2015 Summer Workshops on Poetry and Short Story Writing

Come May, a circle of Davao's "finest" in the field of arts and literature will organize a summer writing workshop on poetry, short story, and script play.
Some mentors and critics of this workshop are national Palanca awardees who have pioneered such initiatives aimed at developing home-grown poets and literati. Among the big guns and earth-movers in this yearly literary endeavor are Mr. Macario Tiu, humanities professor at the Ateneo de Davao University and editor of Tambara, and poet-activist-playwright Mr. Don Pagusara. More details in my next blog.

If ever you're now thinking of writing your first poem with a view of publishing it, I will be so lucky. I will now have a companion. But first let me share with you how I composed a "poem" lately that shattered an old myth or false belief that "poets are born, not made." I must confess, and on the basis of my experience, that writers of poetic lines are formed, not destined at birth. In my case I am probably lost somewhere between made and un-made.


I am sharing this experience to bring home a point. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the start of holy week in the Christendom. Believers will see their humanity more clearly and their struggles against sin and oppression. Many will flock to the confessional box to tell the padre mia culpa their secrets, sinister and horrible actions and plans of other people (Such a case the confessional box has intelligence  if not chismis, gathering functions.) In Jesus we find solace and pardon for our trespasses. In Jesus we find salvation. Christ's praxis, as told in the stories of the Bible, will climax at his torture and death on Friday and his rising by the power of God Sunday early morning. His crossing from birth to death to his resurrection had yet to be mediated by his dramatic and triumphal entrance to the city of Jerusalem, the waving of palm leaves (these would be flags, banners and, probably, good to mention protest placards carried by some kids if it were done today.) The man was mounted on an ass, a poor man's "SUV." This action, quite a display of open defiance against authorities who had placed him under surveilance right after the temple incident, brought a clear message of rejection of all principalities and oppression of the poor as personified by imperial Rome. This was the true way of loving people, especially the marginalized and powerless.

This Sunday's celebration of the palms was causing a heavy traffic along Claveria and San Pedro streets. It was 3 p.m. on my watch. When the multicab (an Isuzu truck converted into a 12-seater public utility vehicle) I was riding on turned right toward Claveria I knew we were in trouble. It got stuck in the middle of an overcrowded traffic. A mother seated beside me was blaming the driver for "taking the wrong way." A burly man was hurling expletives for the delay; a huge silver crucifix was hanging from his neck. It got toxic. The heat, the delay, the smoke coming out from the tambutso took a toll on us all. But we felt helpless in its wake. While waiting ang watching the unfolding events, I took out my trusty BIC from my pocket and started writing down some lines like these --

Ay, maluya gyud ka sa dimalas/ikaw mag-utas ug inantos/ngano, gusto ka ma-santos?/Day, balaki ko'g makatandog o estaryahe ko bisan binutbot/igo na kini mobayaw kanako sa langit/apan kung motuyok ang along ulo sa tumang kalibog/duol na ko mosuka/bisan unsa ka man may kinaadman o wala/usa ra ang atong padulngan/kun dili ang sabakan sa buwan/ukon dili ang mini nga kalipay'g himaya sa kalangitan/nan unsa kun di lapdos ni Satanas?

Is this a poem? I wonder. Come to think of it, there are things that only you and you alone can understand. So write your lines now and share LOL.

Homecoming

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Welcome to my blog

Hi, friends, welcome to The Praxis Wheel blog! It's going to be my first journal entry and I thank Blogger. A kind of dry run. But, I guez, it'd be fun to be counted as one of so many bloggers who do it in the name of public service. That is the sine qua non of it all

Last week while I went down for "window shopping" at the National Bookstore in Davao City (poor me can only afford 'shopping' by watching expensive books through the windows) stumbled upon a small book entitled How To Start A Blog (And Earn From It) by Aki Libo-on. This 80-page book contains some useful and practical tips and insights on how to create your blog, how to promote your blog, and monetize your blog quickly. A blogger, or Web Content Writer, gains access to global communications system which, if done properly, facilitates increased awareness about life and life's struggles with a view of improving our lot. I'd say blogging is a new way of expressing meaning of what we see in reality in the midst of poverty and powerlessness and being able to do something about it.