Sumbat
Mas panatag ako
Sa bubog sa daan
Na malayo pa lang
Ay maaring makita;
Lalo na’t kung maaninagan
Ng sinag ng araw,
Ito ay kikinang,
Siguradong matatanaw,
At ako’y lilihis
Nang di maapakan,
O kaya’y hahakbangan.
Maaaring iwasan,
Maililigtas ang katawan
Sa nagbabadyang sakit,
Sa pagiging duguan.
Samantalang ikaw…
Recrimination
I’m less troubled with
The shard of glass
On the road,
Which I could see
Even from afar,
More so if touched by sunlight;
It glistens and my eyes
Won’t miss it.
Then I’ll swerve
Or step over.
It can be avoided
To spare my flesh
Of portentous pain,
And bleeding.
Whereas you…
Karlo Sevilla writes from Quezon City, Philippines and authored “Metro Manila Mammal” (Soma Publishing, 2018), a full-length poetry collection, and “You” (Origami Poems Project, 2017), a microchap. Also in 2018, his poem won third place in Tanggol Wika's DALITEXT 2018 poetry contest, and his partial translation into Tagalog of Dylan Thomas’ poem, “And Death Shall Have No Dominion,” won a reader's choice award from Human Rights Online Philippines’ 8th HR Pinduteros Choice Awards. His poems appear in Philippines Graphic, Philippines Free Press, ALPAS Journal, Rambutan Literary, Eastlit, Kitaab, Anak Sastra, and elsewhere. He tweets at @KarloSevilla.