WHAT ARE POETS FOR IN A POST PO-MO SOCIETY?
By Danny Castillones Sillada "Lumapos kaw. Ya tapos. Di kaw mauno." (You will succeed. You will finish. Nothing bad will happen to you.) – Mandaya Panawagtawag Ritual Published in Manila Bulletin http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/219360/what-are-poets-a-post-pomo-society In a far-flung village of Davao Oriental in a remote town called Cateel, there used to live a native guardian of “mangmang” (bamboo instrument). He was called the “Bamboo Beater”, whose task, in his entire life, was to wake up the villagers before sunrise by beating the bamboo instrument. At exactly 4 o’clock in the morning, he would thump the “mangmang’ in a harsh manner and then, the sound would slowly ebb away with melodic beats. The rhythmic vanishing sound would serve as a reminder to the villagers that their endeavors should be fruitful and meaningful at the end of the day. POETS AS THINKERS AND GUARDIANS OF TRUTH Poets today are like Bamboo Beaters, they rouse people’s consciousness from indifference and ...