UPP staTULA # 4

By Rayla Marie Recci Castillo and Maria Fatima Doce

If I could reach the end of the rainbow,
Would I find a pot of gold there?
If I could see flashes of the future,
Would I be able to clutch them with both of my hands?

Through my eyes, nothing can be seen
Colors have no way to have existed.
Many times I was lost in the labyrinth filled with shadows
Countlessly numbed by the failures of search for light.

I trudged on the wrong paths on many fateful days.
I failed many times and in many different ways.
Swathed in a cold and lonely atmosphere,
I became hopeless, solitary and blue.

Clamped in my solitude, I wondered
Could the self-destructive feeling get any worse?
Looking up, I struggle through the clouds for answers
Screaming deep inside, "Where is the way out?"

I heard the sound of my heart breaking,
Faster than my knees hitting the ground.
Perhaps a dash of hope could help me up,
Because I am pretty sure, I cannot fall any harder now.

While covering my psyche with the black blanket knitted by me
No way did my lowly mind expected how someone could have pulled it away so suddenly
My eyes were pained by the immediate light
An unexplainable blissful feeling has then gradually surrounded the lonely soul in me.

One by one, I picked up the pieces of my broken heart.
I dusted myself off and prepared for a better start.
Slowly, I stood up from the misery I so long have crouched down under.
I removed the despairing mask I so long have hid behind.

As if my eyes have only opened now.
People and things around me started to look so differently.
Smiles and colors are everywhere to be found,
I know for a fact, this is gonna be my start.

I could see the world clearer now,
With no tears to blur the view.
It's taken me too long to find out
That the spark of hope I've been waiting for has been with me all along.

Alas, the pot of gold is shimmering in front of me.
Life has started to glow persistently.
I walk with the future ahead of me,
but I understand that the fire of hope will never fail me.

UPP staTULA # 3

By Faye Yangyang and Maria Fatima Doce

Aba! Boss na pala ako!
Ngunit hindi lang basta-bastang boss no.
Naglilingkod sa aking presidente pa mismo!
Gayunman nalaman ko,
Mga boss din pala nya kayo.
Kung sino ang susundin, sana wag syang malito.

Hindi maitatanggi ng marami
Baya'y nanggaling sa isang malagim na gabi
Siyam na taong nagdurusa
Diyos ko, nasaan ang awa?
Ngunit heto ngayon, lideratong bago
Bagong aabangan ng buong mundo
Loob man ng nakakarami'y bigo na
Kami nagsusumamo, huwag mo naman sanang ilugmok pa

Karisma mo ay hindi maitatanggi,
Kaya nga ikaw sa pagka-hari ang syang nagwagi.
Ngunit gaano kaya tatagal
Bango mo sa mga kababayan?
Mula sa iyo, kailangan ay makita ang aksyon
Upang mga batikos ay hindi siyang umambon.

UPP staTULA # 2

By Kiveli Venz Paneda and Karen Christine Moroño

Pang-ilang sembreak ko na rin ito

Simula ng ako'y pumasok sa kolehiyo
Panahong laging inaasahan tuwing pasukan
Ngunit pag dumating na'y sanhi ng pagkabagot ng isipan

Sabi nila, mas masarap

ang mga bagay pag dumaan sa hirap
sa tinagal tagal ng paghihintay
sa wakas, ika'y akin nang nalasap

Oras para sa sarili, sa pamilya at sa mga hilig

Sa sembreak naibibigay sabay pa sa pakikinig ng himig
Maraming mga imbitasyon na gumala kasama ang barkada
Maari din naman gugulin ang oras sa iyong sinta

Hindi ko alam kung anong meron ka

Na nagdudulot sakin ng kakaibang ligaya
Iniisip ka pa lang ako'y sumasaya
Ngayong akin ka na. wala nang hahanapin pa

Basahin ang mga nobela na matagal din naitago

Manood ng mga pelikulang minsan may kurot sa puso
Magpuyat hanggang madaling-araw, matulog hanggang tanghali
Mag-internet, mag-FB, mag-kompyuter hanggang sumakit ang daliri

Salamat at makakatambay na maghapon

Matapos ang matagal na paghahapo
Manonood rin ako ng Chuck
Acads? Go to hell, What the F***!

