslaughtpress.com – and Amazon. It will be made available in South Africa from March 2017 mainly through the author who will be reading and launching the book at various venues: at the Writing for Liberty Conference at the Centre for the Book on 28 March, at Off the Wall (A Touch of Madness Restaurant) in Observatory on 30 March and at Kalk Bay Books on 4 April. More readings are to follow during the year.
Filed under: Jim Pascual Agustin, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, Uncategorized, Wings of Smoke Tagged: Aerodrome, book review, Christine Coates, Filipino-South African, Jim Pascual Agustin, Philippines, poetry, politics, South Africa, Wings of Smoke


February 21, 2017
The first review of WINGS OF SMOKE
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Huge things are happening in my country of birth. A retired policeman has corroborated the testimony of one of the hired killers of the dreaded Davao Death Squad, saying the former mayor, now elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, created and conducted the vigilante-style group. During Duterte’s term as mayor of Davao City thousands were claimed to have been murdered or made to disappear by the DDS. Will this revelation change the course of my country of birth? One hopes for the better, as worse scenarios have been floated by various critics such as self-initiated revolution in order to force a change to federalism or even dictatorship (as Duterte’s hero, former dictator Ferdinand Marcos did in the 70s).
But the title of this post said something else! Yes, it did. My apologies. Here goes.
It is one thing an author wishes for his/her paper child – to be read. So I always thank readers who can find time to delve deeper into my work and come up with their own ideas about it.
Thank you to Marius Carlos, Jr for this review with two versions. One appears on his Medium.com page. The other version appears on The FilAm.
-o-
Wings of Smoke may be ordered via my publisher’s website – www.onslaughtpress.com – and Amazon. It will be made available in South Africa in March 2017 mainly through the author who will be reading and launching the book at various venues: at the Writing for Liberty Conference at the Centre for the Book on 28 March, at Off the Wall (A Touch of Madness Restaurant) in Observatory on 30 March and at Kalk Bay Books on 4 April. More to follow during the year.
Filed under: Asia, Filipino poetry, Filipino-South African, Fragments and Moments, Influences, Jim Pascual Agustin, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, Sanaysay / Essays, Uncategorized, Wings of Smoke Tagged: Davao Death Squad, DDS, Duterte, EJK, Jim Pascual Agustin, The Onslaught Press, Wings of Smoke

