Jim Pascual Agustin's Blog, page 53
February 7, 2011
Saying No to the Business of Injustice
As much as I admire pop bands like Faithless, Gorillaz (love them!), Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, The Pixies, Gil Scott Heron, Devendra Banhart, Snoop Dogg, and The Klaxons (the list goes on) who declare their reluctance to perform in Israel, there might be another option.
It is certainly a brave thing to say no to your fans and to high-level exposure, not to mention the big bucks. It might be braver to go there and tell the audience that ticket sales will be donated to pay for much needed medical supplies for the people of Gaza. Now that would be something else.
WHY FAITHLESS ARE GIVING ISRAEL A MISS
Filed under: Europe, Fragments and Moments, Imperialism, Middle East, politics Tagged: Carlos Santana, Devendra Banhart, Elvis Costello, Faithless, Gaza, Gil Scott Heron, Gorillaz, human rights, injustice, Israel, Israeli apartheid, Snoop Dogg, terrorism, The Klaxons, The Pixies
February 3, 2011
Sariling Wika / Own Tongue
Yesterday, 3 February, was my youngest sister's birthday. I tried to phone her to say some words, but somehow the line was down both times.
Bunso is the word for the youngest child in a Filipino family. I thought perhaps I could write a poem for her with that as a title. But I had neither time nor inspiration. Then I remembered I wrote a poem for her in 1992, one I never had the courage to show her or anyone else who knows her.
The poem is included in my new book of poetry in Filipino, Baha-bahagdang Karupukan (UST Publishing House, Manila 2011). Here is the poem with my attempt at translation. And no, she has no internet access so cannot even read this yet. This is not even a good poem anyway. Worse in translation, but this is all I have.
-o-
3feb92
am904-920
pb
Sariling Wika
Hindi manika ang ipinunla
sa iyong sinapupunan.
Alam mo iyan.
Ngayon. Uha lamang
ang alam na wika
nitong sanggol.
Nakikipaghulaan ka
sa kahulugan
ng kanyang mga ungol at palahaw
maghapon, magdamag.
May hiwagang hindi ko marahil
malalaman kahit kailan:
ang bata't sanggol
na mag-ina, may
sariling wika.
Mahabang panahon
kayong mag-uusap
at sana isang umaga
maunawaan niyang
kailangan mong hubarin
ang maluwag na daster
at isuot muli
ang damit pang-eskuwela,
balikan ang kabataang
ipinagpaliban.
Darating din ang araw
ikaw ang mag-aalala
sa hindi niya pag-uwi
o pagsabi ng mga ginawa.
Maglilihim siya ng katotohanan,
ng mga pangangailangan.
Mananahimik.
At hahanapin mo
ang dating tinig
ang dating wika
na sa iyo lamang
at sa kanya.
-o-
4pebrero2011
00150029
7woodpecker
Own Tongue
What has taken root
in your womb is no doll.
You know this.
Now. The only language
this baby knows
has but one word: Uha.
You grasp in the air
for the meaning
of his grumbling and wailing
all day, all night.
There is a mystery
I will likely never crack:
the baby and young
mother have a tongue
all their own.
You will speak to each other
as if forever
until some day I hope
he understands
why you must leave
your ragged home clothes
and try to fit in
a fading school uniform,
return to a childhood
that was set aside.
The day will come
when you will be the one
to feel the weight of worry
when your son fails to return
home, or refuses to say
what he's done. He will keep
secrets, hide urges.
Go silent.
And you will seek
that lost voice
that lost tongue
that was yours
and his alone.
-o-
Flash forward to now. Her teenage son has a three-year-old daughter. This year he returns to his studies.
Filed under: Fragments and Moments, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, Uncategorized Tagged: Baha-bahagdang Karupukan, birthday, childhood, Jim Pascual Agustin, lost childhood, teenage pregnancy, UST Publishing House
February 2, 2011
Obama and Clinton, get on the bandwagon!
