During the Technical-Dress Rehearsals.
With director Roselle Pineda and Lorelei Bulan during a blocking rehearsals.
Last February 24, via PITONG SUNDANG: a dance repertoire by the SINAGBAYAN (a youth cultural organization based in the University of the Philippines)directed by artist-educator Roselle Pineda, I had the opportunity to perform, alongside fellow artists Edwin Quinsayas, Lorelei Bulan and Angeli Bayani, a significant and timely piece "Maliit at Malaking Piitan,"(Small and Big Prison), a poem by Allan Jazmines, a 64 year-old political prisoner.
In the performance, Angeli Bayani and I recited the poetry in an arrangement by the director while Bulan and Quinsayas did creative movements inside and outside small and big prisons at the center stage at the back of lighted white panels. The center stage being the small prison while the panels being the big prison. Angeli and I were inside small cells defined by play of light and small spaces.
It was a very emotional performance. We actually did a repeat of the piece during the launching of former political prisoner Angie Ipong's 2nd book, "A red rose for Andrea" last February 29.
But more than the performance, the poem itself is worth more the attention. It reminds us all that in this society, no one is really free. At least, not yet.
"Ibang-iba pa sa unang tingin,
ang mundo riyan sa labas,
sa mundo rito sa loob..."
(It is still very different, at first glance,
the world out there,
with world here inside. ...)
That was the first three lines of the poem. I was immediately captivated by the lines because of its simplicity and directness. Yet, Jazmines, who is also a visual artist, made sure it does not lack metaphor, melody,rhythm and vision.
For someone who knows about the poet's ordeal, these lines easily transported me to where the voice is coming from-inside prison. These lines evoke a lot of emotions, mostly coming from sadness, loneliness, or grief and even anger coming from the fact that yes, the poet is telling the world- i am imprisoned.
"... napakasikip, itong ilang metro-kwadrado na pwede naming ikutin,
at bilang ang oras,
para sa bawat galaw.
tuwi-tuwina'y kailangang makita ka,
mabilang,
at malaman ang iyong ginagawa,
panay ang silip at halungkat
at baka mayroon kang anumang tinatago"
(it is so cramped, this few-square meters that we can go around in,
and the time is counted,
for every movement.
always you have to be seen,
and counted,
they must know everything we do,
always looking and searching
that we might be hiding something)
We are let in, inside the very corners, inside the very few-square meters he is roomed in, and the others. That one is compelled to either go there and share his ordeal or take him out of there. Because, we are here, outside, we are not living inside a prison cell. We are enjoying our freedom. We are free. Like what in these lines:
"Mistulang malaya at maluwag dyan,
hawak pa nyo ang inyong oras
at pwede pa kayong makagala ng malayo,
makapagsabi ng dapat sabihin,
makagawa ng dapat gawin,
nag di binabantayan ang bawat kibot."
(It seems out there is wide and free,
you still hold the time
and you can go as far as you want,
say what you have to say,
and do what you have to do,
without being watched every second)
And yet, "seems" becomes the operative word. Here, one finally finds a different tone on the poet's voice and is transported to another level.He does not seem to envy us, after all. In fact, he is reminding us, even with a level of sarcasm, in case we forgot, as he continues with:
"ngunit kung dito'y ang maliit na pasista
ay di pa rin kuntento sa kanyang pagpipinid
sa maliit na mundo rito,
sa kanyang sagradong kamao,
dyan ay may mas masahol pang malaking pasistang
di kuntento
sa hawak nya,
sa madulas pang malaking mundo riyan."
(but if the small fascist here is not content
with how he manipulates
his small world here,
with his sacred fist,
outside,
there is a far worse big fascist
who is not content
in how he controls
the still, fluid, big world out there)
and with:
"ibayong higit sa tau-tauhan lang na maliit na pasista rito,
kailangan ng malaking pasista riyan,
na magpalaki pa nang magpalaki,
mangamkam pa nang mangamkam,
mangontrol nang mangontrol
at magparami ng mga tagapamayapa,
at ng mga ipinapasok sa maliit na piitan,
sa dami at dalas nginyong angal
na gumuguho sa kanyang mundo"
(more than the controlled small fascist here,
the big fascist out there needs to become bigger and bigger,
to grab more and more,
to control and control,
and multiply peacekeepers,
and the number of prisoners inside small prison,
because of your complaints- aplenty and often,
that crushes his world)
That yes, he may be inside a small prison cell but we are in a more dangerous state. Those of us who believe we are different from him who is locked up by the "peacekeepers" are compelled to think deeper and ponder.What with everything going nowadays, it is not hard to realize indeed that we too, are imprisoned.
In the last two stanzas of the poem, Jazmines finally shouts and screams and effectively at that:
"kailangang iangal ng iangal
yanigin ng yanigin ang mga mundong piitan
maliit at malaki.
tibagin ang mga pader,
rehas na bakal,
alambreng tinik
na humahati sa malaking piitan
at mapatalsik ang mga pasistang naghahari-harian
sa piitang maliit at malaki."
(we need to complain and complain,
shake some more the world prisons,
small and big.
crush the walls,
steal prison cells,
barbed wires
that separate the big prisons
and eradicate the fascists who act like kings,
in small and big prisons)
"kundi'y
sa patuloy lamang na pagdami
ng mga maliliit na piitan
ang inyong mundo riyan,
ay magiging walang iba,
kundi kulumpon na lamang
ng maliliit na piitan"
(otherwise,
with the continuing increase of
small prisons,
your world outside,
will become nothing
but a world
of small prisons)
Like every performer, i suppose, there was a dissatisfaction on my part, at the end of our performances. I felt i wanted to play it some more, differently, more intense, more felt, or simply, better. But a couple of weeks after the "Pitong Sundang" show, I found myself reading the poem again. And I was right, it is indeed a timely piece of poetry.
We are indeed, ( all of us, regardless of age, gender and class) prisoners of different prison cells. And yes, we are not yet free. And I am shouting, at the top of my lungs: "Free Allan Jazmines! Free Ericson Acosta! Free all Political Prisoners!"
