(KA)PULO(AN): aspúlu;púng-aw;pulós; puro;puló(h)
N a t h a n & E a r l
contents PartIII:Forest PartIV:Melancholy PartVI:All PartII:Violence PartI:Island PartV:Joy 1 5 11 7 9 3
Pulo: Island
again again and
fromyearsago
MEMBERINGTHEPAST
h had to remain alittlewhilelonger. hs tooncemoreblend ourownjoyouscries
Iwanted,somehow,f
But,yousaid,“T a t e , "
soIrelented h q .
LIKETHEDOGWE ONCEBURIED;A STRAYWEKEPT ANDFED
Yousculpted,fromwood,agravemarkerwhichI’ve kepttothisday.You dbesidemea h lowered hi downtotheearth, ld d mi nottocryorforget. uifyouhappen,bychance,to getlostonyourwaybacktowherehi gravewas marked,letmecome —
I try
READNO READ N W!READ O
THESIMULTANEITYOFA(KA)PULO(AN)’SISOLATION ANDRELATIONALITY.
PartI
p.1
“The waters will leavenotraceofhim, and time washes awayallmemoryand sorrow,” So
our foryou
Tonight,Iseethewavesrise
Onlytoretreatagain
Likethedogweonceburied
Behindyourhome
Whenwewerechildrenplaying
Pikobythebeach-side Road.Hehadnoname,nopapers, Astraywekeptandfed Whoappeared,everyonceinawhile Outsideourhouse.
Wefedhimourscraps chickenlivers, Pigssnout,all
Thestuffyouwouldn’teat.Iremember Theshrieksyougave
Whenhechasedafteryou shrieksyou Mingledwithtears. Iknowyouprobablywon’tremember.
Butstill,letmesee
Andtellyou myfingersplayingwiththesand whatelse
Youmight’veforgotten
Iwanted,somehow,forevenjusthisshadowtoremainwithusforalittlewhilelonger. Forhisvoicetooncemoreblendwithourownjoyouscriesaskids.Helovedplaying alongthebeach soIthoughtofsendinghimoffwithaboat.But,yousaid,“Thewaters willleavenotraceofhim,andtimewashesawayallmemoryandsorrow,”soIrelentedto your childish request They heaved his body the same one which appeared intermittentlyoutsideourdoors,butnowstiff andburiedhimbeneaththeearth.You sculpted,fromwood,agravemarkerwhichI’vekepttothisday.Andyoustoodbeside meastheyloweredhimdowntotheearth,stolidinyourdeterminationnottocryor forget.Butifyouhappen,bychance,togetlostonyourwaybacktowherehisgravewas marked,letmecomeclosertoremindyou myfeetcoldandkissedbythewaves that Forwindorforrain,I’vereplacedthat markermany, Manytimes asmanytimesasI’vethoughtofyou nowwithhim
Sighinginconcertwiththerecessionofthetides. p.2
Púlu: Violence
READ NOW!
LOVE GONE WRONG:
GUILTY CONSCIENCE; A TRAGIC END TO LOVERS' QUARREL
"La Union, Philippines allegedly killed his w bladed weapon foll argument at Tuesday."
THEY WERE HOLY
25 2023 APRIL her shrieks, her tears, her pleas.
was it a crime of passion?
anextensionoftheself abletoinflictviolenceupon another
And so I ran and ran, until the Night swallowed me, until I could Only kneel, knees and hands soiled With dust,
I’ve lived with her these past ten years,
The kisses we gave each other in the dark
Even a blunt kitchen knife could do the trick.
Part II
p. 3
La Union, Philippines
A man allegedly killed his wife using a bladed weaponfollowinganargumentat[redacted]onTuesday.
ThestoriesI’vereadinthenewsweren’timplausible,afterall. Evenabluntkitchenknifecoulddothetrick.
I’velivedwithherthesepasttenyears,outintheprovince, AndworshipedhernameuntilItreatedherasifshehadnone. Ourpapers,ourrings,theemptyroomthatIbuilt Thekisseswegaveeachotherinthedark—
Theywereholy,theparisaid,thoughsheandIcouldonly
Wait and wait, like two hermits in their cells, for love to bear fruit,
Untilabitemarkonherneckandafewglassesofbasi
Sentthenightreelingwithhershrieks,hertears,andherpleas.
AndsoIranand ran,untilthe
Nightswallowed me,untilIcould
Onlykneel,knees andhandssoiled Withdust,untilI couldbearmyhands mysoul
Toprayforgrace oncemore,asthe
Parchedearth yieldsitselftothe
Sustenanceofrain andthepenitent
Longsfor thewordsofabsolution
Withathirstlikethat ofasolitarytree
Extendingitsdrybranches towardsheaven.
striking striking
p.4
SOMUCHDEPENDS ONTHOSE STILTEDROOTS
THEYARELIKE/LOVERSWHO’VEFOUGHTAND.../ONLYTOYEARN,ONCEMORE, FORTHATWARMEMBRACE/TOBEONE’SSHORE,SAFETY,/ANDFINALGRACE.
