Jose Garcia Villa (1908-1997) is a Filipino poet who devoted a big part of his life to writing short stories and poems. He won a prize from the Philippines Free Press for his short story, “Mir-i-Nisa,” and migrated to the U.S. using the money. He edited, published, and founded the magazine Clay, and contributed to other famous American magazines. He received many other awards, was conferred the Degree of Doctor in Literature (1959) and National Artist Award for Literature (1973). Before his death in 1973, he expressed his wish of being buried with a “barong” on. This signifies his unending love for his country, the Philippines.
This poem appeals to me through its short, simple and direct yet meaningful way of expressing the need for love in one’s life.
This poem appeals to me through its short, simple and direct yet meaningful way of expressing the need for love in one’s life.
Wanda Madarang
AND IF THE HEART CAN NOT LOVE
Jose Garcia Villa
And if the heart can not love
death can not cure it nor sleep
no splendor of wound the heart
had no sound
Bloom has escaped it and
birth the miraculous flower
and music and speech leave
it unbewitched
God it can not spell nor sun
nor lover the beautiful word
and it has no sound no sound
2 comments:
The poem emphasizes the idea of how important love is. Describing without love our heart can never be "cured" even by death or sleep. I like this poem because it takes a very different approach; a romantic poem with a sad tone and dark delivery.
- Tsang, Carlsberg r16
It sounds like a really standard poem. Essentially, it speaks of the incapacity of a person to love (or be loved). In this case, it is difficult to persuade the heart, as stated in lines 7-8 ("music and speech leave it unbewitched"). Not even God can alter such feelings. It is a reality that some people have succumbed to, a handicap that is not being able to love.
--> Ralph Mendoza
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