On Blossoming

Isang tula galing sa makatang si Louise Gluck

The Red Poppy

The great thing

is not having

a mind. Feelings:

oh, I have those; they

govern me. I have

a lord in heaven

called the sun, and open

for him, showing him

the fire of my own heart, fire

like his presence.

What could such glory be

if not a heart? Oh my brothers and sisters,

were you like me once, long ago,

before you were human? Did you

permit yourselves

to open once, who would never

open again? Because in truth

I am speaking now

the way you do. I speak

because I am shattered.

***

Sobrang floored ako nung una ko 'tong nabasa. As in yung napanganga ako sa putanginang ending ni Gluck, ang ganda-ganda kasi. Yung collection to which this poem belongs ("The Wild Iris") won a pulitzer and why shouldn't it? Nagtatalaban kasi yung mga tula, hindi lang sila mga cinollect na tula page after page. Yung lugar mo bilang tao napapagitna sa engagement between plants, gardener/god, snake, etc. (sorry walang zombies)

Naalala ko bigla itong tula na'to kasi last night I was lucky enough to be in the company of people whom I can relate to in an unprecedented way. Some of those things I never thought I could voice out or share, nagawa kong sabihin out loud. (Ang tawag don Peer Pressure, haha)

Naramdaman ko ulit na teka may puso nga pala ako, and of course, not just in a romantic way.


When I read this poem again just this morning, it felt different this time, parang naglimpse ko lalo yung multiplicity ng meaning ng tulang ito. Right now, I've never been happier to say that yes, I too am shattered.

And not in an emo, blade-on-the-wrist way. Wasak.