PULO:ASMALLFOREST
TOHOLD ANDANCHOR IT INTHESOIL [AND] STREAM Part III p. 5
Forest
Somuchdepends
Onthosestiltedrootsextending Fromthetrunks
Toholdandanchorit Inthesoilandsalt-mingled Streams. Theyarelike Loverswho’vefoughtand Yieldedeachother Totime’sshiftingwaves,onlyto Yearn,oncemore,forthatwarm embrace Tobeone’sshore,safety, Andfinalgrace.
p.6
l
me a n c o h
l
yOh, if I can if I can let me catch our Love and seal it
In a jar: And let me hold your hands again with mine.
PULO: AS EMOTION, MELANCHOLIA BIKOLNON PÚNG-AW, WHICH PERTAINS TO AN EXPERIENCE OF “MELANCHOLY”
PÚLAW IN TAGALOG = “SADNESS CAUSED BY SOLITUDE”
Part IV p.7
Melancholy
Yourfacewasblurredinthedistance
Fromwhichyoustood,farwheretheairport Frostmeetstheglassy,metallicnight: SomuchdesireIseecouldbarely Becontained,reflectedinyoureyes!
Theyledmelikesomanystarryflames OutofmydarkRectoAve.unit,and Guidedmetojourneyandstray
Alongthisnamelessroadwhere Youonceledmyhandwithyours,where Younowclaspthewhite,sinewed Handsofanotherandheave,tenderly, Withtherhythmofthewavesyoutraversed.
Oh,ifIcan ifIcan letmetakeyou
Backwithme,justonce letme
Wadetheoceansand
Leadyoutowherethenightonceblazedwith
Fireflieswhenwewereyoung letmecatchour Loveandsealit
Inajar: Andletmeholdyourhandsagainwithmine. p.8
ITSTAGALOGHOMONYM;INITSPLACE,ITBECOMESAMOMENTTHATCANONLY BEDESCRIBEDASPURO,“PURE”(“DALISAY”)(ALMARIO1027;TRANS CHAN), ORA“FEELINGTOBEKEPTALIVE,”
Fornow stayasyouare AsIholdyouclose,androckyou Gentlytosleep Rightnow. Youdon’thavetoworryaboutathing PULO:ASEMOTION,ABLISS PÚLAWISNOTTHESADNESSCAUSEDBYSOLITUDEANYMORE,ASINTIMATEDIN
pulo:puro,“pure” PartV p.9
Dotheyscareyou?
Thepaintedfaces,blackagainstaseaofcrimsonandblue, Thehissingsnares,theclangofcymbals, Thebassandgongsandsuddencries. They’vebroughtHimout,thelittle Christ
AndparadedHim,unfazed,amongthecrowds,theirshouts, Andthegrindingnoiseoftheirdraggingdances. Thisisthecacophonousprocessionofourhistory
JWemadeintheexchangingofgiftsandjewels. Butintheslowburningofthestars, Timewillsooneddyandwhirlin Morenoise,morefeasts,and Morelayersofsedimentimpenetrable Byyourinnocence.
OIt’salright,it’salright,seethatthereisnothingtofear.Evenifyoudonotunderstand evenifyoustillcan’tthink,orreason,protest,orfeast Seehowfarthey’vegone, carriedbytheirneedtopiesta.Didtheyscareyou?Yes,yes Iknowtheydid.ButI’m herenow,I’mherenow,I’mherenow………bulaga!Oh,seehowyousmile,seehow youlaugh!There everything’salrightnow…everything’salright.Youdon’thaveto worryaboutathing notthenoise,theruckus,oreventheflowoftime.It’sfunny howtimecanbesocruelsometimes,andatothers,whatagiftitcanbe (Ifonlyyou knewhowlongwe’vewaited,andwaited,andwaited,justtohaveyou…)andnowitis time,onceagain,whichwillsomedaytakemeawayfromyou,oryoufromme.Do youunderstandthis?Youstillprobablydon’t.Maybethat’sfine,maybethat’sfine. Fornow stayasyouare
Donotchange donotchangeso
Quickly heavenwillhaveits
Celebrationsenough.Andaslongas
Fleshandbodyhaveyet
Toturntodustorearth,orthefestivitiesyet Tobesilenced,maymy
Tricklingtearsbe,toyou, Star,jewel,andgift all
AsIholdyouclose,androckyou
Gentlytosleep
Rightnow. p.10
All ForPhoebewholikestodraw
p.11
PartVI
This,theysay
Whatloveco
Thefadingsu
Thetenders
Thepale-blu
Woundwith
Phototheyt
Ofyouandm
Ofathousandstarsforyouand
Thereyouare milesandmile
Away tracingthesand
Withyourfingers,yieldingyou
Tothekissesofthewaves,and
Forthecriesofyourchildrento
Callyoubacktoyourhome,on
p.12
theend.