There’s more to art than the visual feasts people see. Besides theatrical performances, musical scores, and illustrations, to name a few, art also encompasses literary works born from articulate minds. Poetry is among the types of literature that use various elements to create vivid imagery in people’s imaginations.
(One of Pacho’s recently written poems, which tackles everyone’s mental health and daily struggle)
Rendell Ron B. Pacho, a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, knows how poetry can be an avenue for self-expression. He also loves how poetry can draw inspiration from personal experience or others yet still be relatable to audiences, which he learned when he began writing.
“It all started when I was in high school. Most of my poems were inspired by my personal experiences in life, particularly my romantic life. It eventually became a hobby when I started compiling poems and publishing them through Wattpad. Then, it progressed until I made poems about my friends’ experiences, too,” he said.
Pacho describes his writing style as more inclined to free verse since he welcomes changes in his craft.
“I am constantly experimenting with different writing styles and techniques. I also used to write poems in Filipino and English,” he said.
Although Pacho was inactive in writing poetry for years since he finished his book, including 100 verses he began composing in 2015. But an academic requirement in college paved the way for him to return to the craft he once loved.
It seems so easy how time passes,
Like how memories fade sometimes,
How do we forget most things,
Like how do we wait for the next sunlight to rise?
But it’s not always, right?
We experienced hardships like there was no way out,
Like we’re so stuck, and there’s no end of the night,
Like there’s no help, and there’s no hope.
It’s weakening sometimes,
We’re so drained and feeling lost,
You’re questioning reality,
We’ve been so empty.
But here you are, still surviving.
Hoping to see to the next morning,
To feel the coldness of the outside world,
To see you walking again on the road.
We are all aware that we cannot choose our lives.
It’s difficult to understand why we must suffer.
But we can still choose what to do next
to improve things.
With that determination, let us make the next
day a little brighter.