IN WHAT is probably one the most metaphorical poems ever, Philippine National Artist Jose Garcia Villa (1908-1997) provides a beautiful sonnet to romance . . . and to the art of poetry.
LYRIC 17
First, a poem must be magical,
Then musical as a sea-gull.
It must be a brightness moving
And hold secret a bird's flowering.
It must be slender as a bell,
And it must hold fire as well.
It must have the wisdom of bows
And it must kneel like a rose.
It must be able to hear
The luminance of dove and deer.
It must be able to hide
What it seeks, like a bride.
And over all I would like to hover
God, smiling from the poem's cover.
Happy National Poetry Day, everyone!
