Poetry readings are venues where writers can share their works in front of a friendly audience. Unlike other venues like in the classroom or writing workshops where listeners are expected to voice out their criticisms of the poems being read or discussed, in poetry readings, criticism is not encouraged. Poetry reading is a far more relaxed way to share poems than in a structured classroom discussion or workshop setting (where criticism can stifle openness and self-expression).
Mads Bajarias, the author of the poetry book entitled Pepsi Tastes Funny When It's Christmas Eve & You're Alone Eating Canned Tuna, shares that poetry, like other forms of art, is not something you can force on anyone. He also says that he is drawn to poetry but it's something he can't explain. "If young ones aren't interested in traditional forms of poetry, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. People are no less special just because Shakespeare bores them. Maybe kids today find their poetry in 'Halo,' 'Naruto,' 'Twilight' or 'Call of Duty.'"
Here is the first poem in his book, bearing the same title:
Pepsi tastes funny when it's Christmas Eve & you're alone eating canned tuna.
And you don't even own a phone so you reach for yesterday's paper to look at your horoscope. "Expect heavy psychic traffic," it says.
A line of black ants ends in a pair of shorts lying on the floor. The landlady raps on the door "Are you okay in there?" Her voice turns you on.
Mads is one of the country's famous poetry readers being featured in a bi-weekly event called "Happy Mondays Poetry Nights" at Mag: Net Cafe in Quezon City, Philippines. Other Filipino poets who are also sharing the same ardor in the event are Lourd de Veyra, Angelo Suarez and Voltaire Veneracion. During Mads' book launch of Pepsi Tastes Funny When It's Christmas Eve & You're Alone Eating Canned Tuna during the 38th installment of "Happy Mondays Poetry Nights" last October 20, I was able to witness the gathering of these poets in an unusual, yet artistic setting at the said cafe.
The lights were flickering high above the ceiling, microphones echoing, as poet Voltaire Veneracion reads Mads' next poem:
Watching you fast asleep
This is how happiness happens: next to your sleeping form I am a crumpled stone while crisscrossing light found your face and wove tight squares on a cheek
Minute wimpling suns fused with the stars that people your skin, your cells, every fragment of dream, and fired the lungs in a clamor beyond sound.
I place my hand between you and the light and feel your blood splinter, the stars in your skin blink, flicker, recover their lost rhythm, and start again.
Your brow is after a wordless question lost in flight. I let my hand land on your neck light picking out details of vein and hollow.
My hand slides down and feel the light pushing down the stars on my hand to caress your breathing.
beneath skin, amid bone, over ramparts of muscle and blood the heat collapsing the cores of our combined suns.
After having a collection of poetry and publishing a book with all of them in it, Mads says, "Writing is a lonely art, but readings are ways to get out of your shell and to interact with like-minded artists."
In a hidden place on Lacson Street here in Bacolod City, Philippines, I discovered that there are also souls that share the passion for poetry reading. They call themselves "Voices of the Underground," whose objectives are to bring back people's love in poetry and to revive its art. Created in late July of this year, the "Voices of the Underground" continues to have reading sessions every week in different venues of the city.
Individuals of different ages gather around as one, expressing themselves freely and sharing what they have written according to the theme of the week. According to USLS sophomore student and core group member Patz Ombion, she wanted to institutionalize the local poetry group so that when people go to Bacolod, it will not be just about Piaya and MassKara, but also about how Bacoleños revived the art and continually supported the group's poetry-related endeavors.
Readings are a good thing on so many levels: You get to share your work, gauge the level of audience appreciation for your work, get ideas from other writers, and get to meet other writers in a setting where criticism isn't a top priority. Sometimes, criticism inside classrooms and writing workshops can stifle creativity. In poetry readings, you can be relaxed and just enjoy yourself.
Poems from Mads Bajarias' poetry book entitled "Pepsi Tastes Funny When It's Christmas Eve & You're Alone Eating Canned Tuna" were printed with permission.
RANDELL T. ARANZA
Bacolod City, Philippines
randell_aranza@rock.com
+639162276787
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