An excerpt from Mal
Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles
At noong tanghali biglang dumagundong
Sumambulat
ang ganap sagrado
hanggang wasakin
at sunugin
Kailangang muling-buuin ang damuhang
namumulaklak ngayon
Mapupulang-mapupula
Walang marka
sa bawat dapat burahin
Lumalabas
mistulang humihingal
mula sa naghihintay
sa harap
kailangang paslangin ang
alam
sabihin
ang naglalahong alam
huklubang mabagal
danasin, lasapin
Baka wala
ngunit may wala
maliban sa hindi daratnan
kahit maghintay
Nililikha
upang maging nilikha
Pinagtagni-tagni
Humahaba
parang prusisyon
ng mga kabayo
An excerpt from Mal
Translated by Kristine Ong Muslim
And that noon, there was a sudden blast
The truly sacrosanct
exploded
until razed
and burned
It is imperative that it is once again made whole — the grassland
that now flowers
reddening red
There is no mark
on everything that should be erased
Emerging
as if gasping for breath
from the one who waits
at the frontline
there is a need to eradicate
knowledge
declare
the knowledge that is waning
senility that’s slowly
endured, savored
There may be none
but there’s none
except for what cannot be found upon arrival
even after waiting
Created
to come into being
Stitched together
Become longer
like a procession
of horses
about the author