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People of the Olive Tree

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Aisha L. Kunting

A mother—she wakes and she walks—miles and miles on rubbles of rocks,
Searching for food for her family of four, once a happy family of six before.
She knows that she travels a dangerous road. At any moment she could be taken, shot, and towed.
But the love for her family urges her still, she would tread any valley, desert, or hill.

A father—he cries in the night—hugging his child wrapped in a clean sheet of white
He will never hear her laugh on this earth again, nor see the brightness light her eyes as it did back then.
He mourns and he prays till the early hours of day, for paradise for his child taken away.

A brother—he carries his kin—injured and bleeding, body alarmingly thin.
“I’m thirsty,” he whispers. “Where are our sisters?”
Together they search, but where to even begin?
Rubbles and bones stretch what once was a street, with strangers and friends alike trapped just beneath their feet
Under destruction and debris, in the harsh cold of the night or the heat of morning light,
Their blood entwined in the earth like the roots of olive trees.

A child of five—he endures. His skin is blistering and agitated because of water-contaminated
Like burn marks on his skin, around his neck, and all over his arm.
What did this innocent child do to warrant such harm?
For months now he has known only hunger and pain,
No comfort nor relief, too young still, yet so familiar with grief.
Why do the innocents suffer while evil roams free causing harm with their hands?

Like many of the people of the Olive Tree, every day they fight to be freed.
Their homes were taken from them, lands stolen by an evil disguised as men.
Yet, their hearts beat with hope and resilience.
They stand strong and unbroken, enduring with faith and persistence.
Have you ever witnessed a nation bear with such patience despite being so shattered and confined
As much as our resilient and unyielding brothers and sisters in beloved Palestine?

Pater

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Lourd Greggory Crisol

Hinay-hinay kong gibuklad
ang nakaputus nga dahon sa saging
ug nitumaw ang aso
nga naghatod sa kahumot sa manok.

Sa tunga niining nakahapin nga dahon
nakaplastar ang usa ka takos nga kan-on,
giibabawan ug sapal, lamas, ug unud.

Huwaran ko kini ug palapa
ug dugmukun,
sagulun ang timpla sa manok
sa mamaak nga kahalang sa sili ug sibudying.

Mupudyut ug katunga sa kumkum nga kan-on,
dimdimon ang kalami ug kahalang.

Samtang nagkalingaw kog hungit,
nakalingi ko sa akong palibot,

nakita ko mga grupo sa babayi nga nagkumbong,
mga laki nga nagsturya nga kanako banyagang pulung.

Ug sa ilang mga mata ug hagik-hik nabatyagan ko
nga tungud niining usa ka hawop nga kan-on
nga giputus sa dahon,

nibuklad ang pahiyum sa among mga nawong.

 

I slowly uncover
the wrapper made of banana leaf,
slowly releasing the steam,
that carries the aroma of cooked chicken.

In the center of the leaf
A cup of rice awaits
topped with coconut shreds, spices, and meat.

On this dish I slowly pour palapa
and start mashing,
blending the chicken’s juices
to the spice of the sili and sibudying.

I take a portion of the dish using my fingers
and relish the heat and tastes.

While I partake my feast,
my eyes can’t help but wander,

a group of women wearing kumbong, I notice,
men speaking tongues which are foreign to me.

And in their eyes, and laughter I pondered
that because of this moon shaped rice
wrapped in banana leaf,

happiness unfurled on all our faces.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Most Joyous Embrace

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Ahmed Hataman

Quietly,
I enter their chambers,
Every night that I can,
And as the rest of the world falls silent,
cause one last, selfish interruption

I softly lean in, tired as they are
kiss their cheek
And quietly, as I leave
Say, “Love you, salaam”

Only then can I sleep,
Only then can I rest,
For if the Creator decides
to take them before dawn
They will at least know
All is forgiven, only thanks is left
And they would have felt my love
before the end

That day will come,
Of this I am aware,
Unless the Lord of the Worlds,
Decides to take me first

Until then,
I enter their chambers,
Every night without fail
Praying if they’re gone by morning,
I would see them again.
At the end of it all, I could run to them –
wrap them both in my arms,
And it would not matter if I held on
For the next thousand years.

Contributors (Issue 6)

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Abdulhamid Alawi Jr. currently heads the policy division of the BARMM ministry in charge of housing and human settlements. He is also an archivist and was a member of the project team for the Bangsamoro Museum in Cotabato City.

