tameme—naroon

BONI

and—it

LILIM

here—city

pagkatapos—sereno

Amphitheater

Abaci ranged against us
On that orthodox field.

The head nurse saying her things
In the dark, the glass maybe

Misting. Your index would flow.

lagpas—pagsasalaysay

cut—grey

reading—that

The Census of San Malo

about—air

Pharmacy slip

This is to inform you that you have incurred excessive unexcused absence as of NOV 08 WED. As has been reiterated, this includes habitually coming in late. Absenteeism has cost you 10 missed activities. I hope you get better results in your other preoccupations.

2 pieces

fewer—sorrows

touch—group

steal—settle

HUM14

The least of these is that she’s about to retire. Heard she’s looking forward to it. I should ask. As she asked. I wrote two drafts of her citation. Submitted it two weekends ago, a small thing, a stretch of static, meant to keep the tone and wear the form. Not that anything more gets written down, but the revision won’t stop. A few odd phrases on my phone drafts, after the fact too, and deleted with the month’s budget. Nor is this meant to  stop it. Any of it. It’ll be strange. I suppose she’s one of the fifteen (as you were), but I think at some point she fell from the list. Well, she’s back on for a month and a half. You sat there the whole time. The moment I saw the need to count who’s what, and why.

holding—enders

excerpt—son

N

—

Happy new year! Medyo tinrangkaso netong mga araw, susubukang makahabol. Ang galing at nakaabot na sa buong burador. Ingat lagi, sir!

—

For the sake of both sweep and simplicity, we propose the full adoption of the guidelines. We can always revise the details later, but it would be better to start with this base form rather than the current structure.

—

Napapadalas kami sa IRRI canteen these past weeks. Minsan inaasahan ka na lang naming sumulpot, naka-grey shirt at may dalang tray! Sana mas okey-okey ka ngayon. Nangungumusta lang!

—

Hi Sir! Kumusta, kumusta? Pasensya na talaga’t ngayon lang. Heto ang citation para sa PAGE 4 at ang rebisyon ng PAGE 5 upang hindi na ito mangailangangan ng citation.

PAGE 4
This idea of “hailing” owes to interpellation in Louis Althusser (1971). “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Notes towards an Investigation)”. Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays.(Verso: 1970, p.11)

PAGE 5
The old song (“lumang kanta”) is being proposed as an alternative here. The artist would enter an old form (such as this present tit for tat), accept its restraints, all to slip from guards and wardens of thought, their prohibition of free speech, disallowing these guards from cutting or blocking their expression, choosing to police the self rather than suffer censorship or imprisonment.

—

...pasensya na, Sir. Matagal na pala niyang naiatras ang bahagi niya rito. Hindi ba siya nakapagpaalam sa iyo sa e-mail? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

—

Ayos! Salamat sa clarification. Wala pang panibagong call. May monograph series pero pinag-aaralan ko pa ang parameters, at mukhang di tayo pasok.

—

the—hens

Take heart

Don’t lose old retablos

You’re the inner garden

     The stairwell afterwards 

Situations of wood and ivory

Stress the choir loft

patutunayan—tamis

Kohen

Paano kung papipiliin ka kung ano ang ikalulungkot mo?

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng puwede kang mamimili?

Ano ngayon?

Wala kang pinagkaiba sa ibang sisiw sa perya,
Bahala ka lang kung alin ang ipangkukulay sa pakpak mo.

Paano kung gusto mo ‘yung natural na balahibo?
Na para bang hindi mo alam ang kuwento.

Dalawang ibon ang hinuli (ano, pipit?
Maya?) at iginapos ang isa sa kapirasong kahoy.
Kapwang mabango ang kahoy at ang anis na inilakip.

‘Yung isa namang ibon ay pinatay sa may batis,
Pinadugo. At dito sa ipon

Isinawsaw ang nakagapos na ibon.

Naigatong na ang kahoy, ang anis, ang tali.
Malaya na ring nakalipad ang ibon.

Saan ba tayo klaro?
a) Magpatuloy ka.
b) Kapit lang.

Mag-alay ng pasasalamat, araw-gabi, ang mga nilalang
Lalo’t lang lang sa kanila ang lang.

At magdalawang-isip kung ano ang silbi ng “siya,
Lipad lang nang lipad” sa tuwing may kinakalas na tali.

Iilan ang uri ng pagpapalaya, bibihirang nagagamit,
At wala nang ibang batayan ang lahat

Ng maaari nating ikilos

Habang pinawawalan sa usok ang halimuyak.

host—matter

care—suddenly