Bueabod----Aklanon Literature----

NOTE: The following items have been lifted from the issues of Bueabod; Poetry Journal of the Akeanon Literary Circle. Its first issue came out in January, 1994. Editors: Melchor F. Cichon, John E. Barrios and Alexander C. de Juan.. . More issues of Bueabod will be featured here. Bueabod's last issue is Volume 2, No. 1. MFC

Bueabod ; Poetry Journal of the Akeanon Literary Circl;e, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1994.

AND THE DOGS BARK

Three wonderful things are the companions of Bueabod's maiden issue.

First, the Aklanon issue of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' literary journal, Ani, was launched on the 29th of this month at the Kalibo Tourism Office. The journal features the works of 52 writers, visual artists and translators including five guest Hiligaynon poets. Herminio Beltran graced the historical launching. The anthology was the product of the several workshops held in Kalibo conducted by Dr. Leoncio Deriada of the UP in the Visayas.

Second, thumbs up for Melchor F. Cichon, one of the editors of this journal, for winning the 1993 CCP Grant for Aklanon poetry and being the first placer in the 1993 Home Life poetry contest.

Third, the CCP, which is very much convinced of the vigorous writing that is taking place in Aklan, will give another grant for 1994. This time, it is on the short story writing.

And who knows, more will be coming.

Dogs bark while caravan passes by, goes a Chinese saying. From the editors.

The following are the poems featured in this issue:

TWO POEMS by Melchor F. Cichon

A Letter

John,

I will definitely go home

To our house

Where we can see the clouds

Through the roof.

I'm fed up

With the twinkling neon lights,

But I have not yet paid

For the earrings that I got

From Mama San.

I need them so my tinkling

Will be louder and my hips

Will be heavier.

Don't worry, John,

This Christmas

You and I will create a moon

And through the roof

We two alone

Will grasp its light.

Ana

AY, SAEAMAT

Ay, saeamat

Ay may eubong eon man

Sa amon nga barangay--

Makasamit eon man ako't

Sutanghon ag lechon.

Pirme eon lang abi nga dayok, ag bakagan

Ro suea namon ni Nanay.

Ay, saeamat

Ay may eubong eon man

Sa amon nga barangay--

Makasamit eon man ako't

Siopao, may Coke o Pepsi

Pa nga paaman.

Pirme eon lang abi nga kamote

Ro ginapamahaw namon ni Nanay.

Ay si Tatay ginkangay ni Hepe M

Sa Kampo K

Ay kuno nagpakaon imaw

It limang katawo

Nga may bitbit nga sako

Ay hasta makaron

Ra'y Tatay nga sanggutan

Hay owa pa

Hibag-euti.

KUNTA

by Monalisa Tabernilla

Naima ako sa mga patag

nga ginharuan ku adlaw

ag sa mga bukid

nga ginahakos it panganod.

Banta ko,

owa sanda gikunyaga

bisan gapaeanupsop ro kaeamig

ku Disyembre.

Kon mahimo ko kunta

nga magpalipod

sa imong maeabaab ng dughan

Makig-ambit sa ing kainit

ag magpagapus

sa 'ing mga butkon

DAMGO NI PERICLES

by John Barrios

Demokrasya ro gumuba

Sa baeay ni Solon.

Sa damgo ni Pericles

Rong masa hay eonang

Nga gakaeapyot sa haligi

It Panthenon.

Ag iya sa kalye makaron!

Nagabitbit it plakard nga may sueat:

PANABAON DO PRESYO ITR GASOLINA!

BULADOR

by Alex de Juan

May sangka bulador nga nagaeupad

sa kahanginan

Nagasaot kontra sa hangin.

Ro hangin hay nagahuyop it mabaskog,

Ag rdo bulador hay naapok.

Nagpaapok do bulador

Ag pumueopot sa kurdon it kuryente

it poste.

Ginmutlugan it adlaw.

Gin-pili-an it uean.

Samtang do hangin

Nagapaeopanihoe.

ARWENA TAMAYO

HAEAD KAY ARWENA

Gindaehan ta ikaw it mga bueak

Nga may kasiga ku adlaw

Ag kainit ku mga hiyom-hiyom

Agud taw-an it kasadya

Ro imong mga mata

Nga nagakasubo.

Mga violeta nga nagakiay-kiay

Sa huyop ku hangin

Pageaom ku mga daeanon

Nga owa maagyi!...

Ag mga rosas, singpuea ku dugo

Apang madali maeaay.

Ah, sayud ako kon paalin

Do mapisang it sanglibong parte

Ag do magbatyag it hapdi

Ku mga napirdi...

