Some Stories Need Telling: A Short Review of Some People Need Killing

Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista, Random House, 2023

Photo from patevangelista/Instagram

I was bewildered by Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity. I cringed every time he opened his mouth. When he gave the order for the drug war, I wondered why there was no public outcry. Was this the same country that ousted a dictator?

Now that the president of my country is that ousted dictator’s son, nothing can surprise me anymore. 

I was afraid that the casualties of Duterte’s war would be silenced. So, when I saw that Patricia Evangelista had written a book, I knew I had to read it. This took a mountain of courage to write. I know because I was very afraid during Duterte’s presidency. It was not okay to talk about the drug war. My family told me not to be so vocal on social media. If I wanted to be safe, I needed to shut up. It took me a while to start reading the book even if I purchased it in December of 2023. I needed to prepare myself psychologically. 

Evangelista effectively gave a voice to the voiceless. She wrote with compassion while still being able to report the facts. It was interesting to read the dynamic equivalence of Filipino translated into English. Sometimes, English diminishes the dirt and the malice of the original language. I understood that she did her best to capture what could be captured.

All I can say is: Thank you, Pat (not Trish haha — nice anecdote about this in the book). Thank you for risking everything to tell this story. Thank you for being a stand for justice and human decency. 

There is a chapter called Requiem in the book. It is a reckoning. For all those who brought Duterte to power, intentionally or unwittingly, I want to ask: Was it all worth the toll? 

What I wish for: that more Filipinos read this book. I don’t care about the rest of the world. However, with the state of our education, I don’t think there will be a lot. But we have to start somewhere.

Homo Sapiens

Homo sapiens

We think we

are conquerors

when we venture

out into the

sea. We forget

how vast it is,

how dark. And

further out,

when we look

at stars, we

think we are

so brave. Little

motes floating,

tiny grains.

Surrender is

our base

state, helpless,

awed. We

enter the

world cold,

thin-skinned,

squalling, micro-

scopic miracles

that beat

the

odds.

August 5, 2021

Image by Christian Bowen of Unsplash

Day 4, poem no. 9 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

The Uses of Time

The Uses of Time

We all know that

not all moments

are equal. We use

the thirty seconds

of gargling mouth

wash to do other

things, like washing

our faces or wiping

off a countertop. And

there are some moments

that are pointed,

complete,

the split second

to land a kiss

on his forehead

or the eternity

of entering

a stream,

digging your

heels in the

mud, and

letting God’s

finger touch

your

face.

August 5, 2021

Image by Karim Sakhibgareev of Unsplash

Day 4, poem no. 8 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton, no particular prompt. I find that writing... just prompts more writing.

Philippine Lemon

Philippine Lemon

We call it

calamansi.

Even that last

syllable tastes

sharp and sour.

Scorching days

are a dime

a dozen in

my city. At

eleven o’ clock,

when I can’t

sleep, I go

to the kitchen

and squeeze

a dollop of the

concentrate into

a glass and

fill it to the brim

with chilled

water. Even the

tinkling of the

soda spoon

is part of it.

I close my eyes

and I am

engulfed

in a cool

citrus

garden.

August 4, 2021

Image by The Little Epicurean

Day 3, Poem no. 7 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

Glucose Tolerance Test

Glucose Tolerance Test

I want nothing else,

even if it isn’t cold,

even if it is in

a tiny plastic cup,

even if it was just

boiled or left

on the counter

for an hour.

Waking up parched,

I had a dream

of it. As soon

as I’m done,

I’ll drink

the whole

world and

it will taste

like

forgiveness.

August 4, 2021

Image by Manki Kim of Unsplash.

Day 3, Poem no. 6 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

Shortbread

Shortbread

Somehow it got

made. It began

in a packaged version

that was gone in

three days. We talked

about it and then

we forgot. And then,

one afternoon, we

realized it was easy.

I laid out the aluminum

bowl, the sugar, the

butter we got cheap.

You procrastinated

with the KitchenAid

(why did we tuck it

at the back of

a shelf?) and used

it halfway

through all

the mixing.

Your father

patted it down

in the pan and made

the holes with

a fork. And

at exactly 3:45

you dusted it

with confectioner’s

sugar. Sometimes

perfection is

nothing grand.

It is a grace

that lands

ever so

lightly.

August 4, 2021

Photo mine.

Day 3, Poem no. 5 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

A Postcard from S

A Postcard from S

Dearest C,

You once wrote to me

from a place where

everything was heady

with spices. Many,

many years later, here

I am, writing you.

I miss you

so much. I don’t even

know if this will

reach you. I wish

we could both

dip our feet here,

at the basin near

the roots of this

ancient and

monstrous tree.

Things are always

clearer in the four

corners of

paper. I’m

muddled now. But,

if we both looked up

from here, the light is

tangled up in the

leaves.

And beyond it,

the sky is

azure and

clean.

August 3, 2021

Photo mine.

Day 2, Poem no. 4 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton