Tips in Poetry Writing

Tips in Poetry Writing
By
Melchor F. Cichon
August 14, 2010

Every poet has his own way of writing poems.

I have my way.

Generally before I write a poem, I read. Just anything. But if there is a book of poetry, I pick that up first and read it.

While reading it, most often an idea comes in.

Ideas come in like lightning. If you cannot record it, it will be lost forever.

Or if you can remember it, good.

So what I do is, I always bring a notebook, and a pen or pencil. Once an idea comes into my mind, I write it down.

Usually, this idea becomes the focus of my poem.

If more related ideas come in,

I continue my writing until I finish the poem. Otherwise, I just leave it there for future use.

I write my first draft as it comes from my heart. But once I revise it, the writing will now come from my mind. I become the first critic of my work.

And I revise it without mercy.

How many times do I revise my work? I do not know. Perhaps once, perhaps two. Or even more.

If I feel that I have molded it the way I wanted it, then I stop.

How do I know that it has reached the end of it? When I feel that everything

that I hope to put in it is already there.

How do I revise my poem?

Is it wordy? If it is, I trim the adjectives that I believe should not be included in the poem. I prefer more action words. The shorter the sentence the better.

I check the spelling, the grammar, and the words and phrases. The whole sentence.

Is there unity? Is there logic in the arrangement of the stanzas?

Can I be understood? Are there words that are very difficult to understand? If there are, I change that to something that is easily understood.

Like Robert Frost, I prefer to use easy to understand words. Easy they seem to be, but they can evoke layers of meanings.

Let us take this poem:

HAM-AT MADUEOM RO GABII, INAY?
Ni
Melchor F. Cichon

Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?
May buean, Toto, ugaling may galipud nga gae-um.
Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?
May bombilya ro mga poste't Akelco,
Ugaling may brown-out.
Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?
Ginsinindihan ko ro atong kingke,
Ugaling ginapinaeong it hangin.
Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?
Toto, matueog ka eon lang
Ay basi hin-aga temprano pa
Magsilak ro adlaw.
Indi, 'Nay ah!
Sindihan ko't uman ro atong kingke.

Here the words are very simple. But is it really easy? Does it evoke other meanings? Does it dig your senses, your feelings, your conscience?

If I find that the word I used is abstract, I try to change it with concrete words—or words that have pictures. Abstract words are words that confuse the reader.

Example, when we say, he is a well-known person, we do not know whether that person is liked or disliked. But if we say that person is famous, he or she is liked and well-known.

Concrete words describe things that people experience with their senses: red, cold, dog. A person can see red, feel cold, and hear the bark of a dog. This is related to image.

In using images in our poems, we use our five senses: smell (fragrance of a sampaguita), taste (the taste of heaven of durian), touch (soothing touch of mother), feelings (After you left me, a dull pin has been piercing my heart ), hearing (The sound of Jawili falls remind me of you).

Abstract words refer to concepts or feelings, like liberty, happy, love. A person cannot see, touch or taste any of these things. These abstracts words are common in greetings cards. That is the reason why poems in these cards do not reach the textbooks, particularly in anthologies. Many of the words used in greeting cards are clichés. Simply said, generally, texts in greeting cards have no poetic value.

Example: If I used flower, I change it to a specific flower like gumamila or sampaguita or rose. If I use tall, I change it to, say, flagpole so that the reader will have something to compare with it.

Look at these lines:

Good: She fells happy when she sees me.
Better: She jumps when she sees me.
Good: The palm of his hand is coarse.
Better: The palm of his hand is a cactus.

Here are some words that poets should avoid using when writing a poem.

Big, happy, tall, beautiful, great, little.

I also check whether I used a cliché. If I did, then that line should either be revised or be deleted outright. If I cannot create a fresh metaphor for that questionable line, I change the whole sentence.

Cliché is like a rose that has lost its fragrance and beauty.

A cliché is an over-used metaphor like: she is like a red, red rose. Here is a poem which is full of cliches:

Predictable
Poor as a church mouse,
Strong as an ox,
Cute as a button,
Smart as a fox.

Thin as a toothpick,
White as a ghost,
Fit as a fiddle,
Dumb as a post.

Bold as an eagle,
Neat as a pin,
Proud as a peacock,
Ugly as sin.

When people are talking
You know what they’ll say
As soon as they start to use a cliche.

