RECUERDOS - Introduction
In 1989, I came out with my first compilation of poems, essays, short stories, editorials and columns written in college, mostly for The New Builder where I became Editor-in-Chief.
After college, in spite of my love for poetry, personal circumstances required that I set my pen aside. I would have wanted to live a poet’s life but it wasn’t meant to be. As most from my generation, I had to pursue a corporate career. That and, later on, my family were to become my most important priorities.
During what would eventually be a long hiatus, the closest I ever got to writing anything that may even be remotely considered as literature, were my love letters to my (then future) wife and the dedications which close friends insisted that I write on their behalf in greeting cards for their love interests. I never really stopped reading poetry though.
In fact, I have always thought that one of the fringe benefits of working in the salt mines and earning a decent wage was it provided me the means to buy and own the books which, until then, I could only pick from the shelves and browse through as I whiled some of my spare time away at libraries and bookstores.
However, I promised myself that I would someday write again and publish my next compilation by the time I turn 40. I’m well over 40 now and so, as far as the promise goes, this is now overdue.
As we age, there is a growing tendency to reminisce on our life experiences. Some of these memories are captured in photographs neatly tucked in albums which give us pleasure as we look through them over and over again. Mementos we keep and happily share with family and friends.
I guess it could be said that rather than choosing verbal imagery, it might have been more efficient had I simply shared some photographs. After all, as the ancient Chinese proverb points out, a picture paints a thousand words. However, while my talent for writing is already at risk of being taken to task by some, I believe that my abilities for either painting or photography would be even more so.
Moreover, as my family and I have moved from one house to another several times over the years, we have misplaced so many pictures from earlier times. Many of these are of people who have passed away and places which are no longer the way we remember them to be. Their memories now exist only in our minds and even there, we each have our own impressions.
Thus, Recuerdos, the Spanish term for the nouns “souvenirs” and “memories”, is meant as a keepsake for family and friends like you. It is my way of sharing some memories I have kept for posterity, views of the world as I had seen it, and elements of life to which I have found attachment. As a verb, “recuerdo” also means “I remember”, which probably makes the title even more appropriate given that these writings are obvious fruits of retrospection.
Portraits is a showcase of personal relationships, the same prevalent theme as in my first compilation, and a couple of attempts at self-description. From my college poems, the tone might have shifted from that of an apprehensive, single young man uncertain of what lies ahead to that of a reminiscing middle-ager coming to terms; from a lover and a son to that of a husband and a father who has experienced both joy and pain in more meaningful ways.
Landscape and Still-Lives hope to reflect the views of a world traveler who has been to more spectacular places, perhaps indulged in more sophisticated treats or even acquired more impressive possessions only to miss places and objects from an earlier, simpler time in his life.
Sketches shows the beginnings of my published works, a glimpse of my college poems. Here, I offer some of my personal favorites from that period together with their more recent and better Spanish translations.
And then, there are some essays .
In all, Recuerdos is my tribute to some of the people, places, and even some of the things I hold dear. For what else is there for me to write about other than what have become familiar?
I am a keen student of the Spanish language and a firm believer in the beauty of Tagalog in its more pristine form. Since both languages are an integral part of my Filipino heritage, I took the liberty of including in this compilation the Spanish
and Tagalog versions of some of my poems in an effort to help sustain the vanishing craft of writing in Spanish by Filipinos and to add my small voice to those of many other writers struggling to keep Tagalog literature alive and well.
Twenty years ago, not a few of my friends were surprised to find out that I wrote poetry. This is due in part to the fact that I wrote these while hiding behind the name "Rocky". I'm sure this project would still be a surprise to many of my friends today.
Well, at the end of the day, the writings included in this compilation may not be of much literary value but if you should find them amusing, then for me, that really should be enough.
PS. I have no plans of quitting my day job anytime soon.