Click here to stand with the Egyptian protesters
Join citizens around the world standing with the democracy protestors in Egypt: sign the statement of solidarity! The internet blackout can't block radio signals–so the number of signatures will air on radio stations in neighboring countries that reach over the Egyptian border.
-o-
And please no more doublespeak
Filed under: Africa, Middle East, North America, politics Tagged: Barack Obama, dictator, doublespeak, Egypt. Mubarak, Gaza blockade, Hilary Clinton, human rights violations, Israel ally, lies, protests, tyrant, US-Egypt relations
January 30, 2011
How to Sell a Child Door to Door
How to Sell a Child Door to Door
tell them this child has no parent
and can only bring joy
to its new home
bring light and promise
into the room
as it silently sits
in their hands
even as the world burns
outside the window
tell them everything
they want to hear
that might make them smile
anything just to get
this child's little foot
in the door
do not dare mention
the way this child looks
at the way the shadow
of a hand crawls
on the knob
of a door
do not bat an eyelid
should the child
gasp at fragments
of moth wings
by the kettle
no one invites sorrow
into their lives
then again, only the weight
of sorrow can keep
the balance of life
-o-
I was going to post something else, but then this one just came to me now, a first draft as drafts can come. Not even sure if it makes any sense yet.
Of course I know why I wrote this. And no, I won't tell. Except that there are two, and they are made of paper.
Filed under: Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry Tagged: Alien to Any Skin, Baha-bahagdang Karupukan, child, Jim Pascual Agustin, selling a book
January 26, 2011
The ALIENS have landed
The cover for Alien to Any Skin, photograph and design by John Marin Flores
Well, the copies of Alien to Any Skin, that is. 
Now "Skin" can keep her twin sister "Karu" (Baha-bahagdang Karupukan) company. They can both wait together for new homes. A bit like orphans, but definitely unlike Annie. Oh my. I need my coffee.
The kind folks of UST Publishing House will need two weeks before proper marketing and distribution can start, not that there are masses of eager readers at the gate.
This news comes as the world spins into further chaos and re-arrangement — floods, explosions in buses and airports, street protests, volcanic eruptions, drone fighter plane murders, new births.
ps I have foolishly convinced myself that a blog for each book should be put up. so here: ALIEN TO ANY SKIN and BAHA-BAHAGDANG KARUPUKAN
Filed under: Africa, Asia, Creatures, environment, Fragments and Moments, Imperialism, Influences, Latin America, Life in a different world, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, Middle East, North America, poetry, politics, terrorism, The Greater Americas Tagged: Alien to Any Skin, Baha-bahagdang Karupukan, Jim Pascual Agustin, John Marin Flores, Philippine poetry, UST Publishing House
January 25, 2011
Gray Things
Over eight years ago when we found out my wife was pregnant, she had to have her blood tested. The results came back quickly and the doctor sat us down. She told us the results of the test meant either of two things:
A. the pregnancy was a lot further on than we had expected, or
B. we were not having just one child
I think the sudden silence eventually gave in to laughter laced with disbelief. Or at least that is what my memory would rather remember. I am almost sure we didn't weep or jump for joy or hand out free bus tickets (hand out bus tickets??? who does that???).
Once it was confirmed with a few other tests that indeed we were having twin girls, we changed our doctor. Hahaha, no, not because she gave us such shocking news, but because she recommended a paediatrician who has had twins and practices closer to where we live.
That doctor talked us through a lot. He helped us choose a date for the birth – we had to since twin births are usually more dangerous. So at dawn on 24 September 2002 we drove in the half-dark for a caesarian operation at 8:00 AM. There was a lot of drama that day, induced (haha, I can laugh at it now, but hell it wasn't funny then) by the anaethetist who was half an hour late.
I was only allowed in the operating room after a long wait. I shall spare the gory details of skin spread out like an umbrella, all the cutting instruments dulled by blood, etc. You don't need to know any of that for now.
