Hey guys,
One of my facebook friends sent me this clip on Abu Ghraib. I thought of sharing it to you along with my poem, which is in my upcoming book, 150+1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology. Hope you would like it.
ABUSES THAT MAY NOT BE
Neither been to infamous Abu Ghraib
Nor seen that well-known human pyramid
Abuse! So bile, which spread a wild fire...
Subduing green thumb; replacing the brier!
I never met those smiling hominid
Teasing, pointing, with smacking cigarette!
They're having fun as if none was around
Forgetting that those prying eyes abound.
I know from school...in army training course:
Obey commands from elevated men.
All those whose feet are on the lowly ground
Must execute with head up and not down.
Now, should it be this abuse may not be
the culprit may not be those pfc's?
The Code of Rules that does enforce worldwide
The mouths gag! There's marker of divide.
Did we forget from life of long ago?
Power abuse is in the hearts of men.
Luciferous "I's" are so ingrained
Decisions made are often times careened.
How sure are we, abuse on enemies
Are willfully performed by lowly pfc's?
Bestialities applied to squeeze the brains
Ignoring prying eyes...looking some stains.
More questions, sixty-four dollar questions
Thrown out on you to answer and respond
Think of the ways we deal with army men
Then, talk! What happened at the Pen?
(c) 2007 edmund melig industan
Note: If I have time tomorrow, I'd be posting a dasang (Hey Poem).
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A PROSE POETRY ON DASANG (Hey Poem)
I promised you a sample of a Hey Poem (Dasang) to be posted this weekend. However, I decided to post this prose poetry, instead, to give you more information about it.
THE WORLD NEEDS A "DASANG" (Yell)
(c) e.industan 2007
I entered the jungle of concretes and brains. Then, I hopped in a cave full of bound papers and shelves. I went to a corner and fiddled some keys to find my way in the maze.
The cave is primeval, but houses all species from living to the dead. Only a cave, but I walked around the globe and onto someone's grave.
I strutted through the brown condos of famous and the sage. I gazed up, then down, while slightly touching the numbers of those in my reach: storages of Dickinson, Lowell, Sigourney, Whitman, and the rest.
Unnoticed at first, a mountain began to grow. As I rested, my mind wandered away from those tomes that caught me in awe. I whispered,'...but something's missing. I still am not convinced. There were lots of gentle...subtle voices in verses, but didn't hit me hard, as a hammer, in my head.'
I folded my elbow, thumped my forehead to rest. Eyes closed; mind zapped beyond the shelves. I heard from afar the yell of a speech-song by a tribe, the Higa-onon. A tribe in the Philippines, the speech is a "Dasang".
A hortatory used mainly by the chiefs...to admonish, advice, argue, implore, and scold the mischief's. They used flowery and sweets to numb the pain, while they hurled fiery arrows to those wolves among men.
The vision seemed so real as I listened to the rhythm: da-da-DAT-da-da-DAT on line after they said, "Git". After the "Git" the speech was sometimes flat...sometimes contoured with rhythmic patterns, but not strict at all. I'm conviced this is "it" that would fill the void in the caves.
Revived, I took a quill from my coat tail. I started stringing flowery words about our world. I hope to lift reality to its next level... that the world could see poetry, not just artsy, but as an active part of society.
Soon, I'll post the seed that I want to germinate. I hope the poets and the non-poets will stop by in some caves to see and savor the goodness of this ethnopoetic.
(Note: This prose poetry is included in my upcoming book: 150+1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
THE WORLD NEEDS A "DASANG" (Yell)
(c) e.industan 2007
I entered the jungle of concretes and brains. Then, I hopped in a cave full of bound papers and shelves. I went to a corner and fiddled some keys to find my way in the maze.
The cave is primeval, but houses all species from living to the dead. Only a cave, but I walked around the globe and onto someone's grave.
I strutted through the brown condos of famous and the sage. I gazed up, then down, while slightly touching the numbers of those in my reach: storages of Dickinson, Lowell, Sigourney, Whitman, and the rest.
Unnoticed at first, a mountain began to grow. As I rested, my mind wandered away from those tomes that caught me in awe. I whispered,'...but something's missing. I still am not convinced. There were lots of gentle...subtle voices in verses, but didn't hit me hard, as a hammer, in my head.'
