THE WAY WE LIVE

By: Danton Remoto

(For Ted Nierras)

Bang the drum slowly, baby,

let us roll tremors
of sound to wake
the Lord God of motion
sleeping under the skin.

Of choosing what to wear

this Saturday night:
cool, sexy black
or simply fuck-me red?
Should I gel my hair
or let it fall like water?

Of sitting on the sad

and beautiful face of James Dean
while listening to reggae
at Blue Café.

Of chatting with friends

at The Library
while Allan shimmers
with his sequins and wit.

Of listening to stories at Cine Café:

the first eye-contact,
conversations glowingin the night,
lips and fingers touching,
groping for each other's loneliness.

Of driving home
under the flyover's dark wings
(a blackout once again plunges
the city to darkness)

Summer's thunder
lighting up the sky
oh heat thick
as desire

Then suddenly the rain:

finally falling,
falling everywhere:
to let go, then,
to let go and to move on,
this is the way it seems
to be. Bang the drum, baby.
 The Way We Live is a poem about going out to town, stopping by some places,
meeting people, and finally going home. Upon reading it, one would say that the
dramatic situation the poem presents captures the essence of how most young urban
people spend their weekend nights. Since this is a poetry blog spot for young urban
people, it is not surprising if many could relate to the fast paced lifestyle the persona
describes.

The author is trying to show a lifestyle or a culture where the day comes alive
at night. Living in the fast lane and knowing other people who does the same. Getting
intimacy from strangers, acquaintances, and maybe friends as well. Something
without any strings attached wherein you could move-on again and again and from
one partner to another as long as you like. The said poem gives a hint about the
author’s lifestyle. It shows the bending of the norms, a culture where in there is no
discrimination in gender but only the happy part of being free and the sadness of
being alone.

The poem is written in the first-person point of view, therefore it could be

concluded that the narrator is Remoto himself. However, it may also be an
exaggerated form or a persona that Remoto has created. The poem is written in a way
where the narrator seems to be simply telling a story, but at the same time, they are
talking to themselves.

The author is describing the state where one just wants to have fun, like in
times you feel like going out because you just want to go out, where one feels
completely empty and one just wants to add spice in his/her life by going out. It's like
driving because you want to go somewhere, even though you have no place to go.

He also advocates for the LGBTQIA++ community and was the author of one
of the first gay novels published in the Philippines. Remoto dedicated his poem to
someone named Ted Nierras, a friend of his who is also an advocate for the
LGBTQIA++ community.

QUEER THEORY OR APPROACH

I THINK THE POEM IS ABOUT HOW THE WAY GAY MEN LIVE. IT
WAS DESCRIBE IN THE STANZAS HOW HE WOULD WAKE UP IN A
SATURDAY, EXCITED AND FACING ANOTHER WILD AND FREE DAY.
GAY MEN HAVE TO MINGLE, SEEK FOR COMPANIONSHIP, AS WELL AS
BE ABLE TO EXPRESS HIMSELF THROUGH A GAY BAR OR A PLACE
WHERE HE IS MORE COMFORTABLE TO LET HIMSELF LOOSE AND THE
FEELING OF NOT CARING HOW HE LOOKS IMPLIES THAT HE LIKES TO
SHOW-OFF AND IT’S TIME FOR HIM TO SHINE AS A GIRL. HOPING HE
MIGHT PICK UP THE ATTENTION OF A MAN BUT IS NOT SURE IF IT'S FOR
LOVE, OR FOR LUST, OR FOR MONEY. BUT EVERYTHING HAS TO END.
IT'S THE WAY THEY LIVE.
 The Way We Live by Danton Remoto is a portrayal of a lifestyle that seems
distinctly youthful, reckless, bashful and unashamedly wild.

DEFINED AS HISTORICAL APPROACH for it relies heavily unto the

author and to his works. It is important to understand the author and his world
in order to understand his intent and to make sense of his work. The said poem
gives a hint about the author’s lifestyle. It shows the bending of the norms, a
culture where in there is no discrimination in gender but only the happy part of
being free and the sadness of being alone. This perspective makes a lot of sense
since the author himself is an advocate of the LGBTQIA++.

The poem details several scenarios which all present similar tones and themes.

Each stanza besides the first and last two describes a particular scene, painting
a vivid image of a certain location or situation.

A common motif among all these stanzas is the presence of the word “of” to
begin each one.

The poet links the stanzas and thus the situations they describe in this way.
They are also connected by their common themes, in particular the exploration of
human connection, togetherness and later in the piece, loneliness.

It suggests that the time humans spend with other people, forming bonds and
connections, is the time people spend living. However, a lot of the descriptions of these
connections are presented in a manner where they convey a superficial or ingenuine
bond rather than a true one. This could mean to suggest that the poet believes that part
of the human condition is forming loose bonds if only to fulfil something within
themselves; a selfish desire to repair their own individual loneliness. While it could be
said that this poem presents a lifestyle common throughout Filipinos or Philippine
culture, this piece and its messages can be universally applied to almost any country,
and thus this work conveys little about the country.
 I think the poem is about the liberal urban life in Katipunan. Back in the old
days when Katipunan has a lot of hang outs like "the strip" or "Fbr" where a lot of
parties were created like drinking sessions,concerts and the like. This life can actually
be seen from students who are empty within.