Lesson on Flowers
The flower openswithout violence.This is what I learned in elementary,how resistance lives in softness.I stand in the kitchen, watchingpetals drift into my teacup,thinking of my mother’s handsfolding white sheets,how they will yellow with time.Everything palebecomes something else.In dreams, I am notthis daughter who changeswithout permission.I am the space betweenwhat she savedand what she lost.She told […]
Night Inventory
The absence of connection burns differently than the absence of touch. A poem about loneliness and how two bodies can share a bed while their hearts inhabit separate countries.
The Spider’s Gospel
Walking around in Sagada and finding this beautiful spider web. A meditation on grief and finding comfort in unexpected places and a reflection on rebuilding and survival.
Hamog ng Enero
The chill of January mornings in Marinduque and navigating the cold, thinking of unspoken young love. Discover how the Sea of Clouds intertwines with the warmth of a fleeting smile in this introspective poem.
Book Review: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan (A Time Capsule for the Chronically Online and Mildly Hopeful)
A personal review of The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, a powerful collection of essays and stories about youth, ambition, and the ache of almost-adulthood.
Your Name
Your Name is a poem written by April Pagaling about memory and the inadequacy of language to capture the depth of human emotion. It invites readers to reflect on the universal experience of love and loss, and the way we all, in our own way, are “cataloguing departures.”
📚 The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Discover why The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is one of 2024’s most talked-about mystery novels. A gripping literary thriller set in the 1970s Adirondacks, perfect for readers who love layered stories about family secrets and privilege.
Book Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
(Or: When Trauma, Magic, and a Very Angry Girl Collide) Let’s get this out of the way: The Poppy War is not your chill little fantasy read. This is not the book you casually dip into while sipping chamomile tea in a sunbeam. This is war. This is trauma. This is what happens when a […]
Should You Use AI as a Writer? A Beginner’s Guide
AI has changed how we tackle writing, making it easier and more accessible for everyone—from novelists to bloggers. If you’re curious about how AI can support your creativity, this guide will show you what it is, how it works, and how to get started.
Translating Howl: A Struggle with Ginsberg’s Beat
One morning, while scrolling through Facebook (as one does), 😂 I fell into a rabbit trap, an unexpected and exciting, a translation of Howl by the eminent poet Roberto Anonuevo. His version leaned literal, peppered with Filipino street slang. I found it intriguing but hard to grasp. It wasn’t a criticism, just my preference for […]