I folded my elbow, thumped my forehead to rest. Eyes closed; mind zapped beyond the shelves. I heard from afar the yell of a speech-song by a tribe, the Higa-onon. A tribe in the Philippines, the speech is a "Dasang".
A hortatory used mainly by the chiefs...to admonish, advice, argue, implore, and scold the mischief's. They used flowery and sweets to numb the pain, while they hurled fiery arrows to those wolves among men.
The vision seemed so real as I listened to the rhythm: da-da-DAT-da-da-DAT on line after they said, "Git". After the "Git" the speech was sometimes flat...sometimes contoured with rhythmic patterns, but not strict at all. I'm conviced this is "it" that would fill the void in the caves.
Revived, I took a quill from my coat tail. I started stringing flowery words about our world. I hope to lift reality to its next level... that the world could see poetry, not just artsy, but as an active part of society.
Soon, I'll post the seed that I want to germinate. I hope the poets and the non-poets will stop by in some caves to see and savor the goodness of this ethnopoetic.
(Note: This prose poetry is included in my upcoming book: 150+1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Ethnopoetic and the Higa-onon Dasang (dah-SANG)
Ethnopoetic isn't new to the literary world. It has been existing for, at least the last 200 years. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (1993) considers a literary work as such, if it is a means to compare poetry and related arts with a characteristics, but not exclusive emphases, to stateless, low technology cultures and on oral and nonliterate forms of verbal expression, and if the poetry or the idea is about the culture being studied. Ethnopoetic can also be a movement in contemporary literary world, in which literature and social science (particularly anthropology and sociolinguistics) devote to studying and adapting such poetic verbal expressions.
Even though ethnopoetic has been going on for many years, the term itself had been popularized in 1968 by a journalist, Jerome Rothenberg, and an anthopologist, Dennis Tedlock, when they collaborated to edit the magazine, Alcheringa, from 1971 to 1980. Alcheringa was an avenue to promote ethnopoetics. Consequently, 2 international symposia on the movement were held in 1978 and 1985. Unfortunately, ethnopoetic did not stir a considerable interest to the literary scholars and social scientists. Currently, it is in hibernation and would surely disappear into its eternal death if no one would attempt to revive it.
I really am feeling bad for the imminent demise of ethnopoetic, because ethnic languages are just as beautiful, interesting, complex, and unique as others. Let us take dasang, a poetic hortatory discourse of the Higa-onon (hii-gah-OH-noon) of southern Philippines. German ethnomusicologist, and my good friend, Hans Brandeis, who extensively did his research in the Philippines, categorized it as a speech-song. (see Hans Brandies Homepage)
I lived and worked among the Higa-onon tribe in the 70s and constantly heard dasang (dah-SANG) in tribal meetings to investigate lawlessness and resolve issues on intra-village problems. It is delivered, full of imagery, to avoid direct insult, shame, and embarrassment to a suspected culprit. At the same time, it is a way to win a case, negotiate for a lighter penalty, to advise the culprit, and to showcase the oratorical skill and artistry of the chieftain.
Dasang , by itself, is a beauty and art when performed. The lifting of the orator's behind and the swaying of the arms when the orator says a unique interjection, "git" or"kit" ( which I equate it with the English term, hey), is so entertaining that the villagers will congregate to witness an hour or so, of otherwise, boring meetings.
Despite its beauty and uniqueness, dasang is disappearing. Since it is transmitted orally, the younger generation, who are more inclined to adapt the national or world's pop culture for social acceptance, most definitely, has to be motivated to learn, embrace (as they embrace hip-hop), and have the self-pride to preserve it. One way for scholars to help in motivating the young generation is to promote and elevate dasang as a poetry form, which is adapted and accepted internationally.
I, as a member of another Philippine tribe (the Bukidnons), is advocating the revival of ethnopoetic. I have introduced dasang, as a hey poem, in my book, KOILAWAN (koi-lah-ONE): Letters and Poems of a Jungle Dad-Mom, which has been marketed worlwide. My upcoming book, 150+1 Poems of THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology, have a dozen more hey poem to promote it. I hope that more literary scholars and social scientists will join the bandwagon in promoting, preserving, and reviving the movement of ethnopoetics.
Even though ethnopoetic has been going on for many years, the term itself had been popularized in 1968 by a journalist, Jerome Rothenberg, and an anthopologist, Dennis Tedlock, when they collaborated to edit the magazine, Alcheringa, from 1971 to 1980. Alcheringa was an avenue to promote ethnopoetics. Consequently, 2 international symposia on the movement were held in 1978 and 1985. Unfortunately, ethnopoetic did not stir a considerable interest to the literary scholars and social scientists. Currently, it is in hibernation and would surely disappear into its eternal death if no one would attempt to revive it.
I really am feeling bad for the imminent demise of ethnopoetic, because ethnic languages are just as beautiful, interesting, complex, and unique as others. Let us take dasang, a poetic hortatory discourse of the Higa-onon (hii-gah-OH-noon) of southern Philippines. German ethnomusicologist, and my good friend, Hans Brandeis, who extensively did his research in the Philippines, categorized it as a speech-song. (see Hans Brandies Homepage)
I lived and worked among the Higa-onon tribe in the 70s and constantly heard dasang (dah-SANG) in tribal meetings to investigate lawlessness and resolve issues on intra-village problems. It is delivered, full of imagery, to avoid direct insult, shame, and embarrassment to a suspected culprit. At the same time, it is a way to win a case, negotiate for a lighter penalty, to advise the culprit, and to showcase the oratorical skill and artistry of the chieftain.
Dasang , by itself, is a beauty and art when performed. The lifting of the orator's behind and the swaying of the arms when the orator says a unique interjection, "git" or"kit" ( which I equate it with the English term, hey), is so entertaining that the villagers will congregate to witness an hour or so, of otherwise, boring meetings.
Despite its beauty and uniqueness, dasang is disappearing. Since it is transmitted orally, the younger generation, who are more inclined to adapt the national or world's pop culture for social acceptance, most definitely, has to be motivated to learn, embrace (as they embrace hip-hop), and have the self-pride to preserve it. One way for scholars to help in motivating the young generation is to promote and elevate dasang as a poetry form, which is adapted and accepted internationally.
I, as a member of another Philippine tribe (the Bukidnons), is advocating the revival of ethnopoetic. I have introduced dasang, as a hey poem, in my book, KOILAWAN (koi-lah-ONE): Letters and Poems of a Jungle Dad-Mom, which has been marketed worlwide. My upcoming book, 150+1 Poems of THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poem) and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology, have a dozen more hey poem to promote it. I hope that more literary scholars and social scientists will join the bandwagon in promoting, preserving, and reviving the movement of ethnopoetics.
(Note: A sample of Dasang or hey poem will be posted here sometime this weekend.)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Communicating What is True; Ignoring What is Not!
Communication is one of the three functional requisites of societies. It can be verbal or nonverbal. It can be intrapersonal or interpersonal. It is the sine qua non of every social organization, whether animal or human.
Sad to say that communication can be positive or negative contributor to the development of man and society. As a means to transmit ideas, communication can either break or make an interpersonal relationship. It also can be deleterious to a nation.
Just recently, I received a chain letter, so hurtful to the Filipino people, that my initial impulse was to hurl brimstone and fire at the person, who allegedly wrote the hate letter. I have to shelve this week's blog topic, which I actually was about to post when I received the email, to respond to the disturbing message.
Being a sociologist, with lots of academic and research training in cultural anthropology, I have to first find a balm from this surgit amari aliquid (the iron entering the soul), before I write something in response to the letter. I have to breathe and address the issue systematically by doing some investigation. I just don't want to jump the gun indiscriminately.
The hate letter allegedly was sent by a radio talk-show host, Art Bell of Pahrump, Nevada. The title, "The Filipinos Make me Puke". It talked about how Filipinos has infested the USA like a disease, how their trashy quality of life has manifested through their extensive involvement in the US Armed Forces, how Filipinos try to assimilate with their Asian counterparts, but the only successful Filipinos are the prostitutes living in Japan. Then, it concluded with the message for the Filipinos to create an identity by not associating themselves with highly developed Asian countries, by recognizing that they are from a disgusting and filthy place, and by acknowledging that their technological acumen are not at par with that of Japan, Korea, and China.
