Kulintang

Photo of kulintang (creative commons license) attributed to Phillip Dominguez Mercurio.

I was just crying over this. Too many people have died in Maguindanao.

Note: The kulintang is made of eight gongs. Each of them has a name.

This is for all the fallen.

Kulintang

by Justine C. Tajonera

Panentekan

A shadow passes,
grass in the sun,
blood in the soil.

Romingkar

A flock of birds
cannot hide the sound
of bullets.

Romapunut

The tarmac is quiet.
Forty-four coffins
are wrapped in red cloth.

Lomalis

Was the sound
of the bullet
louder than her scream?

Sagorongan

The wind whistles
through broken grass
that will grow again.

Mananggisa

The palay grow on
one stretch of land.
Grains of rice fall like rain.

Mamals

The mangroves are
full of fishes
and hiding children.

Pangandungan

Trees stretch
slowly
from graves.