Here are some cliches that poet should avoid:

Being in the same boat
Building bridges
Clasping at straws
Cutting the Gordian knot
Earning brownie points
Getting a feather in their cup
Getting down to brass tracks
Missing by a whisker
Missing the bus
Muddying the water
Not having a crystal ball

I also check whether I used a passive voice. If I did, then I change the sentence into an active one.

Example:

Passive: My first visit to Miagao will always be remembered by me.
Active: I shall always remember my first visit to Miagao.

Many poets have been using poetic devices like assonance, metaphor, simile, irony, and other poetic devices. These devices really create great impression to the readers.

What is assonance?

Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds within words like: "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."

Or
Naghapay ro baeay ni Inday sa binit it baybay pag-agi ni Moray.

What is metaphor?
A metaphor is a statement that pretends one thing is really something else:

nipa hut--
my castle atop a hill
a witness to my tears
*****by Edna Laurente Faral

Your smile is my sleeping tablet.

What is a simile? It is a statement where you say one object is similar to another object. It uses "like" or "as"

"I knew; the light that lingered in ordinary things
like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days--
The light was you;
It did not come from."
*****From "Her amazement at her only child" by Karol Wojtyla

What is irony? Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meanings. It is also a literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effects.

Here is a good example of irony.


BAKIT SI XELA AY NAGDIGHAY PAGKATAPOS MAG-INOM NG COKE?
Ni Alex de Juan

Kanina lang
Puno ng pawis ang tansan
na nagyakap sa bibig ng Coke.
Naghalakhak ang tansan
na gin-aywanan ang bibig ng Coke.
Nagtambad ang kalawang
sa ilalim ng bibig ng Coke.
Gin-inom ni Xela ang Coke.
Si Xela ay nagdighay
pagkatapos mag-inom ng Coke
dahil gusto ng tansan na maulit
ang tunog ng kanyang halaklak
sa paglaho
ng kalawang
sa ilalim ng bibig ng Coke.

Another thing which I check in my poem is the injection of moral lesson. This device has been used in many of the traditional poems. I was once a judge in Hiligaynon poetry contest, and I noticed this mistake in many of the entries. So avoid this, let us leave that giving of moral lesson to the preachers. Our business as a poet is to present what we see, hear, feel, smell, imagine, and dream of. And if possible, inject a little opinion and leave the rest to the readers.

Another technique in creating great poem is by subverting the ordinary:

Subverting is turning upside down. Here is a good example:

crossing a bamboo bridge—
a son holds
his father's arm
*****by Melchor F. Cichon

Using rhyme and rhythm is an effective way of conveying our feelings, but we must be very careful with them. For one, if we will stick to rhyme and rhythm, most of our ideas will be trimmed because we have to suit our words with them. This is the main reason why modern poets are now using free verse.

Using words thy, thyself, and other words common in the 16th century should be avoided, unless of course you want to be associated with William Shakespeare.
Great poems have conflicts, just like in a short story. There must be two opposing forces in the poem.

Let us take this poem:

Ang Matandang Ito
Rio Alma

Hukot
Dahil mabigat ang liwanag.
Mauban
Dahil pinakupas ng liwanag.
Makulubot
Dahil niluto ng liwanag.
Tahimik
Dahil tigib ang bibig ng liwanag.

Here is another one:

Sa Bangketa
Ni Rio Alma

Kalansing ng barya
Sa basyong lata.
Simula ba ito ng kasaysayan
Hinggil sa walang katapusang pag-asa?
O pangwakas na himala?
Another element of a great poem is its universality. The more universal the theme and topic of the poem, the more each individual reader can identify with the poem. You can express individual hurt (or joy), for example, but the reader must be able to see it as his or her hurt (or joy) as well."

Let us take these very short poems:

Old pond
A frog jumps in
A sound of water
—Basho

A LETTER
By Melchor F. Cichon

John,
I will definitely go home
To our house
Where we can see the clouds
Through the roof.
I'm fed up
With the twinkling neon lights,
But I have not yet paid
For the earrings that I got
From Mama San.
I need them so my tinkling
Will be louder and my hips
Will be heavier.
Don't worry, John,
This Christmas
You and I will create a moon
And through the roof
We two alone
Will grasp its light.
Ana

There are some more tips that I can offer.