Tatlo hanggang limang araw magagawa mo ito, pagkatapos ano?

Humanda ka na para harapin ang pagkabagot na nakakapanlumo
Gusto mong may gawin ngunit tinatamad ka naman
At dun mo mahihiling, "Sana malapit ng pasukan."

Kunsabagay, ako man ay naiinip na rin

Naubusan na ako ng gagawin
Naisip ko pa ang grades ko sa thesis
Wala pa rin akong topic, nakakainis!

Dun mo din maaalala iyong mga ginagawa sa eskwela
At mapagtatanto na kahit nagrereklamo ka, ang mga ito'y mahal mo rin pala
Lilipas ang mga araw sa pag-aantay muli sa pasukan
At sa pagsisimula ng mga klase hihilingin mong, "Sana sembreak nanaman."

Sembreak, mahal kita ngunit ang misyon ko ay matuto
Sandali kang pahinga bago ko harapin ang mundo
Kung mayroon akong ayaw sayo,
Yun ay dahil wala akong baon.

UPP staTULA # 1

By Joanne Lara and Kenn Miranda

kaba sa aking dibdib ay tuluyang lumalala

naglalaro sa isipan ang tunay na nais nya
ako'y walang lakas upang manlaban
o Diyos ko, ako po'y inyong tulungan!

hindi mkapag-isip, hndi makahinga,

pero totoo bang ako'y pwdeng sisihin?
kailangang mabuhay, gamot ng bata.
sana na lang ako ay Iyong patawarin.

sa madilim na kalyeng aking tinatahak

punyal sa dibdib ko'y lumalalim ang pagkatarak
tila lalong lumalayo ang sinang ng liwanag
kahit anong bilis ng takbo, ako pa ri'y mabibihag

takot man at hindi desidido

nanginginig din sa bawat pagtakbo
hindi naman kita sasaktan, papatayin o anuman
onting tulong lng para pagiging tatay ay aking magampanan.

isang dipa na lamang ang aming distansya

kaunti na lang, makukuha na nya ang aking pitaka
mahabaging langit, bakit ba may mga taong walang awa
di ba nya alam na ito'y aking pambayad eskwela?

onti na lang makukuha ko na,

makakabili na ng gatas para sa gutom na bata
gamot para sa aking mamamatay na asawa
mabubuhay ng isang araw pa ang aking pamilya

salaping kapalit ng dugo't pawis

ng aking amang sa Dubai nagtitiis
sa isang saglit lahat mawawala
pusanggala, nasan ang hustisya?!?!

miss na aking nabiktima,

alam ko nman na masama ang aking ginagawa,
ngunit kung ikaw ang nsa harap ng naghihingalo mong asawa,
magnanakaw ka, papatay at magbubuhos ng luha.

halata sa kanyang mga mata ang kaba at takot

marahil kanyang batid na ang ginagawa'y baluktot
siya kaya'y kumapit lamang ngayon sa patalim
o sadyang nasadlak na sa buhay na malagim?

siguro kung anuman ang aking sabihin

ang gagawin ko ay wala sa rason at hustisya
ngunit lamunin man na ako ng impyerno at kilatisin
gagawin q lahat mabuhay lng ang aking pamilya

bilis ng kabog ng dibdib ko'y natriple na

pagkat nasa dulo na kami ng eskinita
anumang gawin, tiyak wala na kong kawala
ibigay na ang nais nya, kesa ako'y masaktan pa

sa wakas matatapos na din ang litanya

wag ka na sanang magsisigaw at kumalipas
salamat na din sa iyo kahit papaano
hindi mo man sadya, kaligayahan ng pamilya ko'y iyong tinamo.

biguin ang budget cut!!

