VALEDICTION SA HILLCREST

By Rolando S. Tinio

Presented By :Jane Gie Juarez

SJCC| 2024
 VALEDICTION SA
HILLCREST
Pagkacollect ng Railway Express sa aking
Or catacomb.
things
Strangely absolute ang impression
(Deretso na iyon sa barko while I take the
plane.) Ng hilera ng mga pintong nagpuprusisyon:
Inakyat kong muli ang N-311, at dahil dead of Individual identification, parang mummy
winter, cases,
Nakatopcoat at galoshes akong De-nameplate, de-numero, de-hometown
Nagright-turn sa N wing ng mahabang dilim address.
(Tunnel yatang aabot hanggang Tundo.) Antiseptic ang atmosphere, streamlined yet.
Kinapa ko ang switch sa hall. Kung hindi catacomb, at least
Sa isang pitik, nagshrink ang imaginary tunnel,
E filing cabinet.
Nagparang ataol.
 Filing, hindi naman deaths, ha.
Remembrances, oo. Yung medyo
malapot
Dahil alam mo na, I’m quitting the place
After two and a half years.
After two and a half years,
Di man nagkatiyempong mag-ugat, ika
nga,
Siyempre’y nagging attached, parang
morning glory’ng
Mahirap mapaknit sa alambreng trellis.
At pagkabukas ko sa kuwarto,
Hubo’t hubad na ang
mattresses,
Wala nang kutson sa easy
chair,
Mga drawer ng bureau’y
nakanganga,
Sabay-sabay nag-ooration,
Nagkahiyaan, nabara.
 Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paggaralgal:
Nasa New York na si Bob and the two Allans,
Yung mga quarterbacks across the hall
Pihadong panay ang display sa Des Moines.
Don ang Cosntance aren’t coming back at all.
Gusto ko nang magpaalam–
to whom?
The drapes? The washbowl? Sa double-decker
Na pinaikot-ikot naming ni Kandaswamy
To create space, hopeless, talagang impossible.
Of course, tuloy ang radiator sa paglagutok.
(And the stone silence,
nakakaiyak kung sumagot.)
Bueno, let’s get it over with.
It’s a long walk to the depot.
Tama na ang sophistication-sophistication.
Sa steep incline, pababa sa highway
Where all things level, sabi nga,
There’s a flurry, ang gentle-gentle.
Pagwhoosh-whoosh ng paa ko,
The snow melts right under:
Nagtutubig parang asukal,
Humuhulas,
nagsesentimental.
The poem starts out as the persona is about to leave his apartment which is situated in
New York. The Railway Express, the N-311, and the N wing are the object used to indicate
that he travels and longs to go back to his hometown of Tondo. The winter weather is the
metaphor of hardship of traveling from place to place.

In stanza 2, the persona further describes his apartment in Tondo which is a place of full of
memories since the metaphors used were catacomb and mummy cases. These objects are
well preserved over time which is an allusion to his unforgettable experiences and
memories which is preserved and confined forever in his home in Tondo. The “antiseptic
atmosphere” gives the picture of a hospital which is a place of protection for people which
is likened to his home place in which his memories are protected. The filing cabinet
represents a properly organized place of storage where memories are easy to be found or
remembered.
In stanza 3, the persona used the word “malapot” or viscous to describe his remembrances to his
home place. The persona also suggested that he will eventually leave the place in the lines “Di man
nagkatiyempong mag-ugat” and “Mahirap mapaknit sa alambreng trellis” in the fear of getting
attached to the place.

In stanza 4, the persona finally went back to his hometown in Tondo in hope to relieve his nausea
and come back to his loved ones. But as he opened the door, the place was a mess, empty. Stanza 5
describes how the persona remembers the place back then and where his loved ones have gone
now. These 2 stanzas depicts that homes aren’t much of a home when there is no one there to come
back to. That home is temporary and would only serve as a place of memory. The lines “Of course,
tuloy ang radiator sa/Paggaralgal” and “Of couse, tuloy ang radiator sa paglagutok” uses sound as a
form of speech (sound of an airplane engine) that indicates the persona’s desire to fly back to New
York.
In the last stanzas, the persona shows that leaving his home does not matter. “Sa
steep incline, pababa sa highway/Where all things are level, sabi nga,” this line
implies that no matter where you settle, all things are level or your character
still remains in you. In short, a home does not define who you are or what you
will be. It is merely just a place to live at and a place where one nurtures his/her
self through experiences acquired in that place. When leaving a home, one will
surely leave memories and confine it there but one’s character would always
remain intact inside one’s soul.
 AUTHOR'S BACKGROUND
On March 5, 1937, he was born in Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila.
•He has already shown a liking for planning and leading with
his playmates at a young age.
•He also wrote and acted in movies. He was able to complete
his Philosophy degree at the Royal and University of Santo
Tomas in 1955. Pontifical
•He earned the title of magna cum laude with a degree in
Philosophy University of Santo Tomas at age of 18 in 1955
and an MFA degree in Creative Writing Poetry from the State
University of Iowa.
•At the Ateneo de Manila University, Tinio taught theater
arts, English, and Filipino from 1958 to 1975.
 AUTHOR'S
BACKGROUND
•He decided to try writing in Tagalog and the
product of this trial was the collection of
poems now called Bagay.
•Rolando Tinio was the sole investor of
"Taglish" in
Philippine Poetry
•Ella Luansing, a stage and screen actress,
was his wife. While overseeing a musical in
1997, he experienced a heart attack. At the
age of 60, he passed away, and his wife soon
after.
THANK YOU
Presented By : Jane Gie Juarez