Monday, March 26, 2012

Hypocritical Bias

I am just laughing at this mockery as these bran muffins, whoever they were who posted that idiocy, ridicule other people.  Shame on you!

Excited to finally have my two days off, I was completely taken over by a jubilant spirit. It was supposedly an easy breezy ride. It should have been had not the jeepney pulled off at that junction.  I was whiling my time, enjoying the puff of air while the vehicle traversed its way through Quiapo, when a sudden flash of the most appalling poster/ad crossed my peripheral vision. The word “warning,” deliberately set in bold face, caught my attention first and the rest had me taken aback. The entire wording went somewhat like this:

WARNING:
Ayon sa salita ng Diyos, ang mga nakikisama sa
hindi talaga nila asawa o sa kapwa
lalaki/babae ay masusunog sa impiyerno.


In a reflex of denial, my brain seemed to purposely delay the processing of the context that was contained in the sentence and the very moment the idea unfurled, information went haywire. I had an impulse, something inside me was persuading me to get off the jeep and tear the damn thing apart. I awoke from my mental arguments when the jeep buzzed away.

The rest of my way home was spent pondering on thoughts. I am no atheist and I believe in my God. However, I couldn’t let this pass. I have spent my life witnessing members of the gay society being cursed, condemned, abused and pierced with belittling eyes.

I know that my puny existence does not command anything. On the one hand, I was given free will that I can use to stand up for what I believe in. This problem with double standard societies builds a wall among individuals, though human alike. It discriminates something that it finds  odd. It purely trashes humanity as it scorns its own kind.

On a heightened perspective, having to convict people to burn in hell is somewhat disturbing. Would we then denounce a gay man, who has worked hard all his life to provide for his family and lift them up from poverty, of his place in His Kingdom or would it be a straight man, who sleeps with his wife and three more women in the shadow of deceit? Is a macho propagating drugs in our country worthier than an effeminate who teaches values to his sisters? It’s up for you to decide.

I so believe, as my Pareng BO puts it, that every individual born of flesh is equally good and evil. It is a matter of how you use what you have that clearly defines who you are.

I want to leave this scene from the gay series, Queer as Folk, for you to think of.

Queer: This book (referring to the Bible), do you have to believe all of it. Not just some of it??
Pastor: That’s right!
Queer: So, do you like shrimp?
Pastor: As a matter of fact, I do.
Queer: Because in Leviticus, few scriptures before that man lying with man is abomination one, it also says it’s  an abomination to eat shellfish and shrimp are shellfish, right?
Pastor: What’s the point young man?
Queer: I believe the point is, if you can eat shrimp we can eat c*ck!
Pastor: Son, you need the Lord. You need to accept Jesus.
Queer: Oh, I accept Jesus. It’s assholes like you I have a problem with.

 ***This was based on an account last March 24, 2012.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Putrified

Let fallen soldiers from hell
cross the bridge and help desiccate
the remaining flesh we hold on to.
Dawn, for unnumbered ages
would deprive us the will to heal
and these rotten bones of the living
continues to bear this curse.
For tenfold decades our souls will irk
as it exponentially grows, never ending...
until all we have is nothing
and the memento of the past
commits suicide!

March 21, 2012 (training Rm 10)

Monday, March 12, 2012

Pallet Town

Life is a concoction of ever growing networks. We live in a very connected world where complication is a force impossible to resist. It is, to be put, that life's bell tolls for you the way it toll for others.

No man is an island - just another cliche!

Acquaintance is inevitable. From the unfathomable enigmas of this world, there would be a time when two persons would meet but this would only be a mere event compared to the complexity of a larger picture. Every meeting is a puny addition to the lattice of links comparable to that of the neural fibers intertwined to create a functional unit - the society.

Society is a macroscopic yet metaphoric representation. It evolves to meet man's goal of happiness and satisfaction. The  moment a baby draws in his first breath is the very instant that logically satisfies its hunger of life. Having been pushed to co-exist with every living soul, without the ample strength and tricks up your sleeves, could be compared to a suicide. Competition is at large.

Self-preservation is number one in everyone's priority list. This would mean sustaining life (biologically) and eventually live (finding the meaning of existence).

Keeping a sane mind is the best challenge. Every day one would be exposed to inner demons and even demolition teams from the external environment. It would, apparently, busy every individual to process things. To emerge as a sound human being would require skill and luck.

It is incomprehensible that we exhaust ourselves in our daily errands and relationships with the world and yet barely sleep peacefully at night. We get what we want and eventually want more. It is as if satisfaction is always an inch away but we never get to it.

I used to see the world as a rainbow. One would smile after reading that line. In a different perspective, a rainbow is a war of colors. They fight where one is compared to another. One boasts of standing out while the other claims the same.


Colors in the world were created in a way that each fall in a certain wavelength and serve different purposes. Primary art classes would prove that when all colors are mixed together we could create a hue of darkness resembling chaos.