39-year-old Sitti Maryam Misah-Amirul is an architect from Jolo, Sulu. She is currently working at the Ministry of Public Works Sulu 1st District Engineering Office. She is a mother of three, a faithful wife, and a dedicated public servant.

Razul A. Ariz is a promising Maguindanaon writer and lexicographer dedicated to promoting the Maguindanaon language through various mediums. He showcases his linguistic prowess through translated poems, short stories, and other language-related content, often identified by his social media hashtag #mëgindëknown. Razul graduated Cum Laude in 2022, earning a bachelor’s degree in English Language Studies from Mindanao State University General Santos City. Currently, he serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the Kampilan Palimbang Writerhood, a pioneering writers’ group in his hometown, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.

Nelson Dino is engaged in writing poetry, short stories, narratives, novels, and song lyrics in different languages. In addition to serving as a history and language faculty member at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, he is tasked with being the director of the Cultural Affairs Office (CAO), supervising the Tambuli Cultural Dance Troupe, Gusi Lumba Music Guild, Dolphin Ambassadors, and University Marching Band.

Mirra-Edora Esmael is a faculty member of the Language Department of Mindanao State University—Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography (MSU-TCTO) who is passionate about books, sunset, and coffee. She has been teaching for eight years, advocating for the creation of a culture of reading among her students and in her community. As a writer, her recent interests are in poetry and personal essays.

Aminah Fernando Kunting is an instructor of Language Development Resource Center, of Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City. She obtained her Master of Arts in English Langu Studies in Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology. She has always been interested in literature, most especially in indigenous people’s works and culture. She hopes to further her knowledge on these.

Daniel Luna is a third-year college student currently taking Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies at Mindanao State University, Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography.

An-Nurhaiyden Mangelen is currently studying law at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Law. He graduated Cum Laude and finished his Bachelor of Arts in English, majoring in Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao Campus. He tries to write on his spare time, and is blessed to have access to writing as an outlet for stress.

Sharmida M. Mawan is a 21-year-old Tausug born in Jolo, Sulu. She is the second daughter of Pakhar J. Mawan and Sherma E. Mansari. She was raised in a Muslim-Tausug environment hence her deep connection with her culture and ethnicity.  She is also campus journalist since junior high school, a leader, a volunteer and a peace mediator. She is currently a third-year college student of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Western Mindanao State University. She believes that nothing comes from nothing that is why taking risk is always the safest choice.

Lawyer Zeny-Linda Saipudin Nandu, SCL is from Jolo, Sulu, where she is a graduate of AB Political Science from Mindanao State University-Sulu as University Scholar, Cum Laude and Most Outstanding Graduate Awardee. After law school in Ateneo de Davao University, she earned MA in Islamic Studies from the University of the Philippines Diliman as Scholar and Dean’s Lister, while serving as Chief of Staff of Anak Mindanao Party-list Representative in Congress. Before the 2023 Bar Exams, she also passed the 2018 Special Shari’ah Bar Exams and 2019 Career Executive Service Exam, and since then, she has been in a limited (Shari’ah) law practice while at the same time working as Political Affairs Officer VI of Member of Parliament at the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in Cotabato City.

Si Ayessah Nesreen Banocag Pasagi, nakatira sa Balindong, Lanao del Sur, ay kasalukuyang nag-aaral ng BA English Language Studies sa Mindanao State University – Main Campus, Marawi City. Siya ay nagsusulat upang ibahagi ang kanyang mga pananaw at mga karanasan bilang isang Meranaw na nagsisimula pa lamang mag-explore sa buhay. Ang isa sa kanyang mga akda na may pamagat na “Every College Student” ay malayang nailathala ng Indiependent Collective noong 2023. Sa parehong taon, naging fellow siya ng ikaanim na Luntiang Palihan ng De La Salle University, Manila.

Anna Rahma Usman Sarip is currently a third-year college student at Mindanao State University – Main Campus Marawi City taking up Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies. She is a Meranaw, born and raised in MSU, Marawi City. Anna or preferably called Apple, continues to thrive in life as she climbs upon the mountain to success. She also takes a lot of interest in trying different forms and genres of writing as she considers it a crucial point in advancing her knowledge and experience. Aside from that, some of her research works have been accepted on multiple paper presentations and conferences around the nation. Anna also spends her idle hours by taking care of her cats and kittens at home.

