hayati

I come facing the wind known to a bus
there's nothing wrong with the breeze that starts talking
this street is a mile -long universe of bubble gums
and swollen tires amidst the chaos of billboard kings and queens
bring me to a smaller village where my mosque hugs me without remorse
sways my head to my hand to the longing of this great golden blue sparkling dome
that I wish to disappear to this poetry closing my eyes the victory of words
all flowing from the prayers of trees and the divine soil begins to spin
do the leaves know that my energy is coming from its un silence
we all whisper to the unclear face of the future as roots
as trees as friends narrowing the roads to the gaps of soil

Ardi

Please don’t die yet
Fervour, ships arise to the call of yesterday
Ardi my country is a village

A village with no country
Flags disappear to the ways
Imperialist our wish list is to stay
And die not to our dreams
Before your ships put fire
Into our oceans

Giant Quran and a lady

This lady has a giant Quran in her hand
wearing a malong and a fuschia veil
She sits eyes on opened pages
reciting Quranic words in the heat of a sunday
I walk upon her voice and sit to
breathe this wonderful energy
infront of a store where darkened coconuts
hang on plastics and green mangoes below
there's an air mystifying my steps
soda in hand not bending
pouring her soda in a glass
but hoping to be accepted on
a stranger's living room
in awe to the sight of angels
flowing underneath sunrays

green tears

come to my feet mastery of death
come wash me in green tears of the jungle 
lay your head before my leaves
I am only dry when I don't wish death 
for myself and for my forever jungle
come lets lave and dance to meet
the center , where it lays in darkness
darkness is lost to the rays of sunlight 
wishing it was yesterday

open arms

I stood not human

but a tree I couldn’t move  swaying from side to side
seeing four corners while I feel the wind
Birds come and land
on my trunks without passports
a peaceful immigration
they can express
their citizenship open arms
waving to their feathers their flags

POP ART II: PIECE OF PEACE ARTSHOP AND CONCEPT DESIGN CONTEST, A PIECEFUL SUCCESS!

POP ART II: PIECE OF PEACE ARTSHOP AND CONCEPT DESIGN CONTEST, A PIECEFUL SUCCESS!

By: Nash Usman Abduhadi

“Art is a process, it is not merely a product; art involves time, it is experiential; art can communicate, a reason for art is to symbolize for a real idea or object, including PEACE”- A.G. Saño

The aforesaid statements were proven true during the successful conduct of POP ART 2: Piece of Peace Artshop and Concept Design Contest held at Mount Bayog, Talipao, Sulu on March 11, 2013 by the strengthened partnership of Kusug Batah Sug (a pool of young volunteers advocating for peace in Sulu), Marine Battalion Landing Team 2, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Black Pencil Foundation, Talipao Municipal Government, Community Relations Training, Mount Bayog Eco-cultural Park, to name a few.  On the earlier part, Armando Guerrero “A.G”Saño rendered an artshop lessons to the participants emphasizing the importance of art in our daily lives, the history of POP ART, images of peace arts and demonstrating the basics on drawing lessons. A tour at the Mount Bayog was made for the participants to see the views and sights of the place for them to internalize the concept design that they shall be drawing such as: amphitheatre, sundial, fence walls, arch entrance, and waiting sheds. The contest proper began noontime as the Superstar band of MBLT2 serenaded them with peace songs that serve as inspiration for the artists. In the afternoon, the awarding of the Photograpeace (Photos of Peace) which was held last January 15, 2013 at Notre Dame of Jolo College and Jolo Area Coordinating Center was made followed by the induction of new Kusug Batah Sug members. Hon. Hadja Sitti Raya Tulawie (Mayor of Talipao, Sulu) expressed her heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the organizers and participants who conducted POP ART 2 in Talipao, Sulu as a means of bridging the gap between the local government and its constituents and also promoting peace through creative means.

The Process

Youth are the future leaders and professionals of the nation. However, due to lack of an avenue and opportunities for discovering prolific, functional and causal to addressing peace efforts, youth has become maimed and others were tempted to engage in some unlawful activities. A thorough understanding of novel aspect for these vulnerable sectors of the society would surface only if they would be given the chance to participate and get involved in the quest for an ever-elusive peace especially in Sulu. Correcting the paths of these future leaders toward a common vision through creatively advocating their voices becomes an ultimate challenge to all the Tausug youths.

POP ART 2 is a sequel of the June 11, 2012’s Piece of Peace Art held in Jolo Area Coordinating Center with three categories: Photograpeace (Photos of Peace), Masterpeace (Poetries of Peace), Magnum O’ Peace (Artworks for Peace).  The POP ART was conceptualized by the Kusug Batah Sug, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Community Relations Training (CRT) as part of expressing youth voices and hopes of attaining peace through creative artworks. Peace illusions are best conveyed through depictions of reality and imagination. A gallery on how youth can show another facet of peace. This is peace as seen from the eyes of the youth. Experiences as expressed in their belief that peace is attainable.

On the conduct of POP ART 2, the contestants were screened through submission of sample drawings on how they depict peace and promote Sulu tourism as part of the objectives. The said contest aims at: homegrown concept designs of facilities for Mount Bayog Eco-cultural park, Tausug youth talent development, promote Tausug culture, encourage creative thinking and appreciation, and promote local tourism.

Time

Timing is everything, as the saying goes and POP ART 2 paved the way for  Tausugs “first timers” to have a glimpse of Sulu by visiting Mount Bayog Eco-Cultural Park. Ironic, as it may sound since most of the participants came from the 19 municipalities of Sulu but most haven’t get the chance to see the said park that is their own. It was also the first time for the participants to take a ride on a military vehicle and feel the essence of establishing genuine relations with the security sectors. It was also the very first time for the spectators, contestants and observers to be able to join an art workshop and concept design contest rolled into one.

Experiential Experience

Most of the POP ART 2 participants, organizers, and observers experience a once in a lifetime shared “boodle fight” (a traditional buffet of the security sectors) which served as their lunch during the said activity. The true essence of sharing, brotherhood, unity and harmony were felt amidst the scorching heat of the sun. The unexpected weather during the day didn’t hamper the conduct of the said contest. An experience of “NO AGE LIMIT” participants was also seen as a youth from 11 year old to a teacher of 52 years old participated. An ongoing most liked artwork is to be posted in facebook.com so that the world could see the master-peaces of these peace advocators.

 Art can communicate PEACE

Peace is the work of many and this was shown during the activity as a total of almost 200 participants coming from different municipalities, schools, organizations, and other stakeholders drew together their Piece of Peace as embedded in their Magnum Opuses.

Indeed, as A.G Sano once said: art can be a vehicle to advance causes, ideas or philosophies, by turning advocacies and visuals.

The feet that pass me

I am as green as the grass in the hill
listen to the breeze as I make sound too
rustling in the rhythm of winds 
I desire not the feet that pass me
I am afraid not of being removed from soil
I fear to not make a sound when all these happen

They don't speak in dreams

Dead people don't speak in dreams
they pass by as if you are a part of a door
a wall or a road or a bush in a garden a keyhole
sometimes they seem so alive
that there presence are so vivid
you wonder if they came to take you