My photo
ALBERT B. CASUGA, a Philippine-born writer, lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, where he continues to write poetry, fiction, and criticism after his retirement from teaching and serving as an elected member of his region's school board. He was nominated to the Mississauga Arts Council Literary Awards in 2007. A graduate of the Royal and Pontifical University of St. Thomas (now University of Santo Tomas, Manila. Literature and English, magna cum laude), he taught English and Literature (Criticism, Theory, and Creative Writing) at the Philippines' De La Salle University and San Beda College. He has authored books of poetry, short stories, literary theory and criticism. He has won awards for his works in Canada, the U.S.A., and the Philippines. His latest work, A Theory of Echoes and Other Poems was published February 2009 by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. His fiction and poetry were published by online literary journals Asia Writes and Coastal Poems recently. He was a Fellow at the 1972 Silliman University Writers Workshop, Philippines. As a journalist, he worked with the United Press International and wrote an art column for the defunct Philippines Herald.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

DIGGERS




DIGGERS 



It will outdo them yet. The quarry diggers
are no match to the mole who has been there
before they were, their backhoes and drills
disturbing the smaller caves with bigger ones.
 

A small hole is big enough when all one wants
really is a shield against thumping diggers
who remain unaware of their macabre dreams
of ripping the side of mountains to prepare
unmarked tombs for their yet unborn children.
 

The mole will be there in its hole, taking over
with a colony of small cave diggers when quarries
close down at the siren of a final day when days
are done, and there is little hope beyond sundown.
From porches we will holler: In moles we trust.



—Albert B. Casuga
08-29-11
 



Prompt: The rhythmic thumping of a monstrous digger at the quarry two miles away. My father hollers from his front porch to come look at a mole.---Dave Bonta, The Morning Porch, 08-29-11


No comments: