Melchor F. Cichon
One of the most productive contemporary Aklanon haiku poets is Sr A Cris T. Ocampo popularly known in cyberspace as Toryo.
Cris was born in Kalibo, Aklan. At present, he is assigned in South Korea.
Cris is not new in poetry.
According to him, his interest in poetry started when he was still in high school.
Let me quote him:
“It all started when I was in high school because one of my English subjects talked about poetry and haiku and we had to do one. So I had to read some books about poetry. And since I was a member of a band and a composer I was able to relate poetry writing with song writing. I wrote a lot of poems which I turned them into songs. Unfortunately hindi ko na makita yung libro ko un tsaka ala na rin masyadong time kc patapos na rin ako ng high school nun kaya tumigil na ako.”
Cris graduated at Kalibo Pilot Elementary School in Kalibo in 1993.
Since his elementary grades, he was not only active in boy scout activities but also in athletics especially in sepak takraw. He went as far as West Visayan Meet .
After his stint in Kalibo Pilot Elementary School, he was admitted at Science Development National High School , (now Regional Science High School) in Kalibo, although he wanted to study at RMCAT “dahil mahilig rin ako magbutingting ng mga kung anu-ano eh tsaka gus2 ko ung hands-on nila ng electrical stuff eh pero hindi ako pinayagan kc dun ung mga pinsan ko nag-aaral eh baka daw magbulakbol ako dun.”
After high school, Cris took entrance exams in the schools he wanted to enroll at and finish a bachelor’s degree.
Let me quote him again:
“ kumuha ako ng entrance exam sa mga skul na gus2 ko pasukan pasado nman lahat kaso sa me quota ung engineering sa UP at UST pero balak ko maging seaman at abogado nun..dahil sa pinilit akong kumuha ng engineering sa UE ako napunta. I took ECE sa UE ok nman ung grades ko nung 1st 3 yrs then nasama na sa mga rally rally nagkaproblema na sa skul kaya kelangan ko pang kumuha ng summer classes para maging regular..nung graduating na ako dumating ung paperworks para magmigrate ng states kaya 5th yr na akong umalis ng pinas nung 2002..pagdating ko dun nagwork muna ako bilang waiter for 2 months habang nag-aaral ako sa Community College para sa eng’g degree ko pero natanggap ako sa inaplayan kong trabahao kaya tumigil ako sa pag-aaral nang hindi pa nakakakuha ng bachelors degree sa eng’g. nung tumagal na ako sa work naisipan kong mag-aral ulit at dun ko nakuha ung associates degree ko kc medyo busy din kc tsaka palipat lipat..pero gus2 ko makuha ung bachelors ko kaya ngaun kahit sa Korea na ako tinatry ko pa ring makuha un kc halos karamihan ng kbatch ko meron ng bachelors eh..sa totoo lang hindi ko na rin kelangan un eh kc kuntento na rin ako sa work ko kc eng’g field din ung nakuha kong work sa gobyerno kaya ok lang din. Me balak pa rin akong ituloy ung magkuha ko ng bachelors pero one at a time lang muna kc medyo busy eh lalo na ngaun asa korea ako nakaassign kaya medyo mahirap ng kunti..”
When I asked Cris on his concept about poetry, he wrote: “my concept about poetry is it makes your emotions come out lalo na pag mag-isa ka lang..dito mo nabubuhos ung mga nararamdaman mo its either na masaya, malungkot, anger, magmamahal, halos lahat na cguro ng emosyon pwede mong ilipat sa poetry..at nakakapag-isip ka ng mga matatalinhagang salita na ikaw lang or kunti lang ung makakagets at tapos pagnabasa ng iba, iba-ibang opinion ung maririnig mo na hindi lang pala ikaw ang nakakaalam nun at meron pa plang nakatagong meaning sa sinulat mo.. “
Some of his haiku were published in Haiku, Luwa and Other Poems by Aklanon (2005).
Let me comment on one of his latest works:
Matig-ang Bagoe
matig-ang bagoe
gapanago sa amamakoe
hin-aga mano-eo
This poem can be read in different angles.
Let me read it in its political dimension.
There are political leaders who are hard headed, people who believe in there conviction despite the fact that most of her/his constituents do not believe in her/him as their effective leader. The truth however is that this leader is just hiding or depending on his/her trusted followers who are like him/her who are also weak, if not just taking advantage of their leader's weakness. So when time will come when their help are already needed, they withdraw their support.
This situation is also true in offices where subordinates just withdraw their support when they believe that their leader is no longer that effective.
There is a saying that says that when the house is about to fall, the rats start to run away from that house.
Here are some of his other latest works:
Gaoy
pirot eon ang mata
12 oras nga trinabaho
owa man it nag bag-o
Sanga
nagdapo ro maya
nabali ro sanga
pugad nahueog sa eugta
Masunod nga adlaw
nagpamaeo ro manok
naghipos ro ayam
manog-guwa eon ro adlaw
Paka
ro nag-eumpat nga paka
nagsaeom
sa kilid it sapa
Gaoy nga Maya
ginahapo ro maya
mintras nagatan-aw
sa maeayo nga lugar
Gabok nga Tulay
pagkatapos it bagyo
nagkaeabali
ro gabok nga tulay
Note: This article was first published in Bueabod, April 2006
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