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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.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

BACK TO THE GARDEN




BACK TO THE GARDEN

(For Luisa, at 50) 

I don’t know either how to find/the way back to the garden; only/now there is everything to say. /Moths lie still on the mesh/of the window, light /being the project/never quite done. --- From “Lost Lyric” by Luisa A. Igloria, Via Negativa, 09-02-11 



In our peculiar roundabout ways,
we have tried to retrace our way
back to the garden, using words
as lanterns to light obscured paths
we hope to find again, know again,
walk through again till we get there. 

Like the still moths on the window,
we gather toward flames where
they glow warmest, to keep us alive
when falling off into dark nights
of hurt and doubt, of wordlessness,
finding ourselves betrayed. Muted. 

Light being the project never quite
done, have we not arrogated a task
of flitting about like fireflies, carting
fire to recondite places where lost
flower eaters long still for burning
bushes billowing with quiet words?


---Albert B. Casuga
09-03-11                               




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