My research on the web had resulted with the following: 1) Art Bell, as a radio personality, is incomparably good at entertaining UFOlogists, psychics, and conspiracy theorists, hence, his program on KNYE-FM specializes in tales of the supernatural, the paranormal, and the 'not-yet-categorized' weird. However, he is not a well-respected host. 2) His activities in radio broadcasting has been off-and on, affected by the victimization of his son by a pedophile substitute teacher and the death of his first wife from an asthma attack. 3) His second wife is half Filipino, and, the most significant information is that, 4) He did not make a broadcast calling the Philippines "a disgusting and filthy place", and that HE WAS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE HATE LETTER. The letter has been circulating online since the 90s. In fact, Mr. Bell sued the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2001 for its outright treatment of the letter as fact when they published it. Philippine Daily Inquirer posted a retraction, however, the damage was done already. Sometime later, it was learned that the letter originated from a library computer at the Univ. of California-San Diego, posted by either a conspiracy theorist or weirdo. Ms. Valerie Polchari, the postmistress at UCSD library sent an apology to Mr. Bell. (Pls. check the ff. sites: Art Bell: A Who 2 Profile, Art Bell and Filipinos, etc.)
See how important communication is to a society? Besides promoting harmony and understanding, it also can be a "spark plug" of misunderstanding and chaos. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that before we circulate information, we really need to consider doing some research on its veracity. Harmony and progress in the world depend on us. Let us all do our part by communicating what is true and ignoring what is not.
Sad to say that communication can be positive or negative contributor to the development of man and society. As a means to transmit ideas, communication can either break or make an interpersonal relationship. It also can be deleterious to a nation.
Just recently, I received a chain letter, so hurtful to the Filipino people, that my initial impulse was to hurl brimstone and fire at the person, who allegedly wrote the hate letter. I have to shelve this week's blog topic, which I actually was about to post when I received the email, to respond to the disturbing message.
Being a sociologist, with lots of academic and research training in cultural anthropology, I have to first find a balm from this surgit amari aliquid (the iron entering the soul), before I write something in response to the letter. I have to breathe and address the issue systematically by doing some investigation. I just don't want to jump the gun indiscriminately.
The hate letter allegedly was sent by a radio talk-show host, Art Bell of Pahrump, Nevada. The title, "The Filipinos Make me Puke". It talked about how Filipinos has infested the USA like a disease, how their trashy quality of life has manifested through their extensive involvement in the US Armed Forces, how Filipinos try to assimilate with their Asian counterparts, but the only successful Filipinos are the prostitutes living in Japan. Then, it concluded with the message for the Filipinos to create an identity by not associating themselves with highly developed Asian countries, by recognizing that they are from a disgusting and filthy place, and by acknowledging that their technological acumen are not at par with that of Japan, Korea, and China.
My research on the web had resulted with the following: 1) Art Bell, as a radio personality, is incomparably good at entertaining UFOlogists, psychics, and conspiracy theorists, hence, his program on KNYE-FM specializes in tales of the supernatural, the paranormal, and the 'not-yet-categorized' weird. However, he is not a well-respected host. 2) His activities in radio broadcasting has been off-and on, affected by the victimization of his son by a pedophile substitute teacher and the death of his first wife from an asthma attack. 3) His second wife is half Filipino, and, the most significant information is that, 4) He did not make a broadcast calling the Philippines "a disgusting and filthy place", and that HE WAS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE HATE LETTER. The letter has been circulating online since the 90s. In fact, Mr. Bell sued the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2001 for its outright treatment of the letter as fact when they published it. Philippine Daily Inquirer posted a retraction, however, the damage was done already. Sometime later, it was learned that the letter originated from a library computer at the Univ. of California-San Diego, posted by either a conspiracy theorist or weirdo. Ms. Valerie Polchari, the postmistress at UCSD library sent an apology to Mr. Bell. (Pls. check the ff. sites: Art Bell: A Who 2 Profile, Art Bell and Filipinos, etc.)
See how important communication is to a society? Besides promoting harmony and understanding, it also can be a "spark plug" of misunderstanding and chaos. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that before we circulate information, we really need to consider doing some research on its veracity. Harmony and progress in the world depend on us. Let us all do our part by communicating what is true and ignoring what is not.
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