And now we have pink poetry!

The support-duvet blurb for 100 Red Poems para kay Leni, revealed by San Anselmo Press, states:

“Sixty-seven poets contributed to this anthology, whose theme and cause had been introduced only in mid-December. Remarkably, the technique of dissemination, submission, collation and bettering took only four weeks — in time to possess this sequence of multi-lingual poetry printed and presented as a Valentine’s Day reward to Vice President Leni Robredo. Indeed, she symbolizes and champions the hopes of most of our country’s creatives for a rosy future. The poetry could maybe peaceable support as a consort in her advertising campaign, our red revolution.”

The brainchild of govt publisher Marvin B. Aceron, the ordinary anthology drew in Noel Romero del Prado, Emmanuel Quintos Velasco, and yours with out a doubt to procure the editorial board. The duvet art is by illustrious painter Celeste Lecaroz, with structure by MK Segundo.

Our oldest contributor is oragon Luis Cabalquinto of Magarao, Camarines Sur, who lawful grew to change into 87 in Smooth York Metropolis the put he has resided for over half a century. The youngest is Yñigo Miguel Almeda, at 17 a BS Biology freshman in Ateneo.

We could maybe remark the seven a few years which will be bookended by their ages as a continuum of ardour for patriotism, that privilege to be counted when it’s wanted most. And when our country points the call at a a very great crossroads of historical previous, one will be sure that it’s straight away heeded globally.

What we’ve grown to call Fil-Am poets embody Ninotchka Rosca and Luis H. Francia (love Cabalquinto, every of Smooth York and in addition wielding familiar bylines for assorted genres of literature), Fidelito C. Cortes who teaches Filipino American and Philippine literature at Hunter Faculty-Metropolis University of Smooth York, and Joi Barrios, Eileen R. Tabios and Aileen Cassinetto in California. All possess authored poetry collections, with Tabios having launched over 60 collections of poetry, fiction, essays and experimental biographies from publishers in 10 countries and cyberspace, whereas Cassinetto is an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and the Poet Laureate of San Mateo County, California. Los Angeles-based entirely mostly Zosimo Quibilan, Jr. every so assuredly offers talks on Filipino fiction at UCLA. Records analyst Tala Tanigue is also within the US.

One other ambitious multi-genre creator, Dr. Merlinda Bobis, sent in her contribution from Canberra, the put she teaches on the Australian Nationwide University. Gene Alcantara pitched in from London, Joel Vega from Arnhem, The Netherlands, Jim Pascual Agustin from Cape Town, South Africa, and Eric Tinsay Valles from Singapore, the put he has been a director of the metropolis-narrate’s Poetry Pageant.

The heavy-hitters amongst homegrown poetic voices are led by Rio Alma, a.k.a. Nationwide Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, Gémino H. Abad, Jose Dalisay, and fellow UP alumnae Mila Aguilar, Marra PL. Lanot, and Bibeth Orteza, who served as a University Regent and currently chairs the Enthusiastic Artists of the Philippines (CAP). Furthermore from UP Diliman are Romulo P. Baquiran, Jr. and Cesar G. Aljama, an architect and heritage conservationist.

Among the Ateneo teachers, professors and alumnae are Cyan Abad-Jugo, Rofel G. Brion, Michael M. Coroza, Jun Dela Rosa, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, Louie Melosantos, Allan Popa, and Edgar Calabia Samar.

Joti Tabula of San Antonio, Zambales heads Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), of which Manuel Ortega Abis and Lee Sepe are contributors.

Bikolanos embody Abdon M. Balde, Jr., Kristian Sendon Cordero, Marne Kilates, Victor Dennis T. Nierva, and creator-impresario Pablo Tariman.

From the South come Merlie M. Alunan of Tacloban, whose extended poem is written in Cebuano and translated into English, Cesar Ruiz Aquino of Dumaguete, F. Jordan Carnice and Simeon Dumdum, Jr. of Cebu Metropolis, and R. Torres Pandan of Bacolod Metropolis.

