HEIGHTS h
Special Chapbook Issue
HEIGHTS Chapbook Special Issue Copyright Š 2011 Copyright reverts to the respective authors and artists whose works appear in this issue. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced in any means whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder. This publication is not for sale. Correspondence may be addressed to: Heights, Publications Room, MVP 202 Ateneo de Manila University, P.O. Box 154, Manila Tel. No. 426-6001 local 5088 www.heights-ateneo.org Heights is the official literary and artistic publication and organization of the Ateneo de Manila University. Printed in the Philippines by LSA Printing Press Inc. Cover Design and Layout by Sara Erasmo and Alfred Benedict Marasigan
This chapbook is a first. The works celebrate the literary and artistic excellence of each Heights member. Every work stands for what the Heights artist undyingly pursues; it is beauty. This is a collection that appreciates the tradition of Heights, a tradition of beauty.
Table of Contents 2
[The living room is a unity of space.]
3
Murders
4
Paliwanag
5
[Kay raming araw akong humimlay sa lilim]
6
Diona sa Diyos
7 8 9 10 11
James Soriano
Gian Dapul
Nicko Caluya
Monching Damasing
Michael Orlino
Disenchanted Jessica Amanda Bauza
pearl Alfred Benedict Marasigan
Houris Alfred Benedict Marasigan
Me’ AIDS si Kuya Christianna Calma
Chiaroscuro John Alexis Balaguer
12
Solipsists
13
Acknowledgments
JV Calanoc
Works
James Soriano The living room is a unity of space. There are no walls no boundaries separating sofa from workspace from dining table from kitchen. Only the bathroom is enclosed in the corner with two walls and a door. Father watches basketball as brother maps logarithms as sister eats adobo as maid washes dishes, coordinates on a scatter plot with no point of origin no lines no segments no asymptotes. The dog is defecating in the bathroom. How
we manage to keep to ourselves.
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Murders Gian Dapul If brevity was The soul of wit, then pray tell
Where is the body?
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Paliwanag Nicko Caluya Ikaw ang aking talinhaga gabi-gabi Sa halip na maningning na buwan Mga mata sa liwanag na pumapalibot sa malawak na lungsod na sakop ng aking durungawan. Malayo pa ang pagsikat ng araw, matagal pa bago lumubog ang bawat bubog ng liwanag na nakalutang sa ilog. Kagabi, sinara ko ang bintana sa hanging nagbabanta ng ulan. Tumungo ako sa banyo, naghilamos upang mahimasmasan. Binalikan kita kahit natakpan ka na ng ulap. Ikaw pa rin ang dahilan, ikaw ang nananatiling dahilan.
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Monching Damasing Kay raming araw akong humimlay sa lilim ng mga ulap, minasdan ang hubog ang salimbay ng mga lumilisang ibon sa marupok kong mga palad. Kay bilis magbago ng mga anino ng akasya nang biglang umalpas sa kanlungan nito ang sanlaksang ibong wari sa pamumulaklak at ipinapagpag sa mga sanga ang mga taon. Noo’y nagsimula na rin akong umugoy at manlagas ng gunita habang kumikintal ang araw sa mga naglipanang gusali. Kay bagal huminga ng lupa, kay bagal ng mga araw at buwang dumiriin sa palad ng mga puno’t paslit na hinahabol ang anino ng mga ibon sa mga aspaltong daan. At maraming ulit kong inilahad ang aking mga palad sa malawak na bughaw—wala akong natutuhan kundi pumikit at humaraya mula sa sarili kong nakaraan. Kundi pumikit at suklaman ang nakikita. Mabagal ko nang binabalikan ang iniukit ng liwanag sa aking loob habang nagsisimula akong huminga ng maiitim na anino, iyong tinatawag nating usok.
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Diona sa Diyos Michael Orlino Lahat ay nahuhulog bulalakaw o unos, inuulos ang moog ng aking pananalig, iniiwang nakatirik itong posteng naliglig ng aking alinlangan. Di ko maintindihan, parang may kahulugan.
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Art
Disenchanted watercolor
Jessica Amanda Bauza 7
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pearl ink
Alfred Benedict Marasigan Special Chapbook Issue
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Houris pencils
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Me’ AIDS si Kuya
pencils Christianna Calma
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Chiaroscuro photomanipulation
John Alexis Balaguer
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Solipsists mixed media
JV Calanoc
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Acknowledgments Our gratitude to:
Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ and the Office of the President Dr. John Paul Vergara and the Office of the Vice-president for the Loyola Schools Mr. Rene San Andres and the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs Mr. Eduardo Jose E. Calasanz and the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mr. Chris Castillo and Mr. Dino Galvey and the Office of Student Activities Ms. Marie Joy Salita and the Office of Administrative Service Ms. Leonora Wijangco and the Central Accounting Office Ms. Christina Barzabal and the Purchasing Office Ms. Consolacion Concepcion and the Ateneo Placement Office Dr. Ma. Luz Vilches and the Office of the Dean, School of Humanities Dr. Jerry Respeto at ang Kagawaran ng Filipino Dr. Marianne Rachel Perfecto and the English Department Dr. Benilda Santos, Mr. Xander Soriano and the Fine Arts Program Ms. Bea Cupin and the Guidon Ms. Tresa Valenton at ang Matanglawin
Nagpapasalamat kami sa lupon ng Senior Editors sa tiwalang ibinigay nila sa amin. At sa mga kasapi ng Heights, noon at ngayon. Sa kanila ang chapbook na ito.
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