"Floral Shadows" by Vian Borchert
Julia Ongking | Defining Fortune
you count the fattening raindrops sliding down
glass windows, fogged up by the air conditioner
from inside the girl’s room. you imagine the winds
that merely blow against cement destroying
your papang’s abaca ceiling, the one you’d helped
weave, all those years ago. you are reminded
of the clammy smell of the evacuation center
back in tagbilaran, watching bare feet slide
across muddied tiles, rich farmer’s soil coalesces
with falling rainwater, skin pressed onto skin
as nanay lays out a tattered banig on the
gymnasium floor. you were the lucky ones,
she said, swerte kayo, look at the neighbors,
their clothes turning an unpleasant shade
of brown, their day-old infant strapped
haphazardly onto her mother’s rain-streaked
back. you stare again at the girl and her purple-hued
lights and remember your father’s trembling
as you left a crumbling house behind, only to be
swallowed by the swell of water, the very next day.
glass windows, fogged up by the air conditioner
from inside the girl’s room. you imagine the winds
that merely blow against cement destroying
your papang’s abaca ceiling, the one you’d helped
weave, all those years ago. you are reminded
of the clammy smell of the evacuation center
back in tagbilaran, watching bare feet slide
across muddied tiles, rich farmer’s soil coalesces
with falling rainwater, skin pressed onto skin
as nanay lays out a tattered banig on the
gymnasium floor. you were the lucky ones,
she said, swerte kayo, look at the neighbors,
their clothes turning an unpleasant shade
of brown, their day-old infant strapped
haphazardly onto her mother’s rain-streaked
back. you stare again at the girl and her purple-hued
lights and remember your father’s trembling
as you left a crumbling house behind, only to be
swallowed by the swell of water, the very next day.
Julia Ongking currently lives in her beautiful home country: the Philippines. Born and raised as a Chinese-Filipino, she enjoys developing her perspectives through reading, writing, and having meaningful conversations with people from all walks of life. Her work has appeared in SAND Literature, Third Wednesday, and Rappler Magazine, amongst other digital and print publications. Her work has also been recognized by the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards.
Vian Borchert is an established artist and poet exhibiting in the US & internationally. Vian is a Notable Alumni from Corcoran GW University. Borchert exhibits in museums and key galleries in major cities like NYC, DC, LA, London. Borchert's art is in embassies and collections worldwide, along with vast coverage in publications. Borchert is an art educator in the Washington DC area. Borchert's artwork can be acquired via "1stDibs" and "Artsy" marketplaces with auctions. Website: www.vianborchert.com