Some writers are afraid to show their works to other people. That is Ok because they say they write for themselves.

But great poets think otherwise. They show their works to their fellow poets—for comments.

All great poets have written hundred or even thousand of bad poems—poems that use cliches, faulty grammar, etc. But out of these writings, come a great one. And that matters most. And that makes all the difference.

Here is one poem that is included in Sansiglong Mahigit ng Makabagong Tula sa Filipinas, edited by Virgilio S. Almario, 2006.

Owa’t Kaso, Saeamat
Ni Melchor F. Cichon

Owa ako kimo magpangabay
Nga tipigan mo rang maeapad nga handumanan.
Hasayran ko man eagi
Nga ring tagipusuon hay may husto eang nga lugar
Para sa imong mga pagbakho.

Owa ako kimo magpangabay
Nga taguon rang euha agud madumduman.
Hasayran ko man eagi
Nga gusto mo eang magsupsop—
Samtang may ona pa—it duga nga mapuga ko
Sa atong kaeayo.

Owa’t kaso, saeamat,
Paris it pagpasaeamat it eanas sa bulkan
Sa lava nga anang ginabuga.

All great poets have received rejections slips. I have my share.

Rejection slips have many reasons. Our works might not be suited to the editorial policy of the magazine or journals. It could also mean that our works still need revision.

But rejection slips should be appreciated—they are energy for us to cross bridges to write greater poems.

Do you know that two other publishers had turned down the first manuscript of Harry Potter. But now every publisher wants to be the publisher of this series.
There are times when you cannot produce a line for your poem. Do not worry. Ideas come like seasons: rainy season and dry season. And when rainy season comes, try as much as possible to capture in paper those bountiful ideas. And when the dry season comes, just relax. Walk around. Smell the flowers. See a movie. Listen to your favorite radio stations. Read a novel. Or just lie down. And in your relaxation, you will be surprised that you have a new line to work on.
The second to the last tip I can offer is this:

Give a surprise ending:

Here are examples from Aklanon luwa:

Sa ibabaw sang lamesa
May tiki nga nagadupa
Ginpudyot ni Lola
Abi niya ya maskada.

@@

Sa tanan nga bata ni Nanay
Ako ang labing ma-isog
Kulas-kulas sa dapog
Una ako nanaog.

@@@

May manok akong bukay,
Ginbueang ko sa Ibajay;
Nagdaug pero patay.
Ginsumsuman ni Nanay.

The last tip is: Revise, revise and revise your work until you are satisfied.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The Elements of Poetry

Author: Unknown

When we try to express in our own words in prose, what a poem says, we will find that we have either reduced  the poem into its theme, topic, or idea, or that we have expanded it because we tried to include all the implications, impressions, and effects which the poem stirred in us.

1. Connotation. The poet has to be precise in his use of words; he consciously chooses words not only for what they name or identify, but alos for the emotional meanings or attitudes which they carry.  These additional meanings of a word which have emotional significance, are called connotations.

The word “well-known” for example, “ is neutral.” If you say, “Maria is well-known,” there is no implications that Maria is liked or disliked. It could mean one of the other. But if instead of “well-known,” the word “popular” is used, there is an implication that Maria is liked (as well as known) by many. “Notorious” implies that the person referred to is known because of some “unsavory” deeds or characteristics. “Famous” on the other hand, implies that a certain achievement has made a person known widely.

2. Figurative language. Poetry uses words in such a way that they mean something other than what they usually mean when we use them in ordinary conversion. “Army,” for example, means, as the dictionary defines it, “an organized body of men armed for war.” But the word can be used to mean something else, as when we say, “He was visited by an army of troubles.” We know that in this sentence,, we are not at all referring to “men armed for war.” We have used the word to mean “very many”.
3. Imagery. Like figurative language, imagery is another element that distinguishes poetry from other literary types. It does not only mean the pictures or “images” which a poet makes us see by means of simile (as when we say, “The girls is like a rosebud”) or metaphor (as in “He is a tiger when he is angry”.-; it includes appeals to other senses as well. We say that someone “Smells as sweet as a rose,” or a girl’s complexion has “the smoothness and softness of a rose petal,” or “Holding Pedro’s hand is like holding a cactus.”
4. Sound and Rhythm. Poems are meant to be read aloud, hence, the poet chooses words not only for what they mean (their sense) but also for how they sound. Part of the meaning of the poem is carried by the sound of words, since the sound affects our responses and thus helps evoke or suggest certain moods or feelings.

Some critics attribute the effect of the sound of words to the effort we make when we say them. “Many moons ago,” for example, is easier to say than “several months ago,” because more effort has to be made to pronounce the y and r in”several,” as well as the n, and s in “months.”

Figures of Speech

1.      Simile—an imaginative comparison by words such as like or as if; expresses likeness between unlike objects using as or like.

Example: We were packed in the room like sardines/

Mrs. Santos is as busy as a bee.

2.      Metaphor—an implied comparison between two dissimilar things without the use of as or like.

Example: School was my ticket to the future.

3.      Personification—is the transfer of human characteristics to inanimate objects or abstract qualities

Example: Earth wears a green velvet dress.

Money talks.

4.      Apostrophe—a direct address to someone absent, long dead, or even to an inanimate object.

Example: Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky.

5.      Hyperbole—uses bold and obvious exaggeration for the  sake of effect.

                        Example: Her brain is so small it could fit the head of a pin.

6.      Litotes—a deliberate under statement frequently using a negative assertion; the reverse of hyperbole.

Example: It’s no fun to be sick.

7.      Irony—saying the opposite of what is meant.

Example: To cry like a baby, a fine way to act for a man your age.

8.      Sarcasm—a form of verbal irony that presents a caustic and bitter disapproval in the guise of praise.

Example: You look beautiful in rags.

9.      Allusion—an indirect or slight suggestion or mention of any literary, biblical historical, mythological, scientific event, character or place.

Example: The Titanic ship sank on the Pacific Ocean.

(Titanic—Titans were giants, thus, theword means huge or geat)

10.  Metonymy—the use of one thing for another closely related to it.

Example: The crown will have an heir., (Crown for ruler).

I shall read Shakespeare and Milton soon enough.

(referring to the works of authors)

TIPS IN POETRY WRITING

TIPS IN POETRY WRITING

By

Melchor F. Cichon

October 2, 2008

Revised: Sept 5, 2010

Revised November 4, 2012

Revised: August 14, 2013

Every poet has his own way of writing poems.

I have my way.

Generally before I write a poem, I read. Just anything. But if there is a book of poetry, I pick that up first and read it.

While reading it, most often an idea comes in.

Ideas come in like lightning. If you cannot record it, it will be lost forever.

Or if you can remember it, good. But memory also slips like lightning.

So what I do is, I always bring a notebook, and a pen or pencil. Once an idea comes into my mind, I write it down.

Usually, this idea becomes the focus of my poem. If more related ideas come in, I continue my writing until I finish the poem. Otherwise, I just leave it there for future use.

I write my first draft as it comes from my heart. But once I revise it, the writing will now come from my mind. I become the first critic of my work.

And I revise it without mercy.

How many times do I revise my work? I do not know. Perhaps once, perhaps two. Or even more.

If I feel that I have molded it the way I wanted it, then I stop.

How do I know that it has reached the end of it? When I feel that everything that I hope to put in it is already there.

How do I revise my poem?

Is it wordy? If it is, I trim the adjectives that I believe should not be included in the poem. I prefer more action words. The shorter the sentence the better.

I check the spelling, the grammar, and the words and phrases. The whole sentence.

Is there unity? Is there logic in the arrangement of the stanzas?

Can I be understood? Are there words that are very difficult to understand? If there are, I change that to something that is easily understood.

Like Robert Frost, I prefer to use easy to understand words. Easy they seem to be, but they can evoke layers of meanings.

Let us take this poem: 

HAM-AT MADUEOM RO GABII, INAY?

Ni

Melchor F. Cichon

Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?

May buean, Toto, ugaling may galipud nga gae-um.

Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?

May bombilya ro mga poste't Akelco,

Ugaling may brown-out.

Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?

Ginsinindihan ko ro atong kingke,

Ugaling ginapinaeong it hangin.

Inay, ham-at madueom ro gabii?

Toto, matueog ka eon lang

Ay basi hin-aga temprano pa

Magsilak ro adlaw.

Indi, 'Nay ah!

Sindihan ko't uman ro atong kingke.

Here the words are very simple. But is it really easy? Does it evoke other meanings? Does it dig your senses, your feelings, your conscience?

