Wednesday, November 7, 2018

MAYON by Kristian S. Cordero (Camarines Sur) 2004


Kristian Sendon Cordero

Described as the enfant terrible of Bikol contemporary writings, Cordero is a widely anthologized writer in the Philippines today. He has five poetry collections in Filipino and Bikol. His most recent collections are Canticos: Apat Na Boses (UST Publishing House, 2013) and Labi (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2013). In 2011, he published his translation of selected poetry of Rainier Maria Rilke, “Minatubod Ako Sa Diklom” ( I Have Faith in the Night) published by Ateneo de Naga University Press. Recently he received a translation grant from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Y Culto of the Republic of Argentina to translate Jorge Luis Borges’ selected poetry in Bikol and Filipino.

He co-edited an anthology of poetry in Bikol, Sagurong (DLSU and Vibal, 2010) and cultural essays, The Naga We Know (Anvil, 2013) with Paz Verdades Santos. For 2014, he is set to release his first anthology of short stories, Kulto ni Santiago (University of the Philippines Press), books of poetry, among which is “Kinalburong Lanob” (Whitewashed Wall) which won the NCCA Writers Prize in 2007. He has also written and directed his first full-length film Angustia, produced by Cinema One Originals for 2013. 

He has received writing fellowships and literary prizes from the Premio Tomas Arejola Literary Prize, Homelife Poetry Contest, the Palanca for poetry, fiction and essay, the 6th Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Award, the NCCA Writers’ Prize for Bikol poetry in 2007 and the Maningning Miclat Poetry Prize in Filipino, in 2009. His third book, “Pusuanon: Mga Bersong Bikol” was a finalist in the 2007 National Book Awards for Best Poetry. 

He is a founding member of the Burikbutikan Artists Collective, a group of local visual artists and writers that spearheads art exhibits and cultural forums particularly in Camarines Sur. He is also a board member of Philippine PEN International. 

He writes a regular column on arts and culture for Bicol Mail and is an assistant professor at the Ateneo de Naga University.

MAYON by Kristian S. Cordero (Camarines Sur) 2004

Ayon sa alamat, lason ng pana ni Pagtuga,
Ang lumikha sa bulkan – libingan ito
Ng dalagang namatay sa isang digmaan.
Ngayon, ano ang tutubo sa paanan ng Mayon
Gayong nagiging malawak na itong sementeryo
Ng abo, ng tao, Manganganak na kaya ito?

Tinitigan ko ang nakangangang bulkan – binalot
Ng ulap at ng sariling usok ang tuktok, gatas sa labi.
Baka sakali, magpakita, nang may silbi ang kamera.
Sa ilang retrato na ibinebenta ng mga bata sa Cagsawa
Lusaw na pupu ang nagliliyab na lava,
dumadaloy pababa.
Matandang nag-nganganga ayon naman sa isang makata.                                                                               

Sa isang lumang postcard na nakita ko sa Antigo merkado –
Kapag sa malayo, isa siyang magandang sikyung nakatanod,

Handa sa pagkapkap, naghihintay sa iyong pagpasok.

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