Earth Melodies: WATER’S SONG AND OTHER POEMS

Fhen M.

Bio: Fhen M. studied the academic subjects Writing in the Discipline, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, and The Literature of the World at Eastern Visayas State University. His Waray poem “Uyasan” (“Toy” in English”) was published in a collection of literary works entitled 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘪: 15 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘸. His English verses appeared in 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢 anthology series published by Clarendon House, including "Lighthouse," “Seaport,” “January Constellations,” among others. Red Penguin Books’ 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦: 𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘰𝘧-𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 will publish his piece “Outside the Block Universe". His poem “Sea Snail” will also be included in 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢/𝘍𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Open Shutter Press. Fhen M. submitted verses in Waray for the 5th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop, including the 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 “Duha nga mga pagtug-an” (translated in English as “Two confessions”). David Genotiva, Merlie Alunan, and Victor Sugbo were some of the distinguished panelists of this writing workshop held from the 5th to the 7th of November 2008. His Binisaya poems “To View the World,” “Those who were Left in Cancabatoc,” and other verses won the 1st Chito Roño Literary Awards.

Water’s Song

pebbles form as flowing water washes 

over rock particles on the bottom 

the water softly laps against the shore

old twisted trees and spiky plants

growing along the banks

gentle sound of water heard from a stream

the murmur of the water cleanses

the disturbed mind.

***

Before Dead Leaves Crackled on the Ground

a Rhododendron flower blooms 

hear the pitter-patter of raindrops 

on pink petals;

tune in to the leaves rustling in the wind

white noise sounds 

of breeze blowing through trees;

listen to your innermost self 

before leaves are whipped into the air,

before dead leaves crackled on the ground.

***

The First Speech of Thunder 

she sits in a chair like a shining throne

facing a marble wall without mirror 

thus speaks thunder:

don’t enter to her stone chamber,

you are neither her husband nor her king,

let her untangle the barrette in her hair,

wash the makeup on her pretty face,

take off the dress from her supple body,

let her be alone in that high-ceiling room,

silk curtains between monolith columns 

will stop the wind from coming in,

fire from the hearth will keep her warm,

let the unlock door remain closed.

in Fogtown, when storm clouds gathered distantly

I heard the sound of thunder, powerfully 

Boom! Boom! Boom!

in our bamboo house, I'd listen to its speech

with awful bravery, my heartbeat pounded.

***

Let me serve nature

Thor's helmet among the planets and stars

I wonder what nebulae sound like. 

I know not how goat meat tastes like

to stop the noise of an empty stomach

I'd like to try one, maybe share with my kins. 

magical goats served on a banquet table

children chewed the meat, broke the bone

thunderclaps were heard nearby.

***

Squeal of a Pig

pour a boiling water from a kettle

into a cup of coffee or tea

bottoms up, Dante.

undercover animal activist

posts online a video about pig farm:

they are immersed, conscious,

into a scalding bath at a temperature 

of 60 degrees Celsius where they drown.

with anguished eyes,

screams of pain pierce the air,

a hog in scalding water cries

a pig is not a person, Dante?

“let us say Napoleon the Pig,

corrupt dictator ordered Snowball’s death,

thrown into a river of boiling tar

like the grafter in a silent film”.

***

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Setu, October 2024