Invocations to the Poets

What if there somewhere you could just break all the rules and let your imagination fly freely, like dust in the wind? What if there is a way to break free from the chains that pin you to the ground, to escape into a world where you could vent out your feelings without worrying about anyone stopping you?

Creative writing can transport one to such a world, as expressed by five talented individuals whose passion, talent, and journey in creative writing will be seen and shared in this story. Invocations to the Muse

Just three days after Valentine’s Day of 2023, Miss Angella Gabrielle Fabunan, a faculty at the English and Literature Department, along with BA Creative Writing students Jireh Catacutan, Reya Grace Hinaut, Yudi Santillan III, and Sigrid Gayangos, shared and personally delivered a collection of original poems and prose that they wrote.

Love was the central theme of the pieces shared in front of a crowd in an event named “Invocations to the Muse” at Libraria, located at 58 E.J. Blanco Street, Piapi, Dumaguete City. Additionally, there was an open mic section in the event where anyone from the crowd was given the chance to share their pieces on the spot.

The Poets and their Experiences

Each performer had a unique approach in the way they wrote and delivered their pieces, and in the way they view and apply creative writing in their lives. Yudi Santillan II, the first performer, shared that his way of writing and delivering poems has a lot to do with his bilingual style and voice expressions.

When it comes to poetry, what he really loves about it is that through words, one is able to paint a story that expresses one’s emotions and thoughts. “We use words every day, but for poetry, it takes something that is mundane and turns it into something that is more,” Yudi Santillan III shared.

Some poets like to write their poems based on experiences, while other poets write while following a specific format or outline. For Reya Grace Hinaut, the second performer, her thought process behind coming up with her poems is unique. She shared that when it comes to her poetry, she usually starts with a line that she really wants to include in her poem and from there, she just lets the words flow.

For the third performer, Jireh Catacutan, the event had a very huge impact on him since it was his first time having his works actually be heard. “To make it special, I dedicated each of my poems to the people that I love,” he expressed. Additionally, he also shared that it is different when you perform and deliver your pieces in front of a crowd compared to when writing alone and only thinking of one person or specific view because anyone can hear it and interpret it differently.

Unlike the rest of the group, Sigrid Gayangos, the fourth performer, writes [primarily] prose, and just like the other poets, she chose the ones that are kind of wholesome and for general audiences. Sigrid believes that based on her experiences, writing one’s craft is a site of tension where one can find so much joy and happiness, but also so much pain and anguish―it is a mixture of those two. “In the end, it is always a sense of accomplishment and relief that follows,” she added.

Finally, Miss Angella Gabrielle Fabunan, the fifth performer, shared that the kinds of forms and poems she writes would showcase the changes in the city that she has gone through in the past six months and her growth and journey into becoming a more mature adult. She also aspires to use and build her words to inspire people and make a contribution― for the benefit of the human race.

Audience Impact and Event Plans for the Future

Miss Angella shared that the event has exceeded her expectations and that she was grateful that a lot of people went to witness the event. Among the people who witnessed the event was Daniel Rina M. Corpora, an AB English irregular student, who shared that seeing the poets altogether and seeing them naturally be so raw and full of emotion upstage inspired her to share her piece during the open mic section of the event.

“Actually, this is my first time doing something like this, so I’m very glad I took the chance and hopefully if this ever becomes a monthly thing, I will regularly attend,” she expressed. Another person from the crowd, Zarelle Villanzana, a grade 12 HUMSS student, shared that this event has changed her view regards to creative writing in a way that she realized that in poetry or any piece of writing, it does not need to be perfect and that you can express yourself however you want to and through whatever you want to, and that the ‘right’ people would not judge you for it.

“They will be like people that will be accepting, and it’ll encourage you to share more of your works and writing. Furthermore, it will improve your capabilities and skills,” she added.

Miss Angella hopes that this event will become a monthly thing where different themes and different performances will be done and featured every month. She also hopes that this event will promote Libraria, a collective space where all forms of art from reading, writing, painting, pottery, to textile art and the like are celebrated.

Key Takeaways

Writing takes a lot of skill. It is a talent that takes a lifelong process to master and perfect one’s craft. For Yudi one value that a writer must have is ambition, because without ambition―without this drive beneath to be better―one will never be better unless they have that kind of hunger to push their craft.

For Sigrid, it is conscientiousness because you need to always be aware. You need to read a lot and be informed to improve your craft.

For Jireh it is hard work, because each writer has their own stories to write―and hard work beats talent. Through hard work, people can build assurance within themselves.

Finally, for Miss Angella, it is humility, because someone who does not have humility or believes too much in fame ruins the craft and the practice.

Miss Angela also shared that if writing is not for you, do not do it. If it is for you and you think you have an inkling of what you want to do and how you want to put words on paper, go for it. “My advice for people is just to read the kind of stuff that they want to write,” she expressed. tWS

frompage3| Why Not...

2. Get away from temptations.

Figure out what actually makes you distracted and get away from them. Mute notifications, shut down unnecessary gadgets, say no to Netflix, or stop yourself from kissing your pet every second. Additionally, if you find it difficult to sit down and study when you are aware that household tasks must be completed, take your study material to the local library or an area where you can focus well.

3. Allow yourself to produce a draft.

No one can make something perfect on the first try. Allow yourself to make drafts and acknowledge that you need more effort to make better. Focus on getting started rather than aiming for perfection or feeling overwhelmed. Start jotting down notes for your essay or simply read the first page of your textbook. Procrastination may sound okay, but it actually could do more harm to yourself than good. Overwhelming yourself with things that could weigh less if you just started sooner will not help you in the long run. Instead, these will deprive you from sleep and could cause anxiety. Making better decisions and forming more sustainable habits would be a great place to start. tWS

All-University Love Letter Writing Contest

FirstPlaceWinner by the Department of English and Literature and the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center togetherwith the English Society

Dear Dante,

June 2, almost six years ago, was when I first met you. Your hair was long and you dressed in my lucky color. I asked to take a picture of you, scared I’d never see you again. We met again the next day. Red really is my favorite, lucky color.

July 31 of 2021 was when I wanted to make you pasta. You came over, still dressed in red but your hair much shorter. I lied about cooking too much food. You joked about how I made you feel loved. For half a second, the kitchen table had become an altar and there I was— offering in hand, heart on my sleeve, feet planted on a church floor— ready to love you. But only for half a second; I’m not ready, not yet.

August 1, 2021, you were able to stay the night. I told my mom you were my best friend. We stole liquor from my stepdad’s shelf, some espresso cognac that tasted more coffee than cognac. We tiptoed so quietly I was afraid you’d hear my heartbeat. We got so drunk that I grew terrified of how loud it had become. Only when I pressed my ear against your chest did I realize I was hearing the noisy hearts of two. You lied about the caffeine getting to you; I pretended to fall asleep.

August 2, 2021, I wake up to the glint in your eyes. When you told me the power went out, I couldn’t understand—the sun had never left. Later that day we traveled to the sea and laid next to each other like Annabel Lee. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Even by dusk it was so beautifully bright.

August 3, 2021, my mom figured you weren’t my best friend. I had to see you in secret playgrounds and parking lots. We played house, a family of two and a makeshift, teenage vow. It was on that playground swing I had decided that in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, you are a wanted man—I’ll love you dead or alive.

February 22, 2023, this morning you made us coffee. Not a trace of liquor, but my head still spins when I drink it with you. I love our little routine in our little apartment, your hair cut short and dyed red. Our lucky color. Your name we chose together, our kitchen table an altar forever. I was afraid to tell you before, so I’ll tell you now. I do, I do, I do. I love you so much, Dante. I do.

Since2012,theDepartmentofEnglishandLiteraturehasorganized thecontestinFebruary,celebratingwinningworksofstudents.