Simon Anton Diego Baena Literary International Journal

 Another great issue of Osiris! I'm honored to be in this issue with Rob Cook , Eugenio de Andrade, Andrea Moorhead, George Moore, Salgado Maranhao, Ray Kefeitz, Simon Perchik, and other amazing poets!

Osiris

is home! https://osirispoetry.com/

I'm stoked and honored to be in the 10th anniversary issue of Phantom Drift! Can't wait for my copies. With Ray Keifetz, Derek Anis, Cindy Veach,

Peter Grandbois

, and other stunning poets.

https://www.phantomdrift.org/

THE 2021 FULL-LENGTH AND CHAPBOOK CONTESTS ARE OPEN JANUARY 1 – APRIL 30, 2021.

Past judges - Marilyn Nelson, Afaa Michael Weaver, Chana Bloch, Dorianne Laux, Toi Derricotte, Denise Duhamel, Hélène Cardona, Lola Haskins, Stuart Dischell, Betty Adcock, Jamaal May, Rickey Laurentiis, Joseph Millar, Cynthia Huntington, John Hoppenthaler, Zeina Hashem Beck, Mary O’Donnell, Ely Shipley and Julie Suk. Judges announced after the contest.

Affordable entry fees. Be a part of a Community Active press.

http://jacarpress.com/submissions/#contests

Thank you again,

Osiris

for including my prose poem, "Black and White Reels" in your forthcoming 91st issue! Thank you so much for supporting my work! Happy New Year!

https://osirispoetry.com/

Almost Love 2021

 

When I saw violent Calla lilies 

 There's so much tenderness in my eyes

When I saw u in the digital world it lighted my life

 So raise my hands to heaven and pray

A new friend came into my life

 

The flowers blooms and morning calm

Ending the day without you would be a savage one

The moon and sun unity in a good surprise 

 

I enjoy your company even I did not see you in person,

When I saw your good soul appear in my memories

I felt the night you calm and I am restless 

Hold me in the darkness and I feel safe

Every day I need your sweet caress

 You relieve my sadness in this boring life

 

On the third day, I fell in love and 

waiting for your call

As we move to embrace, tears run down my face

Recalling the red stick that lingers in my mind

I whisper words of love, to a person gone for the moment

 I can't believe this pain, it's driving me insane

 Without you in my life will be lonely

That we'll be back together someday 

Penn Tulabing Larena, MPA- Poet, Heritage & Cultural Advocate and Professor in Social Sciences

 

Writers and Poets from Bais City Negros Oriental

Simon Anton Diego G. Baena

Penn Tulabing Larena

Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina

Fr. Rudy E. Villanueva

Give thanks, my soul

By Poet Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina

Give thanks, my soul, for the food on our table,
For the dried fish that’ve been served,
And for the bread the children shared.

Shout your praise, my weary soul,
And sing with gladness and joy,
For the bed you rest upon, and the roof above your head.

Leave your doubts behind for God will provide,
The sun will rise, the children will play,
Surely rain will pour on this summer’s day.

Throw your fears away, set it all aside,
Like the birds that flip its wings, playing with the fishermen,
A piece of fish when shared, becomes food for many and one.

The world is colorful, not just red nor blue,
There’s green and purple and all the colors of the rainbow,
When you’re happy and you’re grateful, the world will smile with you.

Soon this will be over, this fear of hunger,
Our questions of where to go after will soon be answered,
Never lose hope, my soul, for nothing is impossible, for God, the King of all.

Lift your worries to God for He will never abandon us,
Learn to share your gifts, even the little ones,
A bread divided can feed a multitude of men.

The Room

The COVID -19 Poem of Prof. Penn T. Larena March 2020


A dirty white covers the whole space
Feeling so sad, lonely, and broken-hearted
It feels my mind  of  things to do
The sound of the drama, dancing night and day

People are dying of the virus
Here we are praying day and night
Always thinking about money
and life within the day
How would you spend it and the world will stop for nothing
Thinking of our loved one
and Frontlines saving lives every day

Naked in the room
That feel the heart and soul
Looking at the calendar every day
For the days wasted
Your minds were savage

Touching your body with desire in mind
Looking the time to kill
Praying for everyone to stay healthy
Thinking about the next month's things to do

Only God will help
In a tiny room, you are so afraid
Thankful for the blessing you received
Just in the corner bare naked
Holding to yourself, what world the future brings

The River 1973

The river is a human being of pleasure
From the valley to the lowlands showing clear water
Carefree that she turns out at her best
And swans that cover her love’s measure
Flowing under the bridges showing her life of Free
Surrounding the trees seen its day and night
Hang around her naked to hear the sound of music and dance to please her self
Toughing the water so kisses her pleasure



The River is like spring the source of life on earth
Flashing in the wide green glade,
Hidden worlds kept from human being watchful eyes
Disaster to Sunshine appear with Grace and Beauty
Tempered with the lightning’s aid and charity,
To  touch the crystal clear water and endless connection
Witness to my endless love to the man I love
For life, I hope to see you end again flowing
From the mountain to show his precious treasures



A 1973  Poem by Baisanon Poet Leonaga H.Tulabing Larena a lover of World Literature and a member of Dumaguete Reading Club from 1971 to 1985. In  Summer of 1965 and 1966  she was sent to Manila thru a government scholarship to study Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo at the University of the Philippines Diliman. 

If This Might Be Heaven

By :  . Mercedes Teves Goñi   Poet 

To all I loved and to those I could have loved some

More,

Farewell. I go to a place much written off, but never seen before.

If you can’t see me for the last time now, -don’t fret-I’ll understand somehow

If you never told me you loved me then,

Tell me, I’m still listening now.

The music here is endless, so poignant it leaves me breathless

Iridescence I always loved surrounds me everywhere,

Joyous laughter, happy tears here and there.

I need not wear my slippers anymore

Lilies-of-the valley carpet all the fields I explore.

Fireflies I used to look for when darkness would fall

Now come dancing all around me at my every beck and call.

And with each early evening’s shade of blue that I always loved so

I’ll be kissing all of you,

So you need not miss me so.

If this might be heaven, don’t hinder me anymore

Willingly, I go towards HIS dome

Because it looks like a place I can happily call Home. 

                                CAB Chapel Tanjay City Photographer Kenzo G. Laxina 

Jovenal Villanueva Somoza Hero and Martyr 1906-1944

Jovenal is the son of Don Alejandro Somoza and Doña Narcisa Visitacion- Villanueva from Bais and La-Liberated landed clan. Educated in Dumaguete and Manila's prestigious institution and finished his degree in Engineering, he joined the City Engineering Dept. under Mayor Jose Teves-Pastor, his first project is to put up Health Centre in Piapi,Daro and Taclobo. He later worked with the Provincial Engineering Dept.one of the biggest projects was schools in Siaton,Bais,Dumaguete,la liberated and Amlan. He made many proposals to the Bureau of Public Works and Highways of the United States of America for road construction.

 

     Before and during the Outbreak of World War II he became an assistant district engineer. Among his projects was to build a road from Bais to Kabankalan, bridges connecting Sta.Catalina to Bayawan. During the War he was dubbed as " Pied Piefer" He went to places and countryside to deliver the messages to the guerrilla about the different plan of the Resistance Group of Dumaguete. He became a volunteer for Civilian Clubs and Red Cross to distributing rice, can goods and other supplies. Eduardo J. Blanco and Jovenal made a detailed ground plan of the Dumaguete Sibulan Airfield and installations, together with other Dumaguetiños organized the Underground Movement. September 11,1944 in the afternoon.

 He was captured by the Japanese Imperial forces imprisoned in the Silliman University " Davao Cottage".One week later, the four were loaded in a banca and thrown to the sea near Piapi Beach.Gervacia Lezana Somoza the wife of Jovenal narrated this incident in1969. She describes it as the most tragic incident that would ever happen to any family especially upon her husband's dead body floating in Piapi beach and bathing with his blood. 

After the War Gov. Lorenzo G.Teves has given the family a posthumous award for Jovenal's for his heroism and the National Veteran's Federation Bayani ng Bayan Awardee. A street in Dumaguete somewhere in Piapi & Bantayan area is named after him the former Mango Ave now J.V.Somoza Ave

Dr. Vicente G. Sinco

On February 18, 1958, the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines elected Dean Vicente G. Sinco of the College of Law, to the Presidency of the University.

Sinco received 6 of the 12 votes, Acting President Enrique Virata and Dean of the Graduate School Juan Salcedo, Jr. received 2 votes each and Ambassador Salvador T. Lopez 1 vote. Taking part in the election were the two ex-officio members of the Board, Senator Decoroso Rosales and Representative Manuel S. Enverga, chairmen of the senate and house committees on education.

The position of University President became vacant for nearly two years with the resignation of Dr. Vidal A. Tan.Enrique Virata returned to his position as Executive Vice President.

Sinco was born in Bais, Negros Oriental, April 5, 1894, obtained a bachelor of arts degree at Silliman University, a bachelor of law degree and later a master's degree at the University of the Philippines.

References

1. American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Volume 36, Number 3, March 1958.

1. Vicente G. Sinco was the tenth president of the University of the Philippines. His term lasted from 1958 to 1962.
2. He established Foundation University in Dumaguete City on July 4, 1949.
3. He was a Philippine Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, and on behalf of the Philippine government, he signed the United Nations Charter.
4. Civic Leader of Dumaguete City 
5. Stamp Collector of Dumaguete City and Bais City

Established on the eve of the country's independence, it was then known as the Foundation College. The college was founded by Dr. Vicente Guzman Sinco, a known educator and legal luminary during his time. Sinco envisioned the college to contribute to the overall national program of development. During the time of the college's founding, Filipinos were still in the process of building the nation 

Who is Dr. Vicente G. Sinco?

A resident of Negros Oriental by birth, Dr. Vicente G. Sinco humbly moved up the social ladder becoming a prominent figure. Some of his contributions to the country include the writing of the Philippine constitution, Initiating the Philippines' participation in world affairs. In 1945 he was the Philippines' UN representative and signed the United Nations Charter. He has also acted as a faithful consultant of some of the presidents in the Philippines. He headed the College of Law, as the Dean, at the University of the Philippines and also steered the university as the president between 1958-1962. He is also honored as the founder of Foundation university.

Foundation University

Founded on July 4, 1949 by Dr. Vicente G. Sinco, Foundation University is a private non-profit as well as a non-sectarian institution. The university was born at the dawn of Philippine independence. Asian's first democracy after World War II.

SUN UP

but no radiance

a mourning dove peeks through the window

that memory has labored to bury

the view of skyscrapers

underneath Brooklyn bridge

outside the taxi streets

I’m already tired of waiting

Tehran is far from Jerusalem

so please come and visit

but don’t take the goblet away from me

get the altar instead

or just paint the sun

and write

something useless

for the great César Vallejo has long been dead

while the breathing mannequins stay in their cubicles

yearning for the rain

I will never leave the door open

I need to carry these ruins

beyond the confines of this room

down into that empty toilet 

Simon Anton Nino Diego Baena 

Baisanon International Poet