If I find that the word I used is abstract, I try to change it with concrete words—or words that have pictures. Abstract words are words that confuse the reader. Example, when we say, he is a well-known person, we do not know whether that person is liked or disliked. But if we say that person is famous, he or she is liked and well-known.

Concrete words describe things that people experience with their senses: red, cold, dog. A person can see red, feel cold, and hear the bark of a dog. This is related to image.

In using images in our poems, we use our five senses: smell (fragrance of a sampaguita), taste (the taste of heaven of durian), touch (soothing touch of mother), feelings (After you left me, a dull pin has been piercing my heart ), hearing (The sound of Jawili falls remind me of you).

Abstract words refer to concepts or feelings, like liberty, happy, love. A person cannot see, touch or taste any of these things. These abstracts words are common in greetings cards. That is the reason why poems in these cards do not reach the textbooks,  particularly in anthologies. Many of the words used in greeting cards are clichés. Simply said, generally, texts in greeting cards have no poetic value.

Example: If I used flower, I change it to a specific flower like gumamila or sampaguita or rose. If I use tall, I change it to, say, flagpole so that the reader will have something to compare with it.

Look at these lines:

Good: She fells happy when she sees me.

Better: She jumps when she sees me.

Good: The palm of his hand is coarse.

Better: The palm of his hand is a cactus.

Here are some words that poets should avoid using when writing a poem.

Big, happy, tall, beautiful, great, little.

I also check whether I used a cliché. If I did, then that line should either be revised or be deleted outright. If I cannot create a fresh metaphor for that questionable line, I change the whole sentence.

Cliché is like a rose that has lost its fragrance and beauty.

A cliché is an over-used metaphor like: she is like a red, red rose. Here are some common cliches:

Poor as a church mouse,

Strong as an ox,

Cute as a button,

Smart as a fox.

Thin as a toothpick,

White as a ghost,

Fit as a fiddle,

Dumb as a post.

Bold as an eagle,

Neat as a pin,

Proud as a peacock,

Ugly as sin.

When people are talking

You know what they’ll say

As soon as they start to use a cliche.

Here are some cliches that poet should avoid:

Being in the same boat

Building bridges

Clasping at straws

Cutting the Gordian knot

Earning brownie points

Getting a feather in their cup

Getting down to brass tracks

Missing by a whisker

Missing the bus

Muddying the water

Not having a crystal ball

I also check whether I used a passive voice. If I did, then I change the sentence into an active one.

Example:

Passive Voice: Ham-at Madeuoem ro Gabii was written by Melchor F. Cichon

Active Voice: Melchor F. Cichon wrote Ham-at Madueom Ro Gabii.

Passive: My first visit to Miagao will always be remembered by me.

Active: I shall always remember my first visit to Miagao.

Many poets have been using poetic devices like assonance, metaphor, simile, irony, and other poetic devices. These devices really create dimensions, implications, impressions, and effects on us.

What is assonance?

Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds within words like: "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."

Or

Naghapay ro baeay ni Inday sa binit it baybay pag-agi ni Moray.

What is metaphor?

A metaphor is a statement that pretends one thing is really something else:

nipa hut--
my castle atop a hill
a witness to my tears
*****by Edna Laurente Faral

Your smile is my sleeping tablet.

What is a simile? It is a statement where you say one object is similar to another object. It uses "like" or "as"

"I knew; the light that lingered in ordinary things

like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days—

The light was you;

It did not come from."

*****From "Her amazement at her only child" by Karol Wojtyla

What is irony? Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meanings. It is also a literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effects.

Here is a good example of irony.

BAKIT SI XELA AY NAGDIGHAY PAGKATAPOS MAG-INOM NG COKE?

Ni Alex de Juan

Kanila lang

Puno ng pawis ang tansan

na nagyakap sa bibig ng Coke.

Naghalakhak ang tansan

na gin-aywanan ang bibig ng Coke.

Nagtambad ang kalawang

sa ilalim ng bibig ng Coke.

Gin-inom ni Xela ang Coke.

Si Xela ay nagdighay

pagkatapos mag-inom ng Coke

dahil gusto ng tansan na maulit

ang tunog ng kanyang halaklak

sa paglaho

ng kalawang

sa ilalim ng bibig ng Coke.