Our twin girls were born half a minute from each other. (At the moment they have this silly notion that one is older than the other. But really, I was there and I cannot remember who came first, to be honest. I was just shown two alien looking gray things that squirmed.)
Well, leap into today, 25 January 2011. I am having twins again but they are being born on different days. The firt one, let's call her "Karu" – short for Baha-bahagdang Karupukan - was born today. I have been told her twin sister, "Skin" – for Alien to Any Skin – will be delivered sometime this week. Thus, twin books for a daddy of twins. It was the poet Gemino Abad who first pointed this out to me because I think I was too overwhelmed to realize the news then.
Now what? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Filed under: Fragments and Moments, Life in a different world, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, Sanaysay / Essays, Silly Babble Tagged: Alien to Any Skin, Baha-bahagdang Karupukan, Gemino Abad, having twins, Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry collections, UST Publishing House
January 23, 2011
The Tangled Bank Anthology Finally in Print!
Great news from Chris Lynch, editor of The Tangled Bank. Here it goes (from his blog)
-o-
Stay tuned for more news on the launch over the next few weeks.
-o-
I hope he doesn't forget my contributor's copy.
Filed under: Creatures, environment, Fragments and Moments, Influences, Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry Tagged: anthology, art, Chris Lynch, Darwin, evolution, fiction, Jim Pascual Agustin, poetry, The Tangled Bank
January 19, 2011
Quick Note on a Translation Attempt
Not long ago I wrote a poem for my mother, "Pauwi sa Ngiti". I said I'd try to translate it. Well I finished a first attempt and have posted it in one of the discussion boards I've been a member of for some time now. HERE IS THE LINK
Filed under: Fragments and Moments, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry Tagged: childhood memories, Going Home, Helium.com, Jim Pascual Agustin, Pauwi sa Ngiti, Rizalina Pascual Agustin
January 18, 2011
No Longer Mine
I got word yesterday that Baha-bahagdang Karupukan should be leaving the doors of the printers sometime this month. Alien to Any Skin should follow soon after that. I am excited, terrified, and a little sad. Finally they are going to brave the world which brings a sense of worry not that different from a parent with a child opening the gate on his/her own. Sad, well, I am not physically there to open the first bundle, turn the cover, feel the paper between my fingers, sense the reality that my work is no longer just mine.
Joanna Ruiz designed the cover from a photograph I took of a Brazilian Kapok Tree.
John Marin Flores made magic with a photograph from his portfolio.
A million thanks to Jing Hidalgo and Sam Macaisa of UST Publishing House for all their kind support and endless patience.
Now I need to find my salesman's hat. Or, as a good friend warned, these pages might end up as cockroach fodder.
Filed under: Literary News & Articles, Mga Tula / Poetry, poetry, Uncategorized Tagged: Alien to Any Skin, Baha-bahagdang Karupukan, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Jim Pascual Agustin, Sam Macaisa, UST Publishing House
January 1, 2011
First Day of 2011 Nearly Over
So what was the highlight of this day? Hours spent at the only pharmacy that was open today after 5pm to get a prescription sorted out for my daughter who was stung by an insect in the garden. She has a history of allergic reactions, and not knowing what stung her added an interesting level of guesswork for the young doctor who saw her at the emergency ward. Apparently the young doctor has had a full day of treating patients with various types of insect stings. It must have been a busy time for critters of all sorts today after the unexpected downpour – thunder and summer rain on New Year's Day!
Now just reading up on a few bits of news before midnight strikes and then this one hit me: ISRAELI FORCES KILL FEMALE PROTESTER IN BIL'IN
Watch Palestinians protest against the APARTHEID WALL here.
How does one's minuscule life compare to such tragedy?
Filed under: Africa, Fragments and Moments, Imperialism, Influences, Life in a different world, Middle East Tagged: Apartheid Wall, Bil'in, human rights, Israeli brutality, Palestine, Palestinian struggle, South Africa