Society works just the same. Every one of us has his own niche. We all have a purpose to serve. It is but up to us to unravel this role and find ways to be the best at it.

Siete Espada

Pouring heavily upon my skin
Photo from America's Next Top Model
on Seven Deadly Sins
(credits for ANTM)
Thistles sprout in vain
The crimson blood bloom like vines
Fill this can salvation,
As gluttony casts a bloated shadow,
feed me more my seething greed,
My pride is dared beheaded...
seething wrath is hiding
inside this nook untold 
where vows are soaked in water.
Should I need to bathe in light
sloth becomes a worthy servant,
Drown! Laugh! Intoxicate!
This envy becomes my terror
I lust for dawn to clothe
and bring my warrior back.
Kill these demons and sheath
the swords to each  his own.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Pinoy Humdrum

Nayayamot. Nababagot. Suyang-suya na si Juan.


Hindi lumalagpas ang isang araw na hindi ako nagbababd sa harapan ng telebisyon. Hindi ko lubos maisip na pagtitiyagaan kong panoorin ang mga grupo ng indibidwal na kumakain, nangungulangot, umiihi at tumatae, madalas sa harapan ng camera, na kung tutuusin ay ginagawa ko rin naman araw-araw. Ano  ba ang pinagkaiba ng mga ganitong palabas sa pag-video ng sarili ko? Siyempre ang drama.


Kung ganito ang laman ng telebisyon,
bakit di mo na lang panooring natutulog
ang nanay mo?
Mahilig tayong mga Pilipino sa drama. Ito marahil ang dahilan kung bakit maya’t mayang nagsusluputan ang mga palabas tulad ng Big Brother na karaniwang ipina-pattern mula sa mga kanluraning bansa.  Luwa ang mga matang masugid nating binabantayan ang mga ito umaga man o gabi. Ngunit bakit nga ba patuloy ang pagtangkilik ng karamihan sa ganitong pattern ng mga palabas?


Karaniwan na sa ulo ng mga balita ang mga pagpaslang, digmaan, nakawan at aksidente na pinalalala pa ng kabuktutan ng sistema sa bansa na dahilan kung bakit ang mga unang nabangit ay naisasantabi na lamang. Sana’y na tayo ng inaalmusal hanggang sa ating hapunan ang mga problemang kinahahrap ng ating bansa.


Nayayamot, nababagot at suyang-suya na nga  si Juan sa hindi niya pag-asenso sa sarili niyang bansa. Nakakasawa nga naman na panoorin ang ating mga mambabatas sa kanilang pagtatalo upang paalisin ang isang opisyal, na sumasalamin din naman sa karamihan sa kanila, sa kanyang puwesto. Kaya naman karamihan sa ating mga kababayan, matapos ang kunsumisyon na dulot ng mga masasamang balita, ay naghahanap na lamang ng pagbabalingan ng atensiyon.


Ang panonood ng mga palabas tulad ng PBB at Survivor ang ilan sa mga naiisip na paraan upang maibsan ang stress ng ilan sa atin. Maliban kasi sa nalilibang tayo sa mga drama na nangyayari sa mga ito ay nagkakaroon din ito ng sikolohikal na epekto. Nakakahanap kasi ang ilan ng isang mundo kung saan sa halip na intindihin ng kanilang mga problema sa buhay ay isyu ng ibang artipisyal na tao ang sentro.


Nakatutuwang isipin na reality show ang tawag sa mga ito.  Sa akin ay di angkop ang tawag na yun dahil pinipilit lamang palabasin ng mga ito ang pagpapakatotoo ng mga tao subalit ano’t ano pa man artipisyal pa rin ang nagiging resulta. Sa PBB kunwari, sabihin mang nagpapakatotoo ang isang tao dahil nasasabi at naipapakita niya ang nararamdaman magiging peke pa rin ang lahat ng ito dahil nasa harap siya ng camera at nasa isang artipisyal na kapaligiran. Hindi mo naman masasabing nagpapakatotoo ang isang tao sa ganoong paraan  lamang. Maaring magawa ng isang tao ang mga bagay-bagay depende sa sitwasyon at kapaligiran. At dahil nga isang controlled environment ang Big Brother house, maaring naiimpluwensyahan lamang ang mga nakatira rito ng ilang mga bagay. Pero ano pa man, natutuwa pa rin si Juan.


Sa dulo kasi ng araw-araw na pagbabantay sa mga taong ito ay ang naghihintay na tagumpay. Ang pag-asang yun din marahil ang tila bato-balaning humihila sa mga manonood ng programa.


Natutuwa si Juan dahil umaasa pa rin ito. Dahil ano mang bangungot nasasadlak ang bansa, naglipana man ang mga hayok sa kapangyarihan, naghihintay lang si Juan sa muling paggising ng bansa - ng bansang nagsisiesta sa gitna ng kaguluhan.