Tokhang Santa
From “How to Make a Salagubang Helicopter & other poems” (San Anselmo Publications, Inc., 2018)
PNP Chief Dela Rosa plays Santa to kids of those killed, caught in Tokhang
A total of 120 children of drug suspects received gifts from Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa (Bato), who dressed as Santa Claus at an event on Thursday. Dela Rosa said giving gifts is the PNP’s way of bringing cheer to the lives of children whose parents have either no income, are in jail, or were killed during anti-illegal drug-operations.
— Amita Legaspi, GMA NEWS ONLINE [01 Dec 2016]
He believed his intentions were pure
and shiny like his light bulb head when,
sometime after All Soul’s Day, he wondered
what it must be like to be a child
who had lost a parent. Perhaps once
when he was still small he had pretended
being an orphan, as most children do,
and that helped him arrive at the grand idea
of dressing up as Santa to bring some cheer.
How difficult could it be? Having no hair
meant that white wig would fit nicely,
not at all uncomfortable. The red suit
with fluffy white trimmings must be breathable
cotton, like the elft hat. Not at all like
being wrapped in a garbage bag and tagged.
Since he’s big and solid as a chunk of rock,
a kid on his lap will feel like a stuffed toy,
or an inflatable beach ball. Still, he has to be
gentle. These kids may not remember
that lost parent for a day, or forever
if they’re lucky to be too young to retain
memories. But surely they’ll never forget
the day Tokhang Santa came for them, the chosen
120 from the ever-growing thousands.
Jim Pascual Agustin writes and translates in Filipino and English. He grew up in the Philippines and moved to South Africa in 1994. His work has appeared extensively in journals and anthologies in his country of birth as well as overseas, including New Coin, New Contrast, Aerodrome, Rhino Poetry, Burnt Bridge, GUD Magazine, and Modern Poetry in Translation.
The Oxford-based The Onslaught Press published in 2017 his eighth poetry collection, Wings of Smoke. A new expanded edition of the Philippine edition of the book is forthcoming from San Anselmo Publications, Inc. In South Africa, where he now resides, Agustin Received the DALRO Award (2nd Prize) and the Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award (3rd place in 2014, and again in 2017). Email him at jim@voxpopuliph.com.