Another thing which I check in my poem is the injection of moral lesson. This device has been used in many of the traditional poems. I was once a judge in Hiligaynon poetry contest, and I noticed this mistake in many of the entries. So avoid this, let us leave that giving of moral lesson to the preachers. Our business as a poet is to present what we see, hear, feel, smell, imagine, and dream of. And if possible, inject a little opinion and leave the rest to the readers.

As someone has said:  “A poet's job is to write the haiku, and the informed reader's job is to interpret it via his or her own cultural memory, education, experience, personal biosphere, religious beliefs, etc., as each person is different and sees and interprets poems from their own unique viewpoint.”

Another technique in creating great poem is by subverting the ordinary: Subverting is turning upside down. Here is a good example:

crossing a bamboo bridge—

a son holds

his father's arm

*****by Melchor F. Cichon

Other samples of subverting the ordinary:

 in front of a doctor’s
clinic--
a withered rose
    ---Melchor F. Cichon

first kiss—
for a moment, the sun
disappears
----Melchor F. Cichon

Using rhyme and rhythm is an effective way of conveying our feelings, but we must be very careful with them. For one, if we will stick to rhyme and rhythm, most of our ideas will be trimmed because we have to suit our words with them. This is the main reason why modern poets are now using free verse. This is very evident in luwa.

Pag-agto ko sa Kalibo,

Nakakita ako’t mueto;

Pinitik ko ra ueo,

Eumusot sa kardero.

---Maeara

May handum kunta ako,

Nga mangupya sa sabat mo;

Ugaling umabot ro maestro,

Sinaylo nana ako.

---Maeara

Using words thy, thyself, and other words common in the 16th century should be avoided, unless of course you want to be associated with William Shakespeare.

Great poems have conflicts, just like in a short story. There must be two opposing forces in the poem.

Let us take this poem:

Ang Matandang Ito

Rio Alma

Hukot

Dahil mabigat ang liwanag.

Mauban

Dahil pinakupas ng liwanag.

Makulubot

Dahil niluto ng liwanag.

Tahimik

Dahil tigib ang bibig ng liwanag.

(Hukot: stooped; kuba; tigib--puno)

Here is another one:

Sa Bangketa

Ni Rio Alma

Kalansing ng barya

Sa basyong lata.

Simula ba ito ng kasaysayan

Hinggil sa walang katapusang pag-asa?

O pangwakas na himala?

Another element of a great poem is its universality. The more universal the theme and topic of the poem, the more each individual reader can identify with the poem. You can express individual hurt (or joy), for example, but the reader must be able to see it as his or her hurt (or joy) as well."

Let us take these very short poems:

Old pond

A frog jumps in

A sound of water

—Basho

A LETTER

By Melchor F. Cichon

John,

I will definitely go home

To our house

Where we can see the clouds

Through the roof.

I'm fed up

With the twinkling neon lights,

But I have not yet paid

For the earrings that I got

From Mama San.

I need them so my tinkling

Will be louder and my hips

Will be heavier.

Don't worry, John,

This Christmas

You and I will create a moon

And through the roof

We two alone

Will grasp its light.

Ana

There are some more tips that I can offer.

Some writers are afraid to show their works to other people. That is Ok because they say they write for themselves.

But great poets think otherwise. They show their works to their fellow poets—for comments.

All great poets have written hundred or even thousand of bad poems—poems that use cliches, faulty grammar, etc. But out of these writings, come a great one. And that matters most. And  that makes all the difference.

Here is one poem that is included in Sansiglong Mahigit ng Makabagong Tula sa Filipinas, edited by Virgilio S. Almario, 2006.

Owa’t Kaso, Saeamat

Ni Melchor F. Cichon

Owa ako kimo magpangabay

Nga tipigan mo rang maeapad nga handumanan.

Hasayran ko man eagi

Nga ring tagipusuon hay may husto eang nga lugar

Para sa imong mga pagbakho.

Owa ako kimo magpangabay

Nga taguon rang euha agud madumduman.

Hasayran ko man eagi

Nga gusto mo eang magsupsop—

Samtang may ona pa—it duga nga mapuga ko

Sa atong kaeayo.

Owa’t kaso, saeamat,

Paris it pagpasaeamat it eanas sa bulkan

Sa lava nga anang ginabuga.

All great poets have received rejections slips. I have my share.

