By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo THIS is not another word from a friend who uses “foots” as the plural form of foot, or his extension of its context when a lot of people march on their “feets”. Goods is not a new word, it is an old word with a new…

Women and World Water Day By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IT would have been a day for dancing, singing and poetry if the pandemic did not happen. Women’s Month celebrations across the years were happy occasions, a combination of intellectual discussions and lively festivities. The event, “Women, Environment and Poetry”…

Unsent By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THESE days, I have written so many letters, all waiting to be sent. One reason they have not been sent is I want to read and re-read them again, to see if, over time, I want to say the same things. Another reason is…

Authenticity By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   EARLY morning past midnight, I received a call from Luz Maria Lopez, a friend from Puerto Rico. Luz and I met at a 2016 literary conference in India and maintained our friendship since that time. We have occasional video chats that lasted for thirty…

March and the first full moon By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE term “Ides” refers to the first full moon of a given month, normally occurring between the 13th and 15th. At some point in time, Ides “signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing”. The first thing that comes…

Radius of trust By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IN personal relationships, almost always, there is a radius of trust, that is, the circle of people among whom a relationship can be openly nurtured and shared. The radius of trust could be bigger or smaller depending on the quality of relationships…

My religion By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   MY Christian friends, both from the Catholic and Protestant religions, would like to see me a Christian. My Buddhist friends would want me to become a Buddhist. My Baptist friends, of course, would want me to go back as a Baptist, once again….

Babaylan Feminism: An Imperative for Women Now By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IT is a fact that we owe the advancement of women to those who have worked towards women empowerment through the years. What we owe to ourselves is to retain whatever gains they have made and to contribute…

Communion with the water bearer By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   The water in the river (03 February 2021 6:14 a.m.) in time, you and I will flow over stones and on the bends where we stay one or separate ways   on this journey we leave our conversation with the…

The voice By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   OVER a period of time, I listened to the poet Leonard Cohen. I needed to listen to his soft voice to engage the roughness of the environment I move in, like I needed to regularly breathe fresh air, to cleanse my thoughts of…