UST Publishing House Deputy Director Paul Castillo has launched a new poetry collection, “Ang Lihim, Kung Pag-ibig,” which tackles love in mundane and in various places.
Published by Librong LIRA (Linangan sa IMahen, Retorika, at Anyo), the collection marks the 40th anniversary of the oldest group of Filipino creative writers.
“I want the readers to see that there is love in everything,” Castillo told the Varsitarian. “It’s all around us, you just have to find the right spots, the right cracks.”
According to Castillo, the book’s title can be interpreted with two meanings: having a secret lover or love, in a conditional sense.
“Para lang may play on the meaning. So now it becomes this secretive [thing], pero it’s also conditional. Kasi ang tinitignan ko, sabi nila, the best kind of love is the unconditional kind,” the poet said.
Castillo said some of the poems in the collection focused on the opposites of love, such as hatred or apathy for those around.
“‘All of those issues parang may hatred, lack of sensibility for others. Meron na tayong apathy against or towards people na nakapaligid sa atin. [Inisip] ko, lahat ng puwedeng experience sa panahon, [p]wede silang sulatan ng tula,” he said.
Several poems from the poetry collection were read by UST faculty members and other Librong LIRA writers at the book launch.
The collection first began as an assignment for his master’s class, “Poetry for Creative Writers,” that he attended in 2021.
This class required him to write in the style of “Instagram poetry” similar to Lang Leav’s works, where poems are characterized by their brevity and are meant to be posted as an image accompanied by simple graphics.
“In a sense, I tried na i-maintain ‘yon, na pang Instagram poetry ito,” Castillo explained.
“Ang Lihim, Kung Pag-ibig” is the first book launched by Librong LIRA this year.
It is available at the publishing house’s online store.
