Jim Pascual Agustin's Blog, page 28

Applied Physics

Back in my last year at high school I remember feeling not just a hint of fear when our homeroom teacher walked into the classroom for the first time. The whole class dreaded her, for she was very much of an earlier generation of teachers who believed students sat in silence unless asked, and that the distance between teacher and student was part of the whole system of learning. She was the complete opposite of our previous homeroom teacher who took interest in our perspective of the world and shared his own, like an older brother would. This new homeroom teacher taught us – or tried to teach us – physics. If memory serves me right, the textbook we used was called Applied Physics.

Near the end of the schoolyear, when news spread that a considerable number of my classmates might not graduate, I spoke to a guidance counsellor to complain about her methods. It was only then did I find out that, cold as she seemed to us, our physics teacher had gone way beyond her duties and met with various teachers and school administrators in an attempt to ensure the whole class gets to walk on stage on graduation day. I can’t recall if I ever told anyone about that conversation. I never thanked her properly.

Many years later, I met someone online who gave me sound advice. She spoke to me in metaphors that made sense of the maze of emotions I was struggling with. I wanted to thank her while I could, knowing my words may never be as moving as hers. As I was trying to write, the memory of my high school teacher came to mind. And so this…

My poem, “Applied Physics,” which forms part of my forthcoming poetry colletion A Thousand Eyes (UST Publishing House, Manila 2015) has been published on the electronic magazine Our Own Voice. I have made a crude voice recording and put it on Soundcloud.

I hope to hear your feedback on the poem as it appears on Our Own Voice or as I read it on Soundcloud, or just here on matangmanok. Maraming salamat, Luisa.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: A Thousand Eyes, Filipino poetry in English, Jim Pascual Agustin, Luisa Igloria, Our Own Voice, UST Publishing House

How to be a Ghost

A piece of mine has been included in an anthology to be launched on 31 January 2015 in Manila. The book is called FAST FOOD FICTION DELIVERY. The piece also forms part of an unpublished manuscript.

I’ve posted an MP3 file of my reading, since I won’t be able to attend the launch. My teleporter is far from reliable – the last time I tried to use it I ended up in a cupboard of a next door neighbour with vicious dogs. :P

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SOUNDCLOUD PAGE.

Filed under: Sky for Silent Wings, Uncategorized Tagged: Fast Food Fiction Delivery, flash fiction, How to be a Ghost, Jim Pascual Agustin, Sky for Silent Wings, Soundcloud

an untitled pretend-haiku

Its wings touched by dawn,

a firefly still against glass.

Too late for cupped hands.

-o-

I’ve been silent for quite a while, trying to deal with many things both happy and sad. The world continues to spin in its mad axis, and apparent evil on the seesaw with the seeming good. So here’s another day. We try. Again.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Lina Khattab and 5 court dates later

This is what fighting for human dignity means.

Lina Khattab and 5 court dates later.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Preliminary Notes on The Physics of Modern Torture

Preliminary Notes on The Physics of Modern Torture

1. Time bends in an unpredictable manner

when twisted around a human body

using easily obtainable tools such as wires,

water, ducting tape, cigarettes, dogs, words,

silence, . . .

2. Varying sounds emanate from most orifices

depending on instruments applied.

Some sounds resemble broken words

that are often unverifiable.

Other sounds are highly similar

to those heard in abattoirs.

3. Each human body has its unique threshold.

The expected words may be extracted at different points

or not at all. Thus, another subject must always be at hand

in order for these tests to continue.

July 2008

-o-

With the release of some official information on the extent of the use of torture by the CIA, I thought it might be a good time to share this old poem of mine.

Torture is actually nothing new in the American way of dealing with anyone they want to squeeze (mis)information from. As early as 1902, the American public has heard of torture done by its soldiers stationed on the other side of the world. This New Yorker article revisits such horrors from over a century ago.

My poem first appeared in Alien to Any Skin. The book contains many poems on human rights and international politics.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Afghanistan, Amnesty International, Australia, CIA, Middle East, torture

The Rabbit in Your Ear

Today marks a year after the passing of Nelson Mandela, father of South Africa. I wrote something around that time last year, “The Breath of Sparrows.” This year, with the current government seeming to move even further from Mandela’s legacy, something as trivial as a bunny would have made a huge difference.

The following is a first draft.

Image from The Guardian.

The Rabbit in Your Ear

Made us laugh. It was harmless,

a moment of whimsy

at a time of grief. As quick

as it was inserted in your

stately image, it was removed

without ceremony.

I can only imagine your laughing

with us now, saying

“You should have kept it

in my ear. It makes me

more real.”

-o-

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Afrikaans, apartheid, Breath of Sparrows, haste, Jim Pascual Agustin, liberation struggle, Mandela, Nelson Mandela's legacy, rabbit

Birds will have dominion when I take swallow form

It has to be one of the longest title for a poem – or at least a poem I’ve written. It was first published in Our Own Voice in September 2012. Today I remembered making an audio recording of me reading it. Click HERE or the photo to listen to it. I know it’s pretty rough and Kermit the Frog doesn’t like imitators. I am posting this recording as I send it to my mother back home who is very ill. I wonder if she can still hear me.

Photo found on Wikimedia by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen – Own work by uploader, http://bjornfree.com/galleries.html. I have a photograph of the same type of bird, one that sat on the bricks by the kitchen window. One day I hope to find it for sharing.

Filed under: Africa, Mga Tula / Poetry Tagged: Birds will have dominion when I take swallow form, Filipino poetry, Filipino poetry in English, Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry, Sound Before Water, UST Publishing House

I Look Almost Presentable

Jacana Media posted on its One of the many interesting moments I remember was the look of surprise from the highly respected Dr Mongane Wally Serote when he saw who had written “Illegal, Undocumented.” He judged the competition without any idea who wrote what. For the record, I never achieved this much recognition in my country of birth. Before the release of my first book in 1992, Beneath an Angry Star, I remember quite a number of people congratulating me not for having published at such a young age, but for apparently winning a national literary competition. Alas, it turned out as mere rumour – or worse, that the judges had changed their minds once they found out I was practically an unknown poet. Gripes. Time to let go of that, Jim. You can’t expect everyone to like you or what you write. All you can do is keep on writing – whether it gets read is another matter. And so I will. I have to.

Filed under: Capitalism's greed, Life in a different world, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry Tagged: 2014 Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award, Illegal, Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry, Undocumented

The Poem version of “Mass Murderer on World Tour”

Yesterday I shared a news article on a former world leader. I didn’t know I’d end up with a poem of the same title. Well I’ve put up the first draft for critique on one of the websites I sometimes visit. You can read it and comment while it’s up HERE.

I appreciate each and every feedback. You may not agree with my work and I certainly don’t want you to just accept what I say. Goes both ways, this thing called respect.

Thank you.

The original image (which I then fiddled with) is from wikimedia.

Filed under: Asia, Capitalism's greed, Fragments and Moments, Imperialism, Mga Tula / Poetry, Middle East, politics, terrorism, Uncategorized Tagged: greed, Mass Murderer, Middle East, money, Tony Blair

Mass Murderer on World Tour

This article, if it is indeed based on facts, should be a good starting point for the UN and the ICC to take this man down. Save us.

Tony Blair’s insatiable greed exposed by his secret deal with Saudi Arabia
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: human rights, Middle East, Tony Blair