Rejection slips have many reasons. Our works might not be suited to the editorial policy of the magazine or journals. It could also mean that our works still need revision.

But rejection slips should be appreciated—they are energy for us to cross bridges to write greater poems.

Do you know that two other publishers had turned down the first manuscript of Harry Potter. But now every publisher wants to be the publisher of this series.

There are times when you cannot produce a line for your poem. Do not worry. Ideas come like seasons: rainy season and dry season. And when rainy season comes, try as much as possible to capture in paper those bountiful ideas. And when the dry season comes, just relax. Walk around. Smell the flowers. See a movie. Listen to your favorite radio stations. Read a novel. Or just lie down. And in your relaxation, you will be surprised that you have a new line to work on.

The second to the last tip I can offer is this:

Give a surprise ending:

Here are examples from Aklanon luwa:

Sa ibabaw it lamesa

May tiki nga tumugpa

Ginpudyot ni Lola

Pageaum na  maskada.

****

Sa tanan nga unga ni Nanay

Ako gid ro pinakamaisog

Pagkueas-kueas sa dapog

Ako gid ro hauna manaog.

****

May manok akong bukay,

Ginbueang ko sa Ibajay;

Nagdaug pero patay.

Ginsumsuman ni Nanay.

****

Sa ibabaw sang lamesa

May tiki nga nagadupa

Ginpudyot ni Lola

Abi niya ya maskada.

****

Sa tanan nga mga unga ni Nanay

Ako gid sa tanan ro pinakamaisogang

Pagkueas-kueas sa dapog

Ako gid ro primerong manaog.

****

May manok akong bukay,

Ginbueang ko sa Ibajay;

Nagdaug pero patay.

Ginsumsuman ni Nanay.

The last tip is: Revise, revise and revise your work until you are satisfied. And make it sure that you will not be charged of libel and plagiarism.

Write in a language that you are familiar with. That way, one half of your problem is already solved.

Source:

haiku mind:108 Poems to Cultivate Awareness & Open Your Heart
by Patricia Donegan. A Review by Robert D. Wilson. http://simplyhaiku.com/SHv7n4/reviews/Donegan.html. Retrieved: August 31, 2010

Bukid it Madyaas

Bukid it Madyaas--
sa idaeum ginaeagas it kuring
ro alibangbang
***Melcichon
August 13, 2013

Daeha Ako Sa Maeara

Daeha Ako Sa Maeara
ni
Melcichon
August 11,2013

Daeha ako sa Maeara
Kon siin ginbuksan rang piniino
Ku mga pagpuka ku mga puyo ag gurami
Ag mga kuoe ag ige nga eumuton
Ag mga tambibidli nga nagahapon sa amon nga tigawnan.
Igto kon Dominggo it hapon
Kami ni Tatay ag iba pa nga mga Tatay gapamunit
Agod may amon nga payukan
Ag isuea sa ihapon
Ag isumsuman sa tuba--
Aba, panghueasan ka gid it higup it sabaw
Kapin pa gid kon mahaeang-haeang.
Gahaba dayon ro gabii
Sa pagkinanta it Dandansoy.
Ag kon amat
Matueogan ako
Sa owa't katapusan nga hinala
Ni Tatay ag ku anang kainum it tuba.
Ugaling sa paglinigidligid it inadlaw
Ro Maeara nahimo nga taeamnan it paeay
Ag indi eon pwede magpamunit ro mga Tatay
Ag ro tuba hay inislan eon man it Tanduay,
Red Horse ag Fundador.
Ag ro sumsuman
Ay bukon eon it puyo o pantat
Kundi binakoe eon nga manok
Bangod inubos man ro mga isda sa kaeanasan
It indren.
Pero daeha man ako gihapon sa Maeara.
Igto ko tan-awon ro pagtunod it adlaw
Sa puno it paeay.

Her Smile

her smile
brings in sunshine
in a gloomy day
***Melcichon
August 11, 2013

ra hiyum-hiyum
hay nagadaea't silak
sa magaeumon nga adlaw
***Melcichon
August 11, 2013

 

The Time Stops

the time stops
when she smiles at me;
when she stops the time for us,
I smile.
***Melcichon
August 4, 2013

Ipasona Mo Sa Amon, Ina?

Ipasona Mo Sa Amon, Ina?

ni Maeara

July 22, 2013

SONA bala namon ni?

