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Cringe

A post From the Boondocks about child abuse has prompted me to share this striking poem on a difficult subject, by Chinee Palatino of Ubbog:

TAGU-TAGUAN

tagu-taguan
wala pa man
ang buwan

Pumanik kami sa hagdanan
Dahan-dahan. Lumalangitngit
Baitang na dinaraanan.

pagsapit ng tatlo
nakatago
na kayo

Doon. Doon kami nagtungo
Sa may banig at kulambo
‘Di pa naliligpit ng lola ko

Isa…
dalawa…
tatlo!

Apat. Apat na taong gulang na’ko
Si tito, dise-otso
Siya ang kalaro ko.

Mata niya’y nakaluwa
Payat. Humpak ang mukha
Nangingitim ang labi,Nanggigitata

Nganga.
Subo.

Kasama po ba ‘to sa laro?

Parang malabnaw na sipon
Sa bibig ko naiiipon
Nakakaduwal. Nakakasuka.

Buka.
Buka pa.

Kumikirot na po.

Pilit na isinusuksok
‘Di naman kasya.
Namamaga na.

Papanaog na sa hagdanan
Tapos na tagu-taguan
Sa araw na kainitan
Bakit ‘di ako natagpuan?


CHINEE PALATINO, along with fellow Ubbog members Junley Lazaga, Rachel Pitlongay, Rommel de Guzman, and Clifford Chan will be reading in "Ribbed, Dotted, or Strawberry" in Rumours, Session Road, December 1 at 9:30 pm.

My apologies to Chinee for messing up the form of her poem! I can't seem to make blogger arrange the words as they should be arranged! GRRRR! (Or, I just don't know how to get it done!)
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