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.

Monday, June 24, 2013

A LAUGHTER OF LEAVES

 
 
A LAUGHTER OF LEAVES
 
Toddling among the leaves,
she lets out a shriek only
diving seagulls can make
as they taunt the raucous
fishermen to let some catch
off their bursting nets, share
the joie d’vivre only drunken
sailors home from the seas
are full of. Aieeeeeeeekkkk!
 
The darkening sky lets out
a funnel of fall wind, roils
the crackling leaves raked
by these carousing innocents,
and she stumbles on a heap,
swims through the mound
of sienna and fallen foliage,
but her laughter makes him
tremble now, her pensive
grandpere:
 
Mon dieu, let her laugh, let
the pall of transience pass,
that she may be defiant
with full laughter. Forever.
 
---ALBERT B. CASUGA
 
 

No comments: