MassKara

And as promised..

Mask

I found her under a mask.
A mangled corpse -- gruesome, bloody.
On hindsight it seemed silly
but I turned to her to ask,
"Who killed you, little lass?"

She turned her head,
smiled and answered with a grin,
"For a boon, I give a tremendous task
to find my killer and unmask
who killed me, the little lass."

Half of me jumped in surprise
Half, with glee undisguised
For how often does one see
A spectacle such as this --
A dead girl talking with a mission for me?

On to the city I went where a festival commenced.
Man, woman, child wore a mask
Of hand painted smiles and a barrel of laughs.
I frowned, wondering which ass
killed the little lass.

Boldly, I approached a street chippy
Wearing, brazenly, a mask and a
Gown too red, too racy.
Bravely, daringly, I asked,
"Did you kill the little lass?"

Her mask, she took off swiftly
And there stood a child no more aged three.
In a voice so innocent, sweeter than any
she answered my once-valiant query,
"No, not I. Not I, surely."

With her reply, all the others turned to look
and their mask, they removed.
Not one who I thought they would be.
My question, unspoken to me they cast,
"Did you? Did you kill the little lass?"

It was then I realized
that I, I too, wore a disguise.
It shook me at how I couldn't see
the mask I wore so clearly.
And there, there ended my task.

For it was I.
I killed the little lass.

Festival

The city skies burn brighter
On flickering lights of gold.
The city folk come alive, with bold
masks and smiles of tales untold.
Merchants call to tease
The city's hunger willing to appease.
Walk, walk the city streets
Walk and dance to the frantic beats.
Smell the aroma of sweets and spices,
Of food once-raw -- cooked, flawless.
It's a night of fantasy, of make pretend
It's a night of imagination unleashed, unbent.

If you're wondering why I have two poems for MassKara, it's because I couldn't decide which to write - the festival or that of wearing masks which implies identities. So here they are.

On Hiatus

Ok, I'm off for a week or so. It's a week before the exams and we all know how OC I can get about "studying". Or, well, trying to study.

I promise I'll post my poem for Voices of the Underground when I get back. Voices is a poetry reading group that meets every Saturday. I met the guys yesterday and was chosen (by the ballpen) to write a poem for MassKara or Masks.

I swear I'm posting a poem, okay? I'll be about the City of Smiles' October festival, MassKara. Just click on the link for more information about it. I'm inviting you to go and visit Bacolod. You'll enjoy it, I promise. =P

On Peace and War

Ceasefire? Bullshit.

I saw a debate on TV today about the issue on what to do with the conflict going on in Mindanao - all-out war or peace? One of the topics touched was the ceasefire signed by both parties for the meantime. What's ironic is, almost 50 people died including children, women and civilians. Tsk, ceasefire my ass.

I'm not on site, nor am I behind the scenes with this on-going war. I'm only a student viewing the news. But, I'm a Filipina student and that makes one hell of a difference. I could see how much this war is taking a toll on our country's economy. Oil prices are shooting up, the peso is going down, etcetera. Or maybe it's the other way around? Our plummeting economy brings out the war freaks - killing and looting.

It seemed so natural for them to say that they now own this and that land by forcing the previous owners out with the threat of possible torture and death. It was almost with glee that they mention how their side defeated the other yesterday or how they have driven out the other away from the place of power. Ah, bloodshed makes me tingle. My insides feel warm and fuzzy just thinking about that bullet lodged in my enemy's flesh.. sweet sweet murder.

Heard about the butchered 2-yr old kid? My knowledge of their religion (or even mine, for that matter) isn't as extensive as some. But I'm pretty damn sure no man/woman with a heart and who fears God or Allah can stomach butchering an innocent child.

On the question of peace or war, I strongly believe that peace is definitely the way to go. War, even used as a means to an end, is still war. Both sides will lose and ultimately, our Motherland will go the dogs.

This is the 21st century, people. We are not cavemen who solve problems by eliminating the other force. We are learned and educated individuals who, for thousands of years now, have had a system of communication. The era where grunts and growls punctuate our actions are long since over... Unless you're still stuck at the Stone Age in which case, you need some serious schooling. Peace! ^_^v