Butuan’s Shadow Figurine
Butuan's kinship to the Srivijayans is assured,
dark balanghais still buried in the clay
and antiques safe in rich homes have pushed
historians to twaddle and twirl the globe
probing Magellan's landing in Masao.
The Golden Tara surfaced after a storm but we've lost it like we had the Balanggiga Bell.
Tara's journey from a glorious time
lighted up another type of storm in Butuan.
Manobo brushed off clay and nature's call
for Diwata told Man to claw and dip into
that carpet of mud, the throbbing star
by Wawa's roiling waters rushing
with the mighty Agusan River.
Historians fussed at golden deity's name,
Manobo's rough hands took salt and rolled bills
from cold, brown hands until the glit'ring icon
rested on pale, eager palms for free.
Butuan's kinship to the Srivijayans is assured,
dark balanghais still buried in the clay
and antiques safe in rich homes have pushed
historians to twaddle and twirl the globe
probing Magellan's landing in Masao.
Today, the Haves gloat in Tara's glow in Chicago's
Museum of Natural History but in the dark,
far from this museum, the Have-Nots
spend their time polishing shadow plasters
of Paris dipped in paint.
(Christine Godinez-Ortega is a poet, author, educator and journalist.
She is the director of the Iligan National Writers’ Workshop.
She lives in Iligan City and is presently pursuing her
doctorate degree in creative writing at the
De La Salle University in Manila).
http://www.mindanews.com/2002/06/1st/art-chris1.html
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