Slip of the Pen

Hemmed in on all sides, unrepentant
to the choking layers of Smugness
in the Notebook suffused with thick black
ink, defiant
to the endless trails of obsidian
snaking through, paving
the Builder’s progress

sat a park.

Humble at sixty letters across, fourteen lines
from north to south, immaculate
with nary a smudge nor mote
of ambition.

Unclaimed by the Builder’s pen, a virgin land.
Who had been there? No one,
not even the VIPs of the Builder’s towers
nor the littlest fly
of imagination.

But at 16th Page, it was prime
property.

A day after Valentine’s, the Builder
came, set up a discreet motel, a late
investment called
The Little Park in the Notebook
and the erstwhile haven
vanished.


12:03 AM
February 15, 2007


*As featured in Moleskinerie.com.

Nighttime Metro Manila is more beautiful than the daytime one, I think.

It’s in these hours when you’ll really appreciate the urban setting around you. In the day, the metropolis is a choking cesspool of humanity, iron horses, and smog, but in the night, it’s far more civilized.

Back then, I was referring to the neon lights of Quezon Avenue’s famed whorehouses. Last night’s trip to the 2007 World Light Expo Philippines, both a few kilometers and an entire world removed from Q-Ave, gave a new meaning to the text.

(Thus goes the prelude to my first photo-centric post here, further proof of how unproductive I’ve become lit-wise. Enjoy the pics below, nonetheless. Don’t forget to click ‘em for the bigger versions.)

A month ago, Manila Bay was illumined by the spectacular World Pyro Olympics. The current attraction, found at the Roxas Boulevard and Coastal Road Junction (D. Macapagal Avenue) at Paranaque City, began just last Tuesday and will run up to April 22.

However, whereas the Pyrolympics drew thousands upon thousands of spectators, the Light Expo crowd was really, really thin — we only encountered less than forty visitors, who were like stars scattered across the galaxy given the sprawling Expo grounds. The Expo’s teen-aged, extra-courteous volunteers even outnumbered the visitors (I’m guessing they’re volunteers, as the Expo’s beneficiary is the Pangarap ng Lupa Foundation for children with sight impairments).

Quite sad, if you think about it. Many of the Foundation’s kids probably won’t be able to appreciate the grandeur we experienced at the Expo. That said, do drop by the World Light Expo. Yes, there’s an admission price (quite steep at Php 300 for adults and 200 for kids above three years of age, which might be one of the reasons behind the thin crowd), but I’m sure you’ll agree that you’ll be spending for a noble cause.

If that isn’t enough encouragement for you, I hope the smattering of images below does the trick!

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