Sometimes the sheer genuis of other artists just hits us square in the face. This was what I experienced recently after listening to Filipina poet Rebecca T. Anonuevo (poet, Don Carlos Palanca Award for Literature winner ang Head of the
English Department of Miriam College) read her poem "Bago ang Babae" in
"USTinig," a CD recording of the spoken poems of a handful of UST writers like the great Michael Coroza, sublime Nerisa Guevara, musical Lourd De Veyra (of local alternative band Radioactive Sago Project), et. al.
The CD is probably being sold at the UST
Publishing House (the UST Creative Writing Center and Studies may also know where you can get your copy of the CD if you're interested, so please just inquire at the Center.) I encourage you to also pass on this poem to friends whom you think will get goosebumps and say, "O my God!" over and over again upon reading it. So, are you ready now? If you are, let's both sink our teeth into Rebecca Anonuevo's "Bago ang Babae":
"Bago ang Babae"
Mabuti na lang at sa panahong ito ako
Ipinanganak na babae.
Hindi ko kailangang manahimik
Kung kailangang magsalita.
Hindi ko kailangang magsalita
Kung nais kong manahimik.
Hindi ko kailangang ipaliwanag
O hindi ipaliwanag ang bawat pagpapasiya.
Hindi ko kailangang sumunod sa inaasahan
Ng lahat, tulad ng pag-aasawa.
Kung mag-asawa man ako'y
Hindi ko kailangang magpalukob,
Hindi ko kailangang matakot,
Kung dumating ang araw ng pagkabalo,
O kailangang makipaghiwalay.
Hindi ko kailangang magkaanak nang labis
Kahit kaya kong panagutan.
Hindi ko kailangang malugmok sa lungkot
Sakali't hindi ako magkaanak.
Kung kailangan ko mang gampanan
Ang pagiging ina at asawa,
Hindi ko kailangang humingi ng paumanhin,
Hindi ko kailangang panawan ng talino at
lakas,
Hindi ko kailangang kalimutan ang lahat,
Hindi ko kailangang itakwil ang sarili,
Hindi ko kailangang burahin
Na isa akong tao
Bago isang babae.
[Photograph] "Collateral #2" by visual artist Eric Guazon 122 x 91.5 cm, mixed media, 2006.
well written. 