Two Poems by Karlo Sevilla
Karlo Sevilla
The following poem “Empty Spaces” was originally published in Outcast Poetry (2017), while “Because neither subtlety…” was published in Razorhouse Magazine (2016).
Empty Spaces
That empty space is fine with and in itself; it has no need for or of us.
Or, it has emptied itself of its abundance, upon seeing us close the distance
(threatened of rape, plunder, and the other imperatives of colonization).
It is best if we just walk on the path that cruelly cuts through them,
and just let the sliced and side spaces breathe, and air to pass through
or settle in their emptiness. Our burdens are our own, our own crosses.
Spare the rest of the world the heavy load, as we proceed to our private Golgotha.
Let the empty spaces do nothing more than bear witness to our procession.
Or, nothing more than being or not being, as we plod on to our crucifixion.
Still, our declaration of faith steadfastly remains, "We believe in Resurrection."
And soon we, who have been running empty, shall perish and ash —
neither in victory nor defeat — into the quiet brotherhood of empty spaces.
Because neither subtlety nor obfuscation is the province of the protest poem & if I have to "cheat" with a long title-cum-foreword just to render this (figurative) call to arms
call for a non-violent uprising LOUD & CLEAR because we're all
FUCKED!!!,
I would.
Karlo Sevilla writes from Quezon City, Philippines, and is the author of two poetry collections: “Metro Manila Mammal” (Soma Publishing, 2018) and “You” (Origami Poems Project, 2017). He has more than a hundred poems published in various literary magazines and platforms worldwide, including Philippines Graphic, Eclectica, Radius, Matter, The Broken Cassette, Poets Reading the News, Rue Scribe, and elsewhere. His literary work has earned accolades among publications and award-giving bodies in his home country and abroad. He currently studies for the Sertipika sa Panitikan at Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino (Certificate in Literature and Creative Writing in Filipino) program of the Center for Creative Writing of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and is a member of Rat’s Ass Review’s online poetry workshop. His Twitter account is @KarloSevilla.