a season for words

my third cebuano poem... =) got the idea for this last summer, but never quite got around to writing it. a few weeks ago, i was standing at the corner waiting for a ride with vince, my officemate, when i asked him what tree it was that i'd been feeling sympathetic for all these months. when he told me it was a duldul (kapok), which is what people use for pillows, i knew i had found my poem.

 

and since our WILA valentine reading was coming up, i thought it would be the perfect time to write it. and now i know why i wasn't able to write it before--it had to be written in cebuano. and since i've just recently found my cebuano voice, it could only be written now, in this joyful season of words.

 

still with some help from boogie who was in danao the whole time. was texting him throughout the rainy afternoon (opted to stay in and write instead of look for lunch), and then called him when i finished the poem at 5 pm to make sure i pronounced the words right. also with the assistance of cabonce, sj's dictionary.

 

but because i'm still wondering what would've happened if i'd written this in english (in which i have a broader vocabulary for desire ;-), i hope to write another version of this, starting from scratch, in english.

 

==================

 

ANG NAG-INUSARANG DULDUL

SA KILID SA DA'N

 

Hapit na ang ting-init.

 

Mamunga na ‘sab ang duldul

sa kilid sa da’n sa may simbahan--

ang da’n nga mahimo na ‘sab

og polka-dot tungod sa mga liso

nga nangatagak sa aspalto,

nangalata sa ilawom sa ligid

sa nagdali-daling dyipni ug awto.

 

Ting-init ug laing ting-init ang milabay,

nag-inusara gihapon ang duldul,

usahay matay-og sa kadaghan sa bunga,

usahay malarag sa kauhaw

sa kapintas sa tinghuwaw.

 

Kay ngano man gud intawon ang duldul

gitanom sa may simbahan

sa kilid sa aspaltadong da’n?

 

Ikaw nga nagsige’g tan-aw

sa kapila na ka-tinghuwaw

sa mga itom nga lisong

nangita ug yutang tabunok,

nga sa aspalto nangatagak,

nalata, nasagmuyo,

tigoma kining binhi sa duldul,

idasok ug maayo sa punda,

dayon himoa kini og unlan.

 

Kay pamasin sa imong pig-ot

nga paggakos niining unlan

sa mga tugnaw nga kagabhi-on

(bisan pa gahi kini gamay),

ang mga liso moturok

sa imong damgo, mosalingsing,

mahimong bag-ong duldul,

ka-paris sa sunod nga taliadlaw.

 

Karon dayon, kuhaa ang mga liso

sa wala pa kini mangatagak.

Kay kahibaw ka na sa alisngaw

sa panahon sa ting-uwan,

sa nabati nimo diha

sa imong kinailadman:

 

hapit na ang ting-init.

 

021106

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