Jahara A. Solaiman is an instructor at the English Department of Mindanao State University-Marawi City, where she teaches English, literature, and art appreciation. Her earlier works have appeared in other literary anthologies, the most recent being Lawanen II (Gantala Press) and Ani 40: Katutubo (Cultural Center of the Philippines). In addition to creative writing, she loves imparting her love of art (she works with colored pencils, watercolors, and acrylic) to her students.

Hasmeyya Tiboron, 25, is a creative nonfiction writer from Cotabato City. She has a degree in Philosophy from Mindanao State University – Main Campus but she’s not an atheist. She loves coffee.

Almayrah A. Tiburon is a native Meranaw writer from Mindanao State University, Marawi City. She composed the official school hymn of Philippine Integrated School Foundation (PISF). Two of her books on fiction Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have e-book versions aside from printed ones. Her works have been published in respected periodicals and anthologies such as Umaalma, Kumikibo, In Certain Seasons: Mother Write in the Time of Covid, Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, Aruga: Mga Sanaysay ng Pagtanggap at Paglingap, Ani 40: Katutubo where she served as the editor of the Meranaw section of this book, BioLente: Mga Bagong Katha sa Danas ng Dahas at Banwa, Laoanen:  Kababaihan/ Digmaan/ Kapayapaan, CNN Philippines’ Best Books of 2018 Lawanen 2: Mga Alaala ng Pagkubkob which she also served as editor of this book, Mga Haraya ng Pag-igpaw, Bangsamoro Literary Review, Liwayway, Danas: Mga Pag-aakda ng Babae Ngayon which was named among The Best Filipino Books of the 2010s by CNN Philippines, Likhaan’s Dx Machina: Philippine Literature in the Time of COVID-19, Sulatan sa Panahon ng Pandemya, Mindanao Harvest 4: A 21st Century Literary Anthology, and Asymptote Journal. She is the author of Thotholan: Mga Alamat at Pabulang Meranaw, and Salamin At Iba Pang Panglaw which was among the Top 5 finalists for the Best Books of Short Fiction (Filipino) in National Book Awards 2019. Her literary interests also cover the folk literature of the Meranaw people. She wants to encourage Meranaws and other Mindanaoans, whose voices are seldom heard in the literary scene, to write about their sentiments and be published.

Blessing in disguise

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Daniel Luna 

Image by Petr Ganaj (Pixabay)

Omar, a twelve-year-old boy, his brown eyes large, hefty as the earth itself, carries tales of resilience. His hair, black as a raven’s wing, coils into tight curls that mimic the sloppy paths he navigates daily. His lips, round and chapped by the relentless sun, seldom separate for words, speak volumes about his toughness. And his nose, broad, flat, and evocative of Emilio Aguinaldo, mirrors his strong heritage. An orphan, void of the warmth of familial ties, stands alone in his struggle for survival. He became his own savior, grappling daily to secure his basic needs. He barely managed to eat even once a day.

He lives in a small house, or we say kubo in Filipino language, nestled in the heart of the slums. Standing steadfast, an island of resilience amidst a sea of hardship, crafted from wood, bamboo, and nipa, the house’s skeletal structure is composed of seasoned wood that bears the weight of years and stories. The wood, weathered by time and elements, carries a patina of age, its grain a roadmap of survival against adversity. Encasing this wooden frame are walls of bamboo, woven together with the precision of a master craftsperson. Each bamboo stalk, standing side by side, mirrors the close-knit community of the slums, individual yet intertwined. The walls, a patchwork quilt of bamboo, provide a shield against the world. Crowning the house is a roof of nipa leaves, a thatched tapestry of nature’s own design. The leaves overlap like scales on a dragon, forming a protective shell against the tropical rain and sun.

One day, in the heart of the mangrove forest, Omar chanced upon a small, black creature. It had four stubby legs, a face and tail elongated like the waning crescent moon, and tiny, pointed fangs that added an intriguing intensity to its tiny form. At first, Omar feigned ignorance, treating the creature’s presence as an illusion. Yet, the persistent creature trailed him like a loyal spaniel, never baring its fangs or displaying any hint of aggression. This unexpected peacefulness made Omar pause, and he cast a speculative glance at the small reptile. A thought fluttered in his mind. Could he adopt this creature? Although void of reason, the thought seemed comforting. As if fate had conspired to make this meeting happen, Omar stumbled upon a small, white plastic container nearby. With a soft sigh, Omar gently bent his knees, lowering himself to the ground. With one hand steady on the container and the other cautiously reaching for the crocodile, he prepared to lift the creature. To his relief, the crocodile remained docile, allowing the boy to gently cradle it into its new home.

