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| Fhen M. |
One Bench Along a Long River
you may say I am lonely
but I have companions:
two trees beside the lone seat.
in this garden, yes, this is a garden
we are not alone
we have the high sky to contemplate about
talk about the origin of the universe
or why the heaven is blue
whether colors exist or are they illusions?
when I was young and a philosopher
I would sit on a wall beside the sea
and bring a book by John Locke
I am not alone, I am not lonely
I have people, imagined or imaginary,
discussing about the nature of reality.
***
Muses Turned into a Tree (Monumento a Dante a Trento by Cesare Zocchi)
Crowned with laurel leaves,
comparable to curtains blown by the wind
or a flying cape fluttering in the air
one Roman toga, two medieval textiles
past and present in a block universe.
Three poets
who drafted about a knight desiring to kiss the lady's hand,
who wrote about a king wanting to bed his wife,
who penned about a pilgrim
yearning to gaze at an angel's face.
Muses turned into a tree, a tapestry,
a bust, and watercolor fresco.
And poets are monuments, stones
erected in a public square
to tell their stories, their voices heard
from the depths of hell,
from the other side of the world
neither inferno nor heaven.
***
In the Garden (Federico Faruffini’s Sordello e Cunizza)
In the garden, a knight is not a knight
sword and sheath are laid down
among the blades of grass,
crimson petals, lavender buds.
the garden is ornamented
by marble columns, draped curtains,
Grecian urns that tell tales
of a queen abducted from her king.
in the garden, the knight is a lover
bends his knees, his head bowed down
before the lady, the holy virgin of virgins?
clad in jeweled crown and golden necklace.
the hand of a beautiful maiden
he holds and pulls to his lips.
***
In Watercolor (Philipp Veit's Fresco)
In watercolor, you painted on a ceiling
red, purple, white, and cerulean.
Clad in crimson clothing
a harlot from Jericho, her hand hangs
a cord red as the lamb’s blood
from men hidden
under bundles of flowering plants.
Clothed in lilac-color garment
a noblewoman married to many men
devoted her dying days
her wealth freely given,
from bondage, freed her slaves.
Wore white headdress, blue robe
a pectoral cross resting on his heart
a poet of passion and played his guitar
redeemed the souls of the sinners.
In watercolor, you painted on a ceiling
golden light shining from the empyrean.
***
Dirty Water
consumes a box of ice cream and sweet cake
drinks a cold soda bottle in a day
chews a bag of chips in aircon chamber
H is a hog wallowing in food and drink.
she's among plus-size souls in Third Circle
huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow
howls like a hound in freezing storm, turning
as if the naked side could keep her warm.
***
Bio: Fhen M. studied the academic subjects Writing in the Discipline, ЁЭШЫЁЭШйЁЭШж ЁЭШУЁЭШкЁЭШ╡ЁЭШжЁЭШ│ЁЭШвЁЭШ╡ЁЭШ╢ЁЭШ│ЁЭШж ЁЭШ░ЁЭШз ЁЭШ╡ЁЭШйЁЭШж ЁЭШЧЁЭШйЁЭШкЁЭШнЁЭШкЁЭШ▒ЁЭШ▒ЁЭШкЁЭШпЁЭШжЁЭШ┤, 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 ЁЭШЧЁЭШкЁЭШпЁЭШкЁЭШнЁЭШк: 15 ЁЭШаЁЭШжЁЭШвЁЭШ│ЁЭШ┤ ЁЭШ░ЁЭШз ЁЭШУЁЭШвЁЭШоЁЭШкЁЭШ│ЁЭШвЁЭШ╕. His English verses appeared in ЁЭШЧЁЭШ░ЁЭШжЁЭШ╡ЁЭШкЁЭШдЁЭШв anthology series published by Clarendon House, including "Lighthouse," “Seaport,” “January Constellations,” among others. Red Penguin Books’ ЁЭШИЁЭШгЁЭШ░ЁЭШ╢ЁЭШ╡ ЁЭШЫЁЭШкЁЭШоЁЭШж: ЁЭШИ ЁЭШКЁЭШ░ЁЭШоЁЭШкЁЭШпЁЭШи-ЁЭШ░ЁЭШз-ЁЭШИЁЭШиЁЭШж ЁЭШЧЁЭШ░ЁЭШжЁЭШ╡ЁЭШ│ЁЭШ║ ЁЭШИЁЭШпЁЭШ╡ЁЭШйЁЭШ░ЁЭШнЁЭШ░ЁЭШиЁЭШ║ will publish his piece “Outside the Block Universe". His poem “Sea Snail” will also be included in ЁЭШНЁЭШнЁЭШ░ЁЭШ│ЁЭШв/ЁЭШНЁЭШвЁЭШ╢ЁЭШпЁЭШв ЁЭШИЁЭШпЁЭШ╡ЁЭШйЁЭШ░ЁЭШнЁЭШ░ЁЭШиЁЭШ║ by Open Shutter Press. Fhen M. submitted verses in Waray for the 5th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop, including the ЁЭШ┤ЁЭШкЁЭШеЁЭШвЁЭШ║ “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 Ro├▒o Literary Awards.
