Carreon, Shane

English

Banwa Publications (University of the Philippines Mindanao)

B A N WA  Series A1 Banwa 11A (2014/2015): LIT-004BANWA | ojs.upmin.edu.phOPEN ACCESS | PEER RE V IE WEDP  O  E  T  R  YWithin PlacesShane CarreonUniversity of the Philippines CebuSubmission Information Received: 27 May 2015   Revised: 01 October 2015   Accepted: 23 October 2015   Published: 30 October 2015Correspondence. Asst. Prof. Shane Carreon, University of the Philippines Cebu, Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines. Telephone: +63 32 233 8202. Email:  clcarreon1@up.edu.phSuggested Citation. Carreon, Shane. 2015. “Within Places” (poems). Banwa 11A: LIT-004. [Date of access]. http://ojs.upmin.edu.ph/index.php/banwa-a/article/view/197About the Author. Shane Carreon has a degree in MA Creative Writing at UP Diliman. Her poetry received the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and her short story, the Nick Joaquin Literary Award. Her poetry collection, travelbook (UP Press, 2013) was nominated for Filipino Reader’s Choice Award. Her works have appeared in national and international publications such as Querida: An Anthology, Kritika Kultura, Verses Typhoon Yolanda: A Storm of Filipino Poets, Quarterly Literary Review of Singapore, and Little Things: An Anthology of Poetry. She has been a fellow in writers workshops including the Silliman National Writers Workshop and the UP National Writers Workshop. Based in Cebu, she is engaged with Cebuano writers in Women in Literary Arts (WILA), Bathalad, and Nomads. She teaches at UP Cebu and is current chair of its Creative Writing Program.  B A N WA  Series A2 Banwa 11A (2014/2015): LIT-004BANWA | ojs.upmin.edu.phOPEN ACCESS | PEER RE V IE WEDP  O  E  T  R  YBodies on WaterAfter Raymund Fernandez’s “By Water”Though we mostly fly now, nothing compares to moving by water, floating on it inside a defined principle of physics. “Any object, immersed is buoyed up by a force…” Archimedes stepping into his tub and seeing the water level rise as he settles in. The relationship between buoyancy and displacement. Volume and weight of water.  Screaming his mirth, he runs all over town, stark naked.  Paper in hand and, above him, foams of clouds.The sea is never so far away and ships sail perceivable at distance. All as illustrated by Dr. Seuss.  And whether or not true, the fact of boats and physics has romance in it. As in all acts of leaving stable ground to step on a platform moving beyond our willin circles, on waves, Why put our selves this way? If only for the promised adventure, the ideaof being where we are not, always on the way from wherever we have been. To be lulled into going back in the duyan, a place that does not exist in homegrown English. Which must be whywe cannot get over how ships defy the immediately impossible. Bodies so certain at harbor, seemingly lost detritus at sea  afloat a gaping vastness on moonless night, wesee again the lighted routes: Orion, Polaris, North star.   These days, we line up to buy tickets, check ourselves in, boarding the crowded ship and sinking into seats or bunks near windows, near open deckswhere islands disappear and we hear the wind again. Our selves drifting back to all the places we’ve been.B A N WA  Series A3 Banwa 11A (2014/2015): LIT-004BANWA | ojs.upmin.edu.phOPEN ACCESS | PEER RE V IE WEDP  O  E  T  R  YBig River CityYou can’t step into the same river twice.                           —HeraclitusHow we inhabit cities in our minds.Take for instance thisand its two bridges. One coming inanother, out.  In addition, the ferry and the dock.The airport and the wideopen spaces for dreaming.Everywhere, exits.Mornings and evenings the stream.Women and men, school childrenracing against bundies.Traffic lights, road humps.Construction is always ongoingas does the series of row housing.Dwellings, where welater hang signsfor rent and for inquiriescall, mobilenumbers our only written address. Elsewhere we goon living leaving cities in minds.B A N WA  Series A4 Banwa 11A (2014/2015): LIT-004BANWA | ojs.upmin.edu.phOPEN ACCESS | PEER RE V IE WEDP  O  E  T  R  YReturn to Sta. RosaThe port is no longer the same. What do you remember now of what used to be clearher full name and the story of your arriving at twelve with an auntwho gave away crayons to children who never had. An exchange ofletters long before the first shy hello what else to say you both looked at your shoeshers polished and special for the occasion, yours taken for granted.Did the letters continue after that Christmas, you no longer remembershe had come to Opon City with a story about a factory but truly the storywas lost long before that. The pump boat comes as close as it could getsomeone has to push you on a pram the rest of the way. Your lady loveholds your hand and marvels even after hearing the same story again and againthe coasts from where children thin and laughing had gazed across at placesshe had wanted to go, had gone, had disappeared in among throngsafter years. The brine washed dock remains long and beautiful, welcomes youand your lady love with white outrigger boats in the morninglocals deep brown with pails of mussels and sea urchins, squint at sea. Farther aheadby the dry sandy road a school house, setting of your repeated story where you find you do not remember anything else except a full name and a piece of greetingin the salty local language so you say hello.

Within Places (Poems)

http://ojs.upmin.edu.ph/index.php/banwa-a/article/view/197/205

Within Places (Poems)

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