By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

THE poem Asawa (Pupok ti Kapia) was inspired by Cage of Peace, one of the paintings of Belgian surrealist artist René François Ghislain Magritte, known for his provocative “depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts”. My interpretation of his work was based on the personal experiences of friends. There are relationships that stay, not for the love, but to achieve a semblance and a modicum of “peace”.

 

Asawa (Pupok ti Kapia)

Kaska la bougainvillea
napintas nga buyaen ti sabong mo
natibker ti sangam, ngem nasiit ka latta
siit nga mangsupiat kadagiti madi ti gandat da
ngem, siit nga makaited met
ti uray la nga sakit ti bagi ken kararuwa
uray kadagiti mangay-ayat kenka

kayat kon nga pukanen ka
ngem kaska la tukko nga kimpet ti kudil ko
nga nu pilitek nga ikkaten, malapnos ti bagik
maputed anges ko
ammok nga aganges ka latta ti nalammuyot
ta kukuam amin nga titulo ti daga ta
ken diay titulo ti biag ko ….
uray nabayag nga pimmusayen
ti ayat ken dungngo

 

Spouse (Cage of Peace)

You are like a bougainvillea
whose flowers are beautiful to see
your limbs are strong, but you are thorny
thorns that protect from those with ill will
but also, thorns that give utmost pain
to the body, to the soul
even to those who love you

I want to cut you
but you stick like a gecko, clinging to my flesh
that, if I wish to forcibly extract
I will cause harm unto myself
it will end my breath
I know that you will continue to breathe
smoothly
because the titles to our real properties
are in your name
and you own the title of my life, too …
even if, love and caring had died
a very long time ago

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