Translated from Filipino by Kristine Ong Muslim
There are those who are now open-eyed in the world
and capturing the primal picture
for confinement in cages
for confinement in cages
the hair gets longer
The body will be moved to exhaustion
Will sleep when authorized
Will dream of need
Will dream of need
Sap and grain
–
while gulping
while swallowing
while swallowing
believing
deserving of punishment
deserving of punishment
Like a dumping ground for what has come to pass
Bottles
Boxes
Boxes
Arrayed are the ones lined up in a row
the accoutrement for festivities
the accoutrement for festivities
To instigate
some will divulge things
some will yawn
some will yawn
some will write
their breathing
their breathing
how to change fate
–
Along the trail
go astray
go astray
as desired
At the back
outside
outside
below
Nothing ever is simply there
A form embedded in concrete
materialized
and molted its skin
and molted its skin
and fumbled
and desired
and desired
–
Exhume from the gap
An era
A cradle
A cradle
It’s gone
It’s gone
It’s gone
There!
There among the cold ones, the faded
Sullied, destined to be embraced
Sullied, destined to be embraced
–
How will ferocity
blossom
propagate
in the womb
in the womb
It is necessary
to slay
to slay
art
It is necessary