Ining mga tawong grasa?

Ining mga kabataang gainukay

Sang mga basurahan

Para lang makapanyaga?

SONA bala namon ni?

Ining mga holdupper

Mga kidnapper

Mga snatchers

Mga motorcycle tandem
Nga nagapaniro,
Nga nagapambomba
Sang mga inosenti?

Kon magbaha, kag ang mga pamalay

Maglutaw-lutaw sa dagat

SONAhon man gihapon namon ina?
Samtang ang mga illegal loggers todo kadlaw sa mga beer houses?

Ti, paano atong mga kawatan sang kaban ni Juan,

Ipasona man gihapon sa amon ina?

Maayo guro kambyuhan naton ang aton nga motto:
Todo asenso...sang bulsa sg mga pulitiko
Ti, paano ang mga Instik kag Indonesians

Nga nagapangisda sa aton nga kadagatan,

Kag atong barkong panggira sang Estados Unidos
Nga nagguba sang aton nga pagang,

Ipasona man gihapon sa amon ina?

Ay abaw, pati gali atong mga tawong

Nagpeke sa mga pirma sang mga mangunguma
Agod makuha ang minilyong pundong pang agrikultura,

Ipasona man gihapon sa amon ina?

Ti, kamo sa palasyo?

Ano nalang ang  obrahon ninyo?

Magsakay-sakay sa eroplano

Kag magfashion show

Samtang si Juan gadaguob iya tiyan?

Samtang ganipis ang iya dulonggan?

Samtang waay untat ang pagsaka sg gasolina
Sang mga balaklon sa tindahan.
Basi bala ilinya ka man nila

Sa dalan ni Erap kag ni Gloria.

Ay, abaw maluoy ka man!

Maeara*

Maeara--
gahueat
nga kutawon ko
***Melcichon
August 6, 2013

*Maeara is a man-made lake in Sta. Cruz, Lezo, Aklan,

Aklanon Literature Is Not Hiligaynon!

Aklanon Literature Is Not Hiligaynon!
by Melcichon

I have read in some write-ups that there is only one literature in Western Visayas , and that is Hiligaynon Literature.
To us Aklanons, this is Iloilo Colonialism.
And I think this is also the same feelings of the Kinaray-a writers. They also do not want to be labeled as Hiligaynon writers. All they want is Kinaray- writers.
I cannot understand why Hiligaynon writers have been labeling us Aklanon and Kinaray-a writers as Hiligaynon writers when our languages, Aklanon and Kinaray-a, have so many distinct characteristics. If the Hiligaynon writers can pronounce this sentence the way the Aklanon prounounce it and can understand it fully, then I will agree with them:

Ro anwang gaeugaeog sa eugan-eugan.

Yes, it is true that there are many words in Kinaray-a and Aklanon languages that may have the same spelling and meanings. But definitely there are a lot of words in Kinaray-a and Aklanon that have different meaning.
Especially so in the pronunciation of Aklanon words.
If we look back, Aklan has its literary tradition.
In my book, The 32 Best Aklanon Poets, I featured there a poem in Aklanon in its original spelling. In the book by Beato De La Cruz, he features old poems, songs, proverbs, in Aklanon.
And recently, the Aklanon writers have been producing poems, short stories in Aklanon.
And if those Hiligaynon writers cannot pronounce these words correctly, then, I can say that we do not belong to Hiligaynon literature

Ro Binaeaybay ni Tatay Itsong hay gaeapuyot nga Inakeanon.

We are Aklanons, not Hiligaynon, and our literature is Aklanon Literature.

In Tears

in tears
a wife holds her husbands' casket
from Sabah
***March 5, 2013

from atop a mountain
he goes down
smiling
***March 24, 2012

silent crickets--
the smooth-sailing moon
behind the dark clouds
***Sept 23, 2011

Breaking the Summer Breeze

Feeling Loved

feeling loved--
I have my teeth
braced
***Melcichon
August 3,4, 2013

Bagong Sapa

bag-ong sapa
eumokso ro paka
sa kruduhong tubi
***Melcichon
August 4, 2013

A Rising Moon

a rising moon
in a setting sun--
Sunday breeze
***Melcichon
August 3, 2013

Arise

arise--
the engulfing
sunbeam
***Melcichon
August 2, 2013

Between Shelves

Mountain Rain Shower