LauGhTeR by ManingninG MiclaT

MANINGNING MICLAT

Born and raised in Beijing, China during the Cultural Revolution, because her parents were based there then, Maningning Miclat became fluent in Mandarin (which she later taught at the Ateneo University), English and Filipino.

In 1987, she published her first book of poetry in Chinese, Wo De Shi (My Poems). Three years later she became a fellow of the UP Writers Workshop, where she won an award for a one-act play in Filipino.

Her poems in English made her a fellow of Silliman Writers' Workshop. And she followed up her first book of poetry with Voice from the Underworld (Anvil Publishing).

An anthology which came out in Beijing counted Maningning as one of the 39 Top-Rated Poets in Chinese.

The young writer's accomplishments in painting are just as remarkable, if not more so, considering her age then.

In 1987, 15-year-old Maningning held a first solo show of Chinese traditional paintings, the first of five such one-woman exhibits. And while still a student at the UP College of Fine Arts , she won the 1992 Art Association of the Philippines Grand Award for with her abstract work, "Trouble in Paradise ."

She later took up Masters in Fine Arts at UP and taught art at the Far Eastern University. There, on Sept. 29, 2000, the angel of death caught up with her.

LAUGHTER


He left me
when he could
no longer stand the laughter

that I gave him
while he begged me not
to keep memories

alive in poems
to hurt myself
and make those
who read

sad. I laughed
when he shared
his life with me
while holding him

to make it easier
and maybe
less painful
to live on.

Laugh! I told
him, but
could not get
his attention.

Laugh! I asked
him, but
he left in
anger.

And left
before he understood
the courage
that held my laughter.

REACTION OF THE POEM

Upon reading this poem, you can feel the emotions of the author or the speaker. It merely tell about a relationship of two people who love each other but one can't last forever. For me, the author here somehow a "pretender". She pretends who really she are. She uses the laughter to forget the pain that she feels nor suffering. She uses the man to feel less pain and make life easier. In the poem you can understand the man for what he done because i i were also the man who use to live with a certain lady who pretends that she's okay even she's not i would feel worthless. "hey!! i'm here you can talk to me Don't just laugh."


It's a nice poem it merely touches the heart of the reader. Knowing what happen to Maningning. It's sad losing someone who was a great writer.

References:
http://emilyap08.multiply.com/journal/item/45
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