Varied familiar bylines are those of Juaniyo Arcellana, Justine Camacho-Tajonera, Gang Badoy-Capati (founder of Rock Ed Philippines), Alma Anonas-Carpio, Frank Cimatu of Baguio Vity, “Balagtasero” Dakila Cutab, Celina S. Cristobal, Gerome Nicolas Dela Peña, Richard R. Gappi, Anna Liza Gaspar, Angelo R. Lacuesta, Christine V. Lao, Grace R. Monte de Ramos, Aloy Polintan, Floy Quintos, Frank G. Rivera, Beverly W. Siy, and Hugo D. Yonzon III.

The count of “100 Poems” would be an approximation, reckoning on whether or not a space of three sonnets or a subset of 4 thematic poems under an over-all title is counted as one. Because the earlier three hundred and sixty five days drew to a close and our closing date neared, we didn’t judge we’d hit the desired quantity. But every week’s extension introduced in appropriate ample, till we needed to shut the submission call with the 67th poet.

Poet Laureate of Albay and former UMPIL Chairman Jun Balde hurt up with the most, eight poems, which will be only phase of his day-to-day regimen of tributes on Facebook to our Vice President. Her slack husband, Hon. Jesse Robredo, had conferred the Bikol Regional Artist Award for Literary Arts on Balde in 2009.

The briefest poem, a haiku by Cesar Ruiz Aquino, is titled “Cosmicolor”: “The respond to all/ the complications that beset our/ universe: red ink.”

Furthermore pithy if poignantly inner most is Gang Badoy Capati’s “Pasuyong Pagsuyo”: “Alam kong madalas could maybe ulap/ sa silid kung saan ka/ natutulog./ Kapos sa sinag ng araw,/ mahamog.// Alam ko ring naiisip mo pa siya, nangungulila sa yapos./ Kanya nga’t/ uulit-ulitin ko na lang/ na lahat ng naka-kulay rosas/ sa kalye man/ o sa net,/ ay bulaklak niyang alay/ sa iyo.// Overjoyed Valentine’s daw, Leni./ Crush na crush ka pa rin/ ni Pogi.”

In her bionote, Capati recalls that she used to be “signatory #22 sa isang ‘Jesse Robredo Please hotfoot for President’ petition na pinaikot ng Ateneo noong 2009.”

Jun Dumdum’s shorter of two poems also bears quoting right here: “The Red Rose within the Season of Winds”: “That peaceable red rose, than which I’ve found/ Nothing extra valiant, for when the gusts will strike/ And crawl its petals, it will stand its ground — / The extra the petals hover off from the spike/ The extra it bares its stinging thorns, great love/ A lady stripped of her clothes by a lowlife/ Who finds that in her hand there’s a knife.”

The book is to be presented to VP Leni on Valentine’s Day. If issues gallop lawful, the income match will feature a tripartite assembly of creatives as Kakampinks, with visual artists led by BenCab, the poets by Virgilio S. Almario, and musical artists and performers by Ryan Cayabyab and Alice Reyes. Four Nationwide Artists will thus spearhead the daring expression of dedication and inspire for VP Leni’s presidential hotfoot, in what’s tentatively billed as “Leni, Express of the heArt: Pusuan ang Sining.”

Organized by skills supervisor and movie, radio, TV and events producer Noel Ferrer for the advertising campaign motive, it shall be ancient in having this kind of call of poets publicly providing their craft in inspire of a presidential candidate. Upright as ancient could maybe peaceable be the collaboration with visual artists organized by Gigo Alampay to plan their equally thematic artworks on exhibit and sale. The closing phase of this technique shall be feature musical and movie artists, about a of whom shall be half of the poetry finding out.

Facts shall be forthcoming on social media. In the period in-between, pre-orders for the book, modestly priced at P330 a replica, are already pouring in at San Anselmo Publications, Inc. on FB.