The Eastern Samar Community Blog

This street I’ll walk onto
away from you

For me to be closer
to your silence.

This is my English translation from a Waray poem written by Mary Grace Hidalgo Abogado. It is entitled “Lakat” or “Walk” in English.

Incidentally, Miss Abogado lives (and walks on) Abogado Street of Borongan, Eastern Samar. It is a quiet and lonely street of said fog town. And like the loneliness or emptiness of this street, to write is a lonely thing to do.

Contrary to her name though, Miss Abogado (Lawyer in English) is a licensed elementary teacher who graduated in Leyte Normal University. Here in the province, in fact, she was one among those 20 topnotchers in this year’s ranking for applying teachers.

It seems that this year is Miss Abogado’s. For she is fortunate to be one among those 20 topnotchers in this year’s Lamiraw Regional Creative Writing Workshop. Miss Abogado is named as one of the chosen fellows to the 6th Lamiraw to be held in Calbayog City, slated this early November.

Strictly speaking, the Lamiraw is intended for the teachers and writers only. Perhaps the underlying philosophy here is the production and propagation of the New Critics ideas to the mainstream classroom and printed media. And Miss Abogado qualifies both as a teacher and writer. Technically speaking though, she is not a practicing teacher and writer yet.

Miss Abogado submitted three Siday entries which had passed the aesthetic standard of the Lamiraw Selection Committee. This committee includes the notable Waray poet, Dr. Victor Sugbo. These three poems in Waray of Miss Abogado are “Isip”, “Pagpanit hin Pinya”, and “Lakat”.

Two of these Siday will be critique by distinguished writers like Dr. David Genotiva and Prof. Merlie Alunan to name a few.

Like her poem Lakat, Miss Mary Grace Hidalgo Abogado being a fellow will be walking onto this street for her to be closer to her goals in life.

Paglalakaton ko ini nga dalan
tipahirayo ha imo

basi pumahirani ako
ha imo kamingaw.