K r i t i ka

Ku ltu r a

literary section
poems
Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo
Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
University of Hawaii at Manoa
mabanglo@yahoo.com

About the contributor

Elynia S. Mabanglo is the first Filipina poet in Tagalog. Her first book, Supling, 1970, was the first collection of poems
published by a woman, so much so that she was branded as possessing a male voice. She was also the first Filipina
poet to tackle womens issues and diaspora in her poetry. She holds a Hall of Fame Award in the Carlos Palanca
Memorial Awards for Literature (poetry and playwriting), two National Book Awards, Balagtas Award for Poetry,
recognition by the Unyon ng Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), the Republic of the Philippines Centennial Award for
epic writing, and the Tanging Patnubay Award for Language Teaching and Literature (2006) from the Manila City
Government. She has published six volumes of poetry and two volumes of plays. Currently teaching at the University
of Hawaii with the title of full professor, she coordinates the Filipino and Philippine Literature Program.

Journey to my Soul
1.
I plunged deep,
Deep into the core of my being
To find you, my soul,
You who constantly calm
My disquiet.
I summon you now
To commune with me,
Shake off the bodys mischief,
Shave the crudeness maligning
My true texture, and
Shape the contour of the Self
That I may recognize
Who I truly am.
Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>
Ateneo de Manila University

174

Mabanglo
Poems

2.
Communing with you
I disembark from my daily restless voyage,
My body finds repose from every resistance.
Oh, you restore me indeed!
I stretch my hand and receive you
The boon and boom of falling light,
Every sparkling thread
Alights on my skin
Permeating me with indefinable joy.
This must be love.
Only Love.
True Love.
3.
Thank you, my Soul.
With you, I blast into numerous selves
And fuse into one single force
Becoming earth,
Becoming heaven,
Becoming divine.
I reach the heights of the sun
In blinding intensity
And grasp blessings unknown.
And, quietly, nakedly,
Transfixed
By a reverent
Peace,
I flower.

Honolulu, March 10, 2011

Revised, March 17, 2011

Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>

Ateneo de Manila University

175

Mabanglo
Poems

Paglalakbay sa Aking Kaluluwa

1.
Bumulusok ako
Sa pusod ng aking pagkatao
Upang hanapin ka, aking kaluluwa,
Ikaw na nagpapahinahon
Sa aking pagkaalisaga.
Tinatawag kita ngayon
Upang makaniig ko,
Pagpagin ang kalikutan ng katawan,
Kinisin ang kagaspangang
Pumapandong sa tunay na kakinisan, at
Baybayin ang anyo ng Kasarilihan
Upang makilala ko
Ang tunay na katauhan.
2.
Sa pakikipagniig sa iyo,
Dumadaong ako sa araw-araw na paglalayag,
Nakatatagpo ng pahinga ang katawan mula sa pakikitalad,
Ay, tunay namang akoy nakapagpapahingalay!
Iniuunat ko ang mga kamay at tinatanggap kita
Ang gantimpala at gantimpagal ng nahuhulog na liwanag,
Tumatahan sa balat
Bawat kumikinang na hibla,
Tinitigmak ako ng di mawawaang katuwaan.
Ito marahil ang pag-ibig.
Pag-ibig lamang.
Tunay na pag-ibig.

Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>

Ateneo de Manila University

176

Mabanglo
Poems

3.
Salamat, aking Kaluluwa.
Sa piling mo, sumasabog ako sa laksa-laksang kasarilihan
Saka nabubuo at nabubuod sa iisang lakas
Nagiging daigdig,
Nagiging langit,
Nagiging banal.
Nararating ko ang katuktukan ng araw
Sa nakasisilaw na kaigtingan
At nadadakmal ang mga banyagang biyaya.
At buong tahimik, huhad na hubad,
Sa pagtutok
Ng isang mapitagang
Kapayapaan,
Akoy namumulaklak .

Salin, Hunyo 30, 2011

Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>

Ateneo de Manila University

177

Mabanglo
Poems

At Every Moment
My true self:
I choose you at every moment,
But often I do not recognize you
You can be elusive--
You hide behind masks of various desires,
Or, you lie there naked blinding me
With your light.
Yet, I seek you
When trying to unearth the beauty within me,
Hoping it is really you,.
Or, when wanting to hear the soft voice
Of Truth
Wishing it finds abode in my lips.
Today I grasp you with closed eyes.
I feel you residing within
And my body wants to reside in you as well,
Not just for a fleeting moment
But forever.
So, let me choose you, my true self,
That you may choose me as well.
Let us be together
At every challenging moment
When Love and Life are doubted upon,
When Sky and Earth seem so far apart,
When incongruities tear the soul from the body...
Let us be together, therefore,
Let us choose each other, always,
I pray.
11:30 PM, September 8, 2010
Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>
Ateneo de Manila University

178

Mabanglo
Poems

Sa Bawat Sandali
Tunay kong sarili:
Pinipili kita sa bawat sandali,
Kung bakit hindi kita makilala
Mapag-iwas kang lubha.
Nagkukubli ka sa balatkayo ng samutsaring nasa,
O nakahimlay kayang hubad,
Sinisilaw ako ng iyong liwanag.
Gayunmay ibig kitang masumpungan.
Kapag tinatangkang iahon ang kagandahang nakakulong,
Umaasang ikaw nga iyon.
O, kung nagnanasang dinggin ang malamyos na tinig
Ng Katotohanan
Umaasang sa labi koy nakatahan.
Ngayoy nadakmal kita nang pinid ang mata.
Dama kong nakatahan ka sa aking kalooban
At hangad din ng katawang sa iyo tumahan,
Hindi lamang sa isang alisagang saglit
Kundi magpakailanman.
Kaya bayaang piliin kita, tunay kong sarili,
Nang mapili mo rin ako.
Bayaang magkasama kita
Sa bawat mapaghamong sandali
Kapag pinag-aalinlangan
Ang buhay at pag-ibig,
Kapag hindi nagdadaop
Ang lupa at langit,
Kapag sinasambilat ng katiwalagan
Ang kaluluwa sa katawan.
Samakatwid, hiling ko, maging magkapiling,
Piliin ang isat isa palagi,
Sa bawat sandali.
Salin, Hunyo 30, 2011

Kritika Kultura 17 (2011): 174-179 <www.kritikakultura.ateneo.net>

Ateneo de Manila University

179