________

The Poets

Melchor F. Cichon comes from Sta. Cruz, Lezo. His "A Letter" is first prize winner of Home Life's poetry contest and "Hay, Saeamat" is part of the collection which won the Akeanon CCP Grant for poetry. Monalisa Tabernilla, a graduate of UP in the Visayas, works at the Center for Research Coordination-Panay. John Barrios, Lezo-born but Kalibo-grown, a BA Psychology/History student of UP in the Visayas. Alex de Juan studies at UP in the Visayas. He is a first year psychology student. Arwena Tamayo works at the Dept. of Agrarian Reform-Kalibo.

***** ****** *****

Bueabod; Poetry Journal of the Akeanon Literary Circle Vol. 2, No 1 August 1995 Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines

The Return

After eight long months Bueabod returns with can't-hold-it-anymore poems. And spilling accomplishments.

Awards/Honors. John Barrios was chosen as the 1995 Cultural Center of the Philippines grantee for Aklanon short story. In the Aklanon category of the All West Visayan Poetry Competition sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Alexander C. de Juan, Melchor F. Cichon and Roman A. de la Cruz won first, second and third places respectively. Cichon also won third place co-winner in the Filipino category while George T. Calaor, for the surprise of most Ilonggo writers, bagged third place co-winner in the Hiligaynon category. Barrios and De Juan won first places in the professional and student category respectively in the Uswag University of the Philippines '95 Filipino Essay Writing Contest; Barrios's essay was about Candido Iban, while De Juan's subject was the late Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes. Literary critic Isagani R. Cruz, in his Critic-at-Large column in Starweek, praised Barrios's "The Mosquito" and Dominador I. Ilio's "Dita" which were published in this poetry journal.

Booklaunchings. Ilio, considered one of the country's best poets in English, was "introduced" to his provincemates on the launching of his two latest books Guerrilla Memoirs and Madia-as at the Museo it Akean on February 11. De la Cruz, reputed as the grand old man of Aklanon writers, launched his first collection of poems, Song of the Ati-Ati and Other Poems at the KPES-DLRC on March 19. Patubas, an NCCA-published anthology of West Visayan poetry, was launched at the UPV Arts Gallery, UP in the Visayas, Iloilo City on June 21.

Workshop. Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada of UPV did his fourth writing workshop with the Akeanon Literary Circle in the 3rd ALC Workshop in Aklanon Poetry held at the Aklan Training Center on February 11-12. De Juan was awarded a fellowship to the 23rd UP National Writers Workshop at UP College Baguio on March 30 to Apr. 9.

Others. The official theater group of the Science Development National High School, Siyens'yatro, produced a poetry-in-motion entitled "Eugaeog sa Euganeugan." The poems were mostly in Aklanon and written by ALC members and other Aklanon writers. It was sponsored by ALC itself and toured around the leading campuses in Aklan on March 13. Cichon represented the ALC during the 1995 NCCA National Writers Assembly held in Manila on June 24; Deriada maintained his post as the coordinator for West Visayas. Last month, Barrios, Ilio and Cichon submitted their NCCA-sponsored research, "The Katipunan in Aklan." Barrios also attended the consultation of the Committee on the Centennial of the Philippine Revolution for theater and film on the 1896 Revolution.

And this 25th of the month, literary giant N.V.M. Gonzalez, will be "introduced" to his fellow Aklanons on the launching of his latest collection of short stories, The Bread of Salt and Other Stories at the Museo It Akean. N.V.M., a recipient of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining (1993), Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas (1988), Jose Rizal Pro-Patria Award (1961), Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1960) and the Republic Award of Merit for Literature (1954), is considered the dean of modern Philippine literature. --The Editors.

Sumra I. de la Cruz

Pag-abot

Nagabanaag ro siga it adlaw

Sa katunggan ag nagadali-dali it hathat

ku anang madueom nga belo ro kaeangitan.

Mahipos masyado ag akon eamang

Hidadakop it pamati ro mga kapispisang nagaeueupad eon pauli

Matsa owa't katapusang kamingaw.

Ro hangin nga maeamig

Nagapuepamasyar eon sa mga manipis nga tudlo it paeay

Hasta nagapaeayo ro nagakaduea nga kahayag.

Mahipos eon ag malinong do palibot sa pag-abot ku gabii

Sa akong pag-uli sa baeay.

Arrival

The rays of the sun glimmer

Through the marshland and the sky hastens

to spread its dark mantle.

It is so still and I can only

Catch to hear the birds

scampering home

As if desolation is endless.

The cold breeze now

Takes a walk

in thin fingers of rice grain

As the light farther fades.

The surroundings are quiet and peaceful

as the night arrives

In my reaching home.

Sumra I. de la Cruz, curator of the Museu it Akean, is a member of ALC. A respected visual artist, she joined the 3rd ALC Workshop in Aklanon poetry and won the top award in her poem above. The poem was translated by the author.