isang statement laban sa budget cut

Dahil kami ang boss
–UP Panitikan

kamakailan lamang ay itinatak sa aming isipan
kami raw ang boss kaya’t kami’t pakikinggan
ngunit Noynoy, bakit ka nagbibingibingihan
boses nami’y di naririnig kahit ipaglakasan

wag kaming linlangin mahal naming pangulo
wag tayo magpaikot ikot, hindi naman kami bobo
kaming mga studyante’y hindi pabor ang hinihingi
sapagkat aming karapatan ang siyang itinitindig

hindi magandang biro ang pagtapyas ng aming pondo
habang ang bayad utang at militar ay suportadong todo
elementarya’t hayskul raw ang aming kaagaw sa pondo
ngunit ang totoo ay yung mga kaalyado mong Amerikano

baka sakaling hindi mo pa alam kaya aming babanggitin
karapatan sa edukasyo’y nasa saligang batas natin
bata, matanda, may ngipin man o wala, kahit sino ka pa
silid arala’t upua’y dapat ibigay, walang tanong tanong pa

higit pa sa 1.39 bilyon ang mawawalang parang bula
kasama ang pangarap ng mga kabataang sa mundo’y wala pa
kung ganitong pagpapahalaga ang ipinataw sa edukasyon
iyan ba ang tinatawag na daang matuwid ng iyong administrasyon?!

mariin naming tinututulan ang iyong kalapastanganan
ginoo sa Malacanang, makinig ka sa aming panawagan
kaming boss mo ay galit na galit na
gobyerno mo’y gawing makatarungan para sa madla

kami’y hinding hindi titigil sa paglaban
hindi pwedeng karapata’y balewalain na lamang
hangga’t di naipagkakaloob kung ano ang nararapat
mga iskolar ng bayan ang mabagsik mong makakatapat!

Today, I...

By sulatkamay

Diary, I wrote a poem for someone… I’m just not sure whether my feelings can be felt in this poem. Can you pretend to be that person, then tell me what you think… ehem.

Would it be alright if I’d love you?

Love, and the crazy romantic phrases

People talked so much about

Turned out to be my life.

I don’t know why

I didn’t know when it started.

But day by day - they turned out to be completed

When you smile at me.

I’d just want to embrace you

So badly that as if

One hug could make all

The awkwardness of attempting to, worthwhile

I want to hold your hand

I want it to tightly hold mine

I want your hand to feel how much

My heart decided to hold on to you

These stupid feelings seem to fill my days

Can’t even go by an hour

Without thinking of you

Is this really what they call love?

I am happy when I am with you

That no matter where we go

My world seem to follow

My world seemed to be you.

Lately I have been troubled by these emotions

Would it be alright if I’d love you?

That I’d want nothing more

Than your hand and smile

If this is what they call love

Then perhaps,

You can call me a man in love

However foolish I might sound now.

Is it okay if I say that I love you?

Is it okay if my heart could shout nothing else?

Diary, how was it? How can you talk? How can you tell me that it wasn’t good? Eh?

Still, no matter how I force myself into believing that I am not, nothing else could justify how I have been feeling. Well I guess I am, diary, don’t you think love is a funny thing? It makes people talk to their diaries, and feel good. It’s funny being in love. I can’t even think straight, and I don’t seem to mind.

Well, I’ll talk to you tomorrow diary, I hope by then, you’re not the only diary that knows my love.

All I had.

By sulatkamay

Why did you choose to leave

while I was holding your hand,

while I was crying

while my heart was in pain?

You did not even care

That as you were saying goodbye

i was crying

So much

That I couldn’t even see you clearly

That my tears were not allowing me

to see you

That as you were explaining

I was holding your hand so hard

So that I could I either show you

How much my heart continued to hold you even on that moment

Or show you how much pain

You are causing me to feel on that moment

-your selfish moment

You did not even know

That no matter how much I cried

How hard I held your hand

I felt so much pain

That I’d wish I held my heart instead of your hand

At least I’d stop hurting it when I begin to cry

But I had no choice

I was not the one that held my heart

And the person that held it continued to cause pain

Even though I already had no tear to cry

You said that you knew how much I love you

You did not,

Cause if you did

You’d know that you were hurting it.

Guess you never had your heart broken before

Cause if you did, you’d know better

to notice me when I was crying

Or you would have known when to stop holding on to my heart

When you left, all I did was thank my tears

For forbidding me to see you leave

Yet hate these tears

For I was not able to see

-until now

That all my hand did was catch my tears

But never really held your heart.