Omar diligently fed the crocodile with the fish he caught, oblivious to the weight of the circumstances surrounding his decision to bring it into his humble home. Forgotten were the whispers of caution that echoed through the community—a warning against welcoming such a dreaded creature. The history of tragedies and lives lost to the jaws of crocodiles seemed a distant memory to Omar, submerged beneath his newly found connection with this unconventional companion. As the crocodile became a part of Omar’s life, remarkable changes began to unravel. An unseen tapestry of blessings unfurled before him, woven by the hands of anonymous benefactors. Food materialized in his hands, offered freely by strangers amidst the community. Even financial support, an unimaginable luxury in his past, appeared, easing the burdens that once bore heavily upon his young shoulders. Omar, brimming with joy and gratitude, attributed these blessings to the presence of the crocodile. Little did Omar know, his happiness was not solely derived from his crocodile companion, but also from the ripple effect he had unknowingly set in motion. The act of embracing the despised creature had stirred dormant empathy and generosity from their community, reminding them of the power of compassion and solidarity. The blessings continued to flow, not solely for Omar, but in the awakening of shared humanity within the hearts of those around him.

Years passed, Omar already an 18-year-old, had managed to renovate his house into a sturdier and more resilient kubo. However, he never anticipated that someone would discover the existence of the crocodile residing within his humble abode. One evening, a man roughly four times older than Omar grew envious of the blessings bestowed upon him. Consumed by jealousy, the man found an opportunity to sneak into Omar’s house with the intent to steal. Omar was absent at that time, occupied with the task of procuring a large container to provide a better home for the growing crocodile. The man cautiously entered the house, quietly opening the door. To his astonishment, he was met with a sight that struck him with fear. The crocodile had grown exponentially, now twice the size it was when Omar had adopted it. There was no container to confine it; Omar had allowed the creature to freely roam on the wooden floor. Overwhelmed by shock, the man found himself unable to utter a single word. Shaken to the core, he hastily retreated, leaving the door open, and uttered a single word in the local language, “Buwaya” — a term that means crocodile, filled with terror and alarm.

That fateful night, Omar remained unaware of the harrowing scene he was about to witness. As he glanced outside his home, an unsettling sight greeted him—people had gathered, clutching long, thick, and flat knives, their torches casting an eerie glow. His face drained of color, his heart raced in his chest, and myriad speculations raced through his mind as he stood just a short distance away. He felt a jolt of panic, thoughts racing through his mind. “Had those people discovered the existence of the crocodile? Were they aware that he had been living alongside the creature? The crocodile must have sensed the impending danger, he thought, it must have found a way to escape.” The weight of uncertainty pressed upon him as he contemplated the potential consequences. Questions swirled in his mind, intertwining with fear and apprehension. Had he been exposed? Would he too become a target of their wrath and animosity? Omar’s heart pounded in his chest as he grappled with the unknown fate of both himself and his once-trusted companion.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Omar’s instincts kicked in, urging him to rush toward his house. Pushing past the crowd, he fought his way to the center where a circle of onlookers had formed. His eyes welled up with unshed tears, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he beheld the devastating scene before him. The crocodile, once his cherished companion, bore multiple cruel stabs covering its rear. The ghastly sight tore at Omar’s soul as he struggled to comprehend the cruelty that unfolded before his eyes. A cacophony of voices erupted around him, the crowd unleashing a torrent of hurtful words. Shouts pierced the air, blending with scornful remarks aimed directly at him. They chastised him for his perceived recklessness and immaturity, emphasizing the inherent danger of harboring such a creature. The weight of their condemnation hung heavy in the atmosphere as if every syllable carried the weight of their collective disdain. Yet, amidst the verbal assault, Omar remained resolute, his determination unshaken. Ignoring the vitriol, Omar steadily approached the lifeless body of the crocodile. With tear-stained cheeks and a voice wrought with anguish, he pressed himself against the slain creature, mourning the loss of both a companion and the hope it represented. His hands clutched onto the crocodile’s head, seeking solace and offering a final act of tenderness in the face of overwhelming despair. In this heart-wrenching moment, he allowed himself to release his anguish, grieving loudly for the bond that had been abruptly severed.