Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Young Sky

Jose Marte A. Abueg is at present the managing editor at a local television station (Gma 7). He is a known writer and some of his works include ‘Last time, it rained’, ‘Charcoal Days’ and ‘Salamandder: Ode to Old Nick’.

This poem reminded me of not a current issue but a long-standing issue about education. Children who are deprived of education somehow becomes the bat described in this poem, their lack of education leaves them helpless in our society that doesn’t have enough jobs even for the educated.

Carlsberg Tsang

Young sky
Jose Marte Abueg

Nearly all bats are nocturnal, and many live in caves. Blinded bats easily find their way through complex obstacle courses, but deafness leaves them helpless.

Could that latecomer bat roaming
like a sparrow marvel at the blue

of daybreak? While, hidden behind
iron rooftop, concrete wall, crown

of corner tree, a young sun tinges
clusters of stray clouds salmon?

In the deafness of sleep, does the
city know that poetry is being made,

that in the imaginable distance, fog
is lifting from a mountain brook?

Taken from: http://www.geocities.com/icasocot2/abueg_poems.html

1 comment:

Chia said...

This poem describes what strikes me as a "dawn of realization" moment. To something small, insignificant, and most importantly, blind, having the world come apart and reveal itself through eyes that can't see is something important, indeed, as it enlightens one to what is around him. Which, perhaps, is what the "lifting fog" is referring to.

In contrast to this, the city, which is descibed as "deaf in sleep" does not witness what is currently happening (in the poem) and will remain oblivious when it wakes.

It's possible that this means that willing ignorance will get one nowhere.

Chia Roxas