Gemino “Jimmy” Abad: “Parable of Stones”

The August 2009 issue of Filipinas Magazine contains an article by Yvette Tan on the great Jimmy Abad, one of our foremost poets and teachers. He’s just won the Premio Feronia Citta di Fiano, “Italy’s most prestigious literary prize.” The prize was for an Italian translation of his book, In Ordinary Time (University of the Philippines press, 2004). The translation, published by the Allegorein Cultural Association in Rome, is called Dove le Parole non si Spezzano — Where No Words Break.

Here’s one of the poems (If self has a little more time later, she’ll try and post the Italian translation)

Parable of Stones

Every time I go into
the world’s morning, my pockets
are full of stones.

You cannot see them
where my hands are hid,
sometimes bruised by their edge.

And a quick and deadly aim
I have, and ask no questions.
My hands are cold.

And few stones left I have
at each day’s end,
and groan as my hands bleed.

My state — who can endure?
As morning breaks, I know again
I have more stones to cast.

You cannot see them
where my hands close
and all my days bleed.

Who will close my morning?
O, who will empty
my pockets of my stones?

— by Gemino H. Abad