Dawn: Tales of Resurgence

DAWN

tales of resurgence a Stallion Literary Portfolio

Dawn: Tales of Resurgence

Contributors

Cole Ty Gavin Go Joaquin De Castro Rafael Ang Joaquin Tan Marco Valenton

• Kevin Chen • Edric Dy • Gordon Chiang • Bryant Wang • Josh Cua

Filipino Department

• • • • • •

• Jared Lumanlan • Aidan Gocheco • Russ Relucio • Lorenzo Miguel • Ravi Tan

Design Department

Chinese Department

Literature Department

Editor-in-Chief : Anton Labos Associate Editor : Caleb Tiam-Lee Managing Editor : Kyle Tan Creative Director : Coby Silayan Literature Editor : Herb Tan Design Editor : Gabriel Yu

• Sky Angeles • Keng Wei Lin • Matthew Ngo • Gabbie Tadena • Jantzen Ang • Marcus Apetreor • Andreas Bautista

Foreword

by Herb Tan Life is unexpected. Every joy and satisfaction seems to come with an equal amount of hardship and suffering. During these instances of challenge, we often feel lost, challenged, freighted, desperate, and alone - we feel as though we’ve hit rock bottom.

The current pandemic we are facing cannot give better clarity to the unexpected nature of life. Laced with turmoil and uncertainty, COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. This global illness has surpassed the infection of our physical well being and has targeted our social-emotional state. As such, the strength of inner will is just as important as strong immune systems to overcome the current plague at hand. Ultimately, we all experience challenges in our lives, but how we react to these challenges is what defines us. Tears and sorrow will not get us anywhere.

Instead, we must look toward a brighter tomorrow and find the joy in the hardship present, no matter how small it may be.

We have to find the strength to carry on. When we feel like giving up, when we feel like we’ve hit our lowest point, always look towards the dawn.

Nightlight When night seeps through the windows,

Although her light is dim,

it fills the room

past the curtains

and into my room,

I’m in.

my hands reach

Her light

instinctively

the clothes that fit just right

for her comforting hand.

Not the brightest light, I lay

my head

Illuminating the dusty corners—

on her lap

the depths of the heart, mind, and soul—

and she sings

that once only darkness could reach.

an alluring

lullaby.

By Joaquin De Castro Art by Sky Angeles

Her light that caresses the cheek, wipes the tear, kisses the forehead.

And soon

dream slyly

creeps up to me The night calms The sounds soften

replaced by rhythmic,

almost melodic, breathing

She gently

lifts my head

off her lap And she

lays it to rest

on the cushion caresses the cheek, wipes the tear, kisses the forehead.

•

As she leaves

she reaches

for the switch and

whispers

And I smile knowing that like the light She’s never really left

a loving good night

A Hopeful Miner

By Cole Ty Art by Keng Wei Lin

A hopeful miner dared to try And find diamonds in the barest mine But after hours of mining, he felt infernal And he quit, having dug through its innermost tunnel Walking through long winding shafts He shouted “This cave is daft!”

No one saw his angry fit As he came out from his little pit But when he looked at the night sky He questioned himself: “I stopped? Why?” Then he went back into caves internal Torch in hand, hope shining eternal.

A Sense of Belief

By Gavin Go Art by Keng Wei Lin

During those dark times, Experiencing Loss, Pain or Pity.

Committing to crimes, You feel the sadness within the city.

Pushing away these emotions, Allows you to regain a new one.

You shall rise above the oceans, A sense of belief shall bloom.

You must believe that things will be better, Pulled by a rope.

We will stand as one nation together, This, we call hope.

Hope is very much like a bug, It can be easy to forget and lose.

But once it flies into your mug, All of your doubts will now defuse.

Pandora’s Box

By Gavin Go Art by Matthew Ngo

Elpis is humble.

Only then,

She always keeps to herself,

as they sink deeper into the

often silent,

lake,

and never draws notice.

loose themselves in the night, do they remember.

Adorned in a simple white dress a graceful swan leaving no rip-

to look up.

ples in her wake: the moon’s reflection in the

From the depths of the lake,

murky lake;

they glimpse the moon’s wispy

Cygnus in the pitch black sky.

image.

From the grips of night,

The world descends into chaos,

they spot the cruciform swan.

yet she remains still and regal.

While man mingles with Ere-

To cast a shadow

bos’ spirits—

is to shine a light.

falling ever farther into his clutches.

In Pandora’s box In the shadow of despair

Only then,

we find the light of

when all are mute,

Hope.

when all are blind, does she speak and do they see.

The Light

By Rafael Ang Art by Gabbie Tadena

The light It’s that small speck of bright It can be found in every crack No matter how black It symbolizes hope A force much stronger than a rope And keeps your morale From going down into a slope Even when you feel lost The light is there no matter the cost Always remember that in all forms of darkness The light is always present

On Deities, the Plague

By Joaquin De Castro The plague An eruption of death and suffering Pele’s tears drown the scented flowers and herbs.

Her fumes from which even Alalā could not hide But from death and suffering Come Lono’s gifts: from lava comes fertility, from turmoil comes peace.

The Renaissance When Laka’s blossom grows once more And comes Hahmea’s rebirth The Lands are ripe with resurgence yet fresh still with remembrance.

and the Renaissance Art by Jantzen Ang The ash embedded within the soil— the earth that humans toil— yet from which the first Lehua blooms.

Its fruit wrought by suffering not sought.

Its seeds carry death’s memory.

A land baptised by death and suffering.

The flowers crimsoned by the blood that nurtured, irrigated, and birthed it.

Imaginary

By Andre Tan Art by Jantzen Ang

It’s 6am,

Nothing to accomplish too.

The soft cushion of the bed presses

It’s just the start of another loop.

my back, I sit on my rear,

I get dressed,

And slowly make myself stand,

Eat breakfast, make a mess,

Knowing that,

Then go to school, expecting less.

It’s just another day.

I sit on my chair, Nothing to look forward to,

Waiting for class to start.

Nothing to do,

But then something unexpected happens.

I hear the creaks of the floor,

The next day,

As someone approaches my desk.

I wake up,

He says hi,

Full of excitement.

I respond with a hello,

Like a child getting to ride

He introduces himself as Ben,

a bike for the first time,

And the conversation started

I was excited to talk to Ben,

flowing,

Because,

We talked about our favorite hob-

He was the first friend I truly had.

bies, Our favorite sports,

I hurriedly ate breakfast,

The games we play,

Got dressed,

And many more.

And hopped into the car,

After around 30 minutes,

To go to school.

Class started That 30 minutes felt so short.

5 minutes, 10 minutes,

Ben came back

15 minutes,

He spoke to me during recess,

30 minutes have gone by,

We sat together at lunch

And still no sign of him.

On the way out of school,

Class is about to start,

He was right by my side,

So I asked one of my classmates,

Even at night,

“Where is Ben?”

He called me over the phone,

And the reply stunns me,

And our conversation lasted for

“Who is Ben?”

hours.

“There’s no one named Ben in this school”

A Blinding Darkness

By Marco Valenton Art by Matthew Ngo

A world of darkness devoid of light

The unfathomable truth of each

An ocean of ink washing over our

one’s relativity

plight

Raises the question of each one’s

A corroded sky corrupted, turned

ability

dark

To truly perceptively understand

In an era of madness the man made

what we perceive

hark.

The flickering of light and shadows which we weave

A cry for help that none will hear.

A lingering feeling of despair and

A painted shadow dancing along a

fear.

wall

A cabaret of dismal notions of

Watching humanity’s sanity crum-

drear.

ble and fall

The inescapable grip of darkness

A manifestation of our anger and

made clear.

guilt A monument to the grossly morose

Faced with all of life’s monstrosities

reality we’ve built

A man holds a candle amidst animosity.

For that which brings light casts a

A torch to cast out the shadows of

long shadow

tomorrow.

The flickering candle still leaves

A crutch in aid to the end of our

darkness with its glow

sorrow.

However, the darkness, its cold icy embrace

With light there is dark, and in

Provokes images and thoughts we

darkness light

only wish we could erase.

Each one passing with every day and night.

In times of hardship we remain, And in joy inevitability made plain.

With the balance between both

shadows

fierce elements

The last flower in the withering

Twisting the tornado of life’s cruel

meadows.

experiments Despite what hurricane we may

In the cloak of our own confusion

face,

They cut us out of our depressing

A beacon of hope shines for the

illusion.

human race

The people of the world who still burn bright

A world torn by shadow, rent in

Living in amongst the blight of

twain

spite

As from what would shine, we abstain.

In such a world we live in today,

Amidst suffering and hardship, we

Within the cries of our gospel of

miss the mundane

dismay

A whimsical paradox which drives

One will come that will hear what

man insane.

we say And will be our light, guiding us on

Though in struggle we cry,

our way.

Through the strife, we try, As both foster pain, just as much as

A glimpse of a candle, a flicker of

growth

shade

And to keep on growing is man’s

Peering through the keyhole of life

oath.

long decayed Perched on a lit candle, a dancing

In our darkness, someone holds the

flame

light

Hidden in a vault, our greatest

The key to the new dawn from a

shame.

dusk painted plight A candle in a world full of whistling

To the creeping darkness, we say

goodbye Bring on the coming light, put an end to this lie In a world of unending turmoil and misery, Light is the key to deciphering this mystery.

