The 4 AM Internet Rabbit Hole and Finding Your Voice Through Ezra Pound

I woke up at 4 AM, eager to write poetry before distractions began. Instead, I got sidetracked by Louise Glück and ended up exploring Ezra Pound’s advice to W.S. Merwin: to find your voice, first learn to translate others. This led me to use AI to examine my writing. Each generated version reflected what my voice isn’t. Join me on this journey of self-discovery through rejection and reflection.

Shepherd / Pastol ni Lamberto Antonio

At first glance, Lamberto Antonio’s “Pastol” feels like stepping into an Amorsolo painting. You know the ones – golden light, carabaos in rice fields, that idealized Filipino rural life we’ve all seen in museums.

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 […]

Panaghoy / Howl ni Allen Ginsberg

Panaghoy ni Allen Ginsberg (salin sa Pilipino ni April Pagaling) Para kay Carl Solomon I. Nasilayan ko ang mga pantas ng aking henerasyon, nilamon ng kabaliwan. . . . . . dinadayukdok, nabubuwang, hubad,hila-hila ang mga anino ng kanilang pagkatao sa mga *hamod ng madaling-araw,. . . . . . nagaapuhap ng nagngangalit na pampamanhid. […]