Darkness and light are what we perceive them to be The two forces of discord that compose life’s symphony, Defining that which writes our reality.

Through trials and tribulations, finding light is the key.

Eyes Up

By Gavin Go Art by Marcus Apetreor

Don’t say you’re stuck there forever, A bottomless pit made for failure.

Now, climb up and flick the lever, There’s light above the darkness to endure.

Being knocked down to the knees, And beat up by the other crowd.

Scared to death you might freeze, But up there, light shines in a cloud.

Walking up the stairs of belief, Breaking down the walls that block you.

Getting past the sadness and grief, Regaining strength out of the blue.

Keep your eyes up and recharge, Your strong will shall come to your defense.

The possibilities are large, As you experience resurgence.

Dusk and Dawn

By Marco Valenton Art by Andreas Bautista

As Oizys cries, cackles and laughs The world folds under the power of Wrath So would the mistress of discord and disillusionment Cast down curses and conflict amongst mankind The blue skies would grey The flowers decay The light of Phoebus fade As Man would sink into an abyss of bleak and inky blackness Man struggles and labors Man cries out in pain The gods of fate show no remorse Man left crying in the mud and rain But as man sinks further down Deeper into the abyss Elpis’ dawn will come once more And dig Man out of its pit For with all things that begin There is an end And Oizys draws his last breath The dawn comes to wash out all that which remains discordant And Man once more breathes Elpis’ grace And is spat out of his own abyss Once more free to pursue the matter of dreams And experience that which brings him bliss

Surrounding Aura

By Gavin Go Art by Andreas Bautista

The fading of white to black, Encloses you in fields of darkness.

Unable to attack, Follow these morals and digress.

Watching those of meaning, Do nothing as you fall.

You lose feeling like King, As no one hears your call.

Until you feel a squeeze, Shining right in your eyes.

Flares surround you like bees, Staring up at the skies.

Those of admiration surround you, Breezing you like a kite.

Showing the world you are not blue, But filled up with warm light.

From the Ashes

By Marco Valenton Art by Andreas Bautista

From a world drowned in flame From the inky pool of shame Through the fire we survive From the ashes we will rise In darkest day, when daylight dares to fade When dusk comes after dawn long decayed Even the mighty bird of flame Finds rebirth from the ashes when slain The great Phoenix when struck down Bears itself a formidable crown In our lowest points, we must not forget, To cherish our trials rather than to regret.

For the entrance to the forge through which we crusade Is what shapes melted iron into the finest blade And through the crucible’s pain and strife We rise up and work to strive Even in the most hopeless of situations We stoke the fire of our own expectations And that spark of hope allows us to succeed And the rain which brings us down shall water that same seed In all of life’s adversity Through all of the pain We stand up after falling down And put an end to the rain Eventually we’ll come back stronger And be victims of circumstance no longer In the end, no matter what we go through, Getting back up is the best thing we can do.

Pag-Asa

By Jared Lumanlan Art by Sky Angeles

Ang mundo ngayon ay puno ng kadiliman Dahil sa naidudulot ng sakit na ito Tila isang digmaan Na nagdadala ng takot at gulo Mga taong nagsasakripisyo Inaalay ang kanilang buhay Para sa kanilang kapwa Pilipino Kahit takot na mamatay Mga taong hindi makalabas ng bahay ‘Di makasama ang pamilya at kaibigan Mga mahal nila sa buhay Buhay na walang kaligayahan Ngunit hindi natin kailangan mag-alala Liliwanag din ang mundo Magkaroon lang ng pag-asa At matatapos din ito

Karagatang Walang Katapusan Babala na hindi pinansin.

Akala na matutupad.

Karagatang puno ng kadiliman.

Alon na kailanman ay hindi makakarating.

Sa tabing-dagat, abangan.

By Aidan Gocheco Art by Andreas Bautista

Kapit Lang Kapatid

By Russ Relucio Art by Sky Angeles

Para sa lahat ng makakabasa sa tulang ito Naiintindihan ko na tayong lahat ay Nagdurusa ngayon sa isang Nakapipinsalang panahon.

Ngayon ang mga panahon kung saan Nawawalang kahulugan ang salitang PAG-ASA. Kaya’t nasaan ka man sa mundo, iisa lang ang mensahe ko, Kapit lang kapatid.

Kahit na madilim ang langit, At tila parang walang araw ang sumisikat sa araw-araw, Kapit lang kapatid.

Kahit na walang laman ang mga daan, At wala nang mga bukas na tindahan, Kapit lang kapatid.

Kahit na sweldo’y ‘di na sapat, At wala nang maihain sa pamilya, Kapit lang kapatid.

At kung nararamdaman mo na nasa dulo ka na ng bangin, Hanggang sa huling butil ng iyong lakas, Kapit lang kapatid.

Sabay-sabay tayong aahon mula sa mga alon ng kahirapan Sabay-sabay tayong magtataas ng kamay sa tagumpay.

Sabay-sabay tayong manonood nang sumisikat na araw.

At hanggang sa panahong iyon, KUMAPIT KA LANG KAPATID.

Bangon

By Lorenzo Miguel Art by Matthew Ngo

‘Di pa lumilipas ang kalahating taon At sa problema tayo’y baon na baon.

Ang napakalaking sunog sa Australia, At pagsabog ng Taal ay naging problema.

Pero ang naging tunay na suliranin, Ang N-Cov na nagpahirap sa atin.

Itong sakit na pumatay ng libo-libo, Ay nagdala ng dusa sa buong mundo.

Kahit ito’y animo’y mahirap at masakit, Ating malulutas kung tayo’y may malasakit.

Ang pananalangin sa Diyos ay mahalaga, Para ramdam nating hindi tayo’y nag-iisa.

Ngayong tayo ay nalulumbay at nasasaktan, Kailangan maging positibo at magbigayan.

Kung ito’y ipapakita’t gagawin ng madla, Makakabangon tayo dito, walang duda.

Ilaw ng Bayan

By Ravi Tan Art by Marcus Apetreor

Masyado na bang madilim ang kalsada Nilibing ka na ba ng mga problema Kinain ka na ba ng iyong mga kasalanan Sa tingin mo, wala na bang pag-asa?

Kung dati palaging may ilaw Galing sa kandila o lampara Para tayo ay gabayan Ngayon tila nawala Gumagapang ka sa dilim Hindi nasusulyapan ang liwanag Kailangan ng panibagong alab Susuko ka na ba talaga?

Kung hindi mo maaninag ang liwanag Tumingin ka sa salamin Nasa harapan mo na Ang nagliliyab na ilaw ng bayan Katulad ng mga lampara Dapat tayo magsilbing ilaw Ilaw gabay sa kapwa Nang sa gayon tuluyang mapuksa ang kadiliman Katulad ng apoy sa kandila Habang may hangin hindi namamatay Hindi rin mamamatay ang ilaw ng ating bansa Kung buhay pa tayong nagpapaningas

琥珀 Memoria

By Kevin Chen Art by Matthew Ngo

春光处处皆碧落 觅着记忆稣琥珀 现酣梦如风嚯嚯 纷纷将其唤醒过 潸然泪下如雨作 星夜已逝光漫绰 但曾忘寂无昔阔 愿能一宿如月烁

Blue Skies After Raindrops

雨过天晴

By Edric Dy Art by Gabbie Tadena

雨令人震耳欲聋 街道只寥寥几人 似乎失去了希望 让人想选择放弃 骤然沉闷云消失 艳阳普照着大地 忽呈现一道彩虹 亮出了光明大道

剩唯夜终 End of the Night

By Gordon Chiang Art by Marcus Apetreor

剩在沙漠被人忘 唯一弯道致望想 夜空点星悦坠亮 终是寻思心梦望

a Aw

k

i en

梦

大

醒

初

ng

ua ng C A sh zen o J t B y Ja n by t Ar

人像一只鸟 自小心愿高 雨晴不挡梦 小翼坚有力 低处望天空 高处观大海 无时不期望 有朝领群鸟

攀登人生 Live Life

By Bryant Wang Art by Keng Wei Lin

人生就像一座山 一座高耸入云的山 目测高不可攀 山高路险 我只好慢慢走 纵有万般狂风暴雨的场面 我仍台头仰望 不管有多么遥远 无论有多么艰难 我依然满怀希望 朝着山顶前进 人生就像一座山 一座崎岖巍峨的山 但若有幸登顶 定可俯瞰群山 豪情满怀

Acknowledgements The Stallion Literature, Filipino, Chinese, and Design departments would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the Stallion Editorial Board, moderators, Ms. Nicole Santos, Mr. Jules Hernando, Mrs. Pinky Liu, Mr. Manuel Aldeguer IV, and Mr. Pierre Reniva for their guidance and assistance.

Furthermore, we would like to especially thank our respective members for their hard work and utmost dedication in crafting these exceptional pieces of literature and art.

Dawn: